Drummers doin' it for charity

We've learnt today that Aussie drum masters the Brady Drum Company and Nashville Southern rockers Kings of Leon have joined forces to auction a special drum for the Australian Bushfire Relief Appeal.

Your probably saw on the news in February that Australia suffered its worst national disaster in over 100 years at the hands of the Victorian bushfires. Sadly, 210 people have died, over 2,000 families lost their homes and over 1 million acres of land have been destroyed.

To assist with the relief efforts, Brady has donated a new 2009 release 14"x8" snare drum handcrafted from Wandoo (Eucalyptus Wandoo) for auction. Drummer Nathan Followill and the members of Kings Of Leon have thrown their support behind the appeal and have lent their signatures to this drum. Followill has performed live since 2006 with a Brady snare drum.


Chris Brady of Brady Drums and Kings Of Leon's
Nathan Followill with the signed snare

100 percent of the proceeds will be split equally between the Australian Red Cross, The Salvation Army and the RSPCA who provide financial, emotional and medical support to the families, pets and livestock devastated by this tragedy. The auction will go live on eBay on May 1, 2009 and will close May 10, 2009. Brady Drum Company will include free shipping worldwide to the highest bidder.

Snare Drum Spec:
Handcrafted by Australian master craftsman, Chris Brady
Wandoo (Eucalyptus Wandoo) timber, a native Western Australian hardwood
10 chromed tube lugs
R-Class snare strainer
German tempered snare wires
Canopus Bolt Tight detensioning washers

Individuals are also invited to make donations to The Salvation Army's Bushfire Relief Appeal, The Australian Red Cross' Bushfire Appeal, and the RSPCA.

Whilst we're on the subject of charity, have you registered to take part in Stick It To MS yet?

On the day following Drumfest (13 July) you could become a world record holder along with hundreds of other drummers as part of a Stick it to MS record attempt. Led by some of the best drummer´s in the music business, an attempt will be made to host in excess of 533 drummers (the current record) playing together under one roof.

Money raised from the record attempt will be donated to the MS Society to invest in support and vital research into a cure. It costs just £10 to take part, the race is then on to see who can raise the most sponsorship money! You can register now to be able to take part at www.stickittoms.com. This is your opportunity to support one of the most spectacular drumming event´s ever to be held in the UK.

For full details click HERE.

Chris Barnes

I'm MusicRadar's eCommerce Editor. In addition to testing the latest electronic drum sets, it's my job to manage the buyer's guides on MusicRadar and help musicians find the right gear and the best prices. I'm a guitarist and a drummer and I've worked in the music gear industry for 19 years, including 7 years as Editor of the UK's best-selling drum magazine Rhythm, and 5 years as a freelance writer working with many of the world's biggest musical instrument brands including Roland, Boss, MusicRadar and Natal.