Flaner

NEW BLOG

2010-05-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

Check it out here

Lateralus - Tool

2010-03-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

'Empire State of Mind' cover

2010-03-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Flaner is back!

2010-03-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

Flaner 1 - 'the system' 0

I've started up a new Youtube account. I'm now called FlanerDrummer, and the url is:

http://www.youtube.com/user/FlanerDrummer

Be sure to check it out when you get the chance. I've done a pretty nifty 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' cover to get the ball rolling, so to speak.

YOUTUBE ACCOUNT SUSPENDED

2010-03-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

Hmm....Weird. Don't know why, but Youtube has suspended my channel. I guess that is that then! Thus ends the great 'flaner' drum-cover channel.

The older they are, the harder they fall.

2010-01-28T04:26:00.000-08:00

Oh, God...i hit 26 years old in a couple of weeks. This wasn't initially such a big deal, until I realised that if I was a professional footballer (*sigh* Broken dreams!) I'd only have one big five-year contract left until I would have to think about hanging up my boots for being 'past my peak'.

You definitely know you're getting old when:

You're no longer valid for a 'Young Person's' railcard. You're just a normal, disgusting person riding with the rest of the scum.
You think "Hmmm...I could really do with owning a shoe-horn. The 'furiously dancing my foot into the shoe' technique just ain't working for me anymore."
90% of your female friends on Facebook have names such as 'Jenny _____ (was ____)', as they pair up and marry off. How dare they find true love?! Selfish bastards.
Your dad starts saying "Where are my fucking Grandkids?! Is all your 'equipment' working down there or what?"

Either way, I'm going to let the day drift past. And if anyone wishes me 'Happy birthday!!', they're getting a face full of fives.

Yep. Just how nature...err...intended?

2010-01-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

"The world's SECOND pregnant man is 'blissfully happy' as he prepares to give birth to baby boy next month"

I'm a liberal guy. I'm notorious for my liberality - but this is just creepy!

Why would a woman - who was technically a 'lesbian' who was attracted to other women - suddenly think: "Yes, i'm attracted to women - but only woman who: A) Look like long-distance male truckers, and B) Look like i do." Though one of these women is technically a man now, so she's not a lesbian anymore...It's all very confusing. Also, it pisses me off that they can grow better beards than i can. I need an intense shot of male hormones, asap!

All i know is that it's going to be very awkward for the new baby come Mother's day.

It's like an episode of the 80s sitcom, My Two Dads...but actually funny.

Avatar: Officially the biggest film ever.

2010-01-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

So, Avatar is the highest grossing film of all time - 'adjusted for inflation'...as they always say in articles. Whatever that means.

Have we all seen it? I watched it. Though i'm not sure if i watched it because i wanted to watch it, or just watched it to say that i've watched it ('Most uses of 'watched' in one sentence award' goes to that last sentence.)

Hype has a tendency to cloud people's minds when it comes to big media events such as this. Everyone's tweeting: "OMG!!!! just saw avatarr, best film EVA! IZ it rong i found the alien fit?! LOLZ". And, i admit, it was quite entertaining...as far as films about blue aliens go. But to have it in the 'top 100' films list on IMDB? Come off it. It must be up there purely for the potential it shows for future films which could utilise this new technology. If it had just used skinny emo-looking 'real' people instead of CGI, all jumping around with blue facepaint in skimpy leotards (Avatar: The Musical anyone?), the box-office figures wouldn't be looking nearly so healthy.

Everyone is banging on about the 3D. Is it worth paying extra to watch it in 3D? Yes, i'd say so. The effect created is quite striking. Though, i must mention, this is someone whose only previous experience of '3D' was Spy Kids 3D. I think a person onscreen picking up a cup of coffee, blowing on it to cool it, then putting it back down would have created a more impressive spectacle than Spy Kids 3D.

I don't know if you guys noticed, but there was a hint of an 'anti-war' message hidden in the subtext of the film. Perhaps a more subtle approach would have been to just have a blank screen, with the text: "DOWN WITH THIS ILLEGAL WAR! BUSH MUST BE TRIED AS A WAR CRIMINAL!' flashing at your face in glorious 3D for 2 hours 45 minutes.

So what did you guys think? Hey, at least it gave people who wear glasses the chance to laugh at people wearing glasses...

NEW COVER: 'My Friend's Over You - New Found Glory'

2009-12-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to upload this onto Youtube, as i fear the savage beast known as the 'armchair Youtube critic' will rip it to shreds.

Only been through this one a few times, so it's rough and is missing intricate bits all over the place. It's fun to play, but very tiring on the old bass foot. Drumming is a young man's game!

In other news, my Killing In The Name Of cover seems to have gone down well. I always avoided that song due to the solo/mental bit near the end...but yesterday i just thought: 'Fuck it - It's Christmas!' and did it anyway. Have a good Christmas everyone, and to all a good night.

'Virtual Band'

2009-12-03T03:18:00.000-08:00

A user on Youtube has put my drums to his guitar playing. The song is I disappear by Metallica. Anyway, it turned out really well! You always have your fingers crossed when someone does this that they can play their instrument, and this guy certainly can.

If anyone ever wants to use a drum track of mine for a cover, you're welcome to (just let me know about it when it's done.)

Here is the video:

Oh, and new drum covers are coming on the 19th December. Anyone got any good ideas for covers? I want popular songs that DON'T have double bass in them.

FAQ #4: Why do you hold your sticks so high up?

2009-11-26T01:59:00.000-08:00

Bad technique! Yep, it's as simple as that. Just before i started playing drums i hurt my right hand - more specifically the last two fingers on my right hand. This means i can't comfortably wrap them around the stick. Consequently, my double stroke rolls (and rudiments in general) have suffered.

Though, saying that, my singles are quite consistent, especially on AFI's Girl's Not Grey. So maybe it's all in my head!

General Update: Phew!

2009-11-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of days i've uploaded 8 or 9 new covers to Youtube, of varying quality. Only had a one-day window of opportunity to actually play my kit, so crammed in as much as possible.

I'm most happy with 'Up in Arms', 'Orestes' re-do and the piano cover. I don't really do many piano covers, as i'm never confident they will be well received. I've had a few 'Crap. Stick to drumming mate!' comments on them. I feel like Jim Carrey attempting a serious role: NOT WANTED. I do recommend that you listen to more of Ludovico Einaudi's work though, as it's the most chilled out, relaxing music going.

No new covers for a couple of weeks, but if anyone has any ideas for new ones, let me know here.

Drumming Heroes #3 - Danny Carey

2009-11-05T08:48:00.001-08:00

Danny Carey. There simply aren't enough superlatives for this guy. Having learned his 'chops' in drum corps, Danny went on to study Jazz for a number of years before hooking up with Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Adam Jones and forming Tool. His drumming on albums such as Ænima, Lateralus and 10,000 Days has continued to push the drumming envelope, and made him the hero of lesser drummers all over the world (such as myself).

Lateralus in particular is a drumming tour de force. Admittedly, it does take a while to get your head around the various time signature changes, polyrhythms and complex rhythmic structures - but once you do you realise you're listening to a special album. And yes, at some points i did think the CD was skipping (During the middle part of The Grudge, for example). But this doesn't stop this album being, in my humble opinion, the best of the past 20 years.

I've been playing drums for getting on ten years now, so it's rare for me to listen to a song and think 'What the hell is the drummer playing there?' (because my ears have got used to hearing out the drums, not because i'm like the equivalent of the 'horse whisperer'...for drumming). Yet when i listen to Parabola (6:56 - 7:16) it makes my jaw drop [insert jaw-dropped emoticon here].

Annoyingly, there aren't many good quality videos on Youtube of Danny's playing. In the early days (before Youtube, if you can imagine that a world such as that once existed) the only place you could find videos of Tool were on torrent sites, when people uploaded shaky cam footage from gigs they'd been to. As if it wasn't bad enough that it made you feel like you were downloading pornography, these videos were also very poor quality, with people screaming 'Dude, this part fucking rocks...watch Maynard. Seriously, duuuuude, watch Maynard!'. All this 'watch Maynard' talk inevitably meant that the camera rarely focused on Danny. There was a rumour that there would be a dvd of the Lateralus tour - though that was 10 years ago, so i'll stop holding my breath for that.

The best you'll get is the attached video from some kind of promotion for Paiste cymbals. It's worth watching for the 'gong hit' pay-off alone.

What are you favourite Tool songs? Do you like any parts of a song in particular? If so, leave a comment underneath.

WOW! #3: 'Bernard Purdie 'splains something to you'

2009-11-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

Quite possibly the coolest, most laid-back guy to ever sit on a drum stool. Watch as he 'splains how to play the 'Purdie Shuffle', laughs randomly at nothing, and uses the word 'splain' a lot.

General (Hospital) Update

2009-11-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

Whoa...i didn't realise it had been so long since i last posted! This is just a general update to tell you what i've been doing recently.

I had some minor surgery a couple of weeks ago. All i've been able to do is sit in bed watching daytime tv in a drug-filled haze. Needless to say, this has put me out of action on the drums and will keep me away from the kit for a couple more weeks. This is probably for the best, as i think the spiders in there have mated and created a scene reminiscent of the end of that 'Arachnophobia' film with Jeff Daniels.

I've picked up a fair few subscribers recently (what i like to call the 'Blink-182 drum cover effect'. Maybe i'll do some more of their songs in a cynical ploy to bring in more traffic.) I'd just like to thank everyone who leaves comments on my playing, and for those who sub in general.

I might post an old MCR cover that i just found on my computer. It's with the old snare though, so i'll prepare myself for the inevitable 'turn your fuking snare on duuuuude!' comments.

Right, i'm off to continue my massive weight-gain (through lack of activity...and eating copious amounts of shit).

WOW! #2: 'Drummer progression'

2009-10-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

This kid starting playing when he was two - that's TWO DAMN YEARS OLD. All i could do at two years was wet the bed.

Check it out. It just shows you that it's best to start playing early on in life when your brain is a sponge.

FAQ#3: What is your set-up?

2009-10-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

Even though my equipment is all falling apart, i still get asked this question a lot. Maybe you want to know what equipment i have so you know what to avoid when hitting the drum shop.

Anyway, here is a list of my stuff:

Kit
Tama Rockstar

Cymbals
Zildjian 'K' Custom Dark ride
Zildjian 'Avendis' crash
Paiste Signature Fast crash
Zildjian 'K' Dark crash
Zildjian 'K' splash
Paiste Signature Sound-Edge hi-hats.

Stands + Pedals
Dw 5000 single pedal
Pearl Eliminator double pedal
Heavy duty stands (various makes)

Sticks
5a Vic Firth or Pro-Mark

Heads
Evans G2 batters over G1 resonants (toms)
Remo snare head (old snare head...DON'T get Remo snare heads)
Aquarian snare head (New. Pretty decent)

If you know your drum equipment, you'll know this lot costs a pretty penny. If i've missed anything else out you want to know about, let me know. Oh, and i don't know the sizes of everything, as i'm 100 miles away from my kit right now.

NEW COVER: 'Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters'

2009-10-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

Not perfect...ah well.

NEW COVER: 'Paramore - Decode'

2009-09-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

Let me know what you think below.

FAQ #2: Are you poor?

2009-09-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

No! I'm guessing that people think this because: A) My equipment is cracked/broken/disintegrating before my very eyes, and B) It looks like i play drums locked in a cupboard.

In response to the first point, i agree that my equipment is falling apart. When i started playing i bought some of the best stuff out there. This included top of the range cymbals/heads/pedals (i've spent £400 on bass drum pedals over the years - yes, pedals for Christ's sake! I could have bought a car for that.)

Now it's all breaking, and i can't be bothered to replace it all. I'm a hard hitter, so i have to expect that it will all eventually get ruined. It's like watching a member of your family slowly die from a degenerative brain disease: they don't act/sound the way you remember them...yet you can't let go and buy new cymbals (Ok, the analogy fell apart at the end there).

No, i don't play in a cupboard. I actually play in a small, soundproofed (though the neighbours tend to disagree with this) shed down the bottom of the garden. It's a good place to be, as it is far enough away from people as to not be very annoying, and it means i can play really loud.

The only problem with this shed is that it's very compact, and it contains a lot of spiders. But hey, that's life!

NEW COVER: 'Spineshank - Synthetic'

2009-09-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

I uploaded this to my Youtube account, but then they took it down.

NEW COVER: 'Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Under The Bridge'

2009-09-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

WOW! #1: 'Buddy Rich Hi-hat workout'

2009-09-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

Things placed under the 'WOW!' (meaning 'amazing!', not 'World of Warcraft!') headline/tag will be drumming videos so astonishing that they will literally blow your ill-equiped minds.

This is the first one, showcasing Buddy Rich's amazing 'hi-hat workout'.

I've heard he was an arrogant knob - but i still wish he was my 3rd Grandad.

NEW COVER: 'My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Ok'

2009-09-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Covers, covers, covers!

2009-09-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

I don't get to come home much, so i've been drumming like a madman all day today to make the most of it (and have the blisters on my hands to prove it - yes, i'm hard as nails). I've got a fair few covers done, and will upload them in due course.

A lot of the songs i have done today i've only played along to a handful of times, so they won't be as accurate as the other ones on my profile (though In Too Deep turned out ok - surprisingly enough.)

I'm reasonably happy with the Green Day covers i uploaded on here. I particularly like the tom beat out of American Idiot.

In drum kit related news, another bit broke off my left crash cymbal today. It started off as a 16", but it's gradually getting smaller and smaller. I figure soon i will just end up having another splash. Ah well!

Right, i'm off to bed. I'm going to try and tackle Decode from Paramore tomorrow. It has a few tricky parts (What the hell does he do after that first chorus?!), so i'm sure that will keep me busy. Wish me luck.

Oh, and luckily this little fella (see pic) kept me company whilst i was drumming today. Cheers mate!

NEW COVER: 'American Idiot - Green Day'

2009-09-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

I kept forgetting which part was coming up next. This is why i'm glad it's not on Youtube to get 'U SUCKK!' messages.

NEW COVER: 'Green Day - Minority'

2009-09-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Drumming Heroes #2 - Josh Freese

2009-09-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today's feature focuses on Josh Freese, a session drummer who has played on over 300 albums, and also been a full-time member of bands such as A Perfect Circle and The Vandals.

Chances are you have heard one of Josh's drum tracks - you may not know it was him, but he has played on so many popular tracks that, by the law averages, you will have heard one; Avril Lavigne, Lost Prophets, Kelly Clarkson, 3 Doors Down, Evanescence - Josh has drummed on albums from all of these artists (plus shed loads more). The music industry loves this guy, as it knows he will bring the goods each and every time. This is why he is always in demand. Yet he is not just a session drummer. He is known for his energetic live performances, which is probably why, over the years, artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Sting and (currently) Weezer have taken him on the road with them.

Many of you will know Josh through the band A Perfect Circle. I still remember hearing the song Judith (off debut album Mer De Noms) for the first time and thinking...'wow.' He manages to play powerfully, yet still remain in control at all times. That whole album is an education in drumming, with highlights including Orestes - with its shifting dynamics and epic crescendo - and 3 Libras. Hell, the whole album is a masterpiece! Check it out.

He remains one of my biggest influences and inspirations on drums, which is why i tend to cover his songs a lot.

Below is A Perfect Circle playing Brena live. Just watch it.

Drumming Heroes #1 - Carter Beauford

2009-09-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

This will be an occasional series of posts where i list some of the best/most influential drummers i have heard over the last 10 years.

The first subject is Carter Beauford of the Dave Matthews Band.

I had never even heard of the Dave Matthews Band before someone recommended i listen to Carter's playing (the band are not big over here in England). The first song of theirs which i heard was The Space Between which, to be honest, was not really representative of his playing, as in an interview i heard him say he had to play somewhat restrained on that album.

But then i listened to songs off Under the Table and Dreaming, such as Ants Marching and What Would you Say, and i finally 'got' it. Subsequently, i picked up their Live in Chicago album and #41 became my favourite song and he became one of my favourite drummers.

I love Carter's drumming for two reasons. Firstly, his technique is amazing. He has such a relaxed way of playing, which is easy to watch and sounds great; secondly, his open-handed technique on the hi-hat gives his playing a freedom which allows him to break out of the 'standard beat' trap, and helped to open up my mind to the possibility of more creative beats.

Attached is a video of him playing Say Goodbye. The speed and smoothness with which he rolls with those Flix sticks at the start is astounding! So check him out, and let me what your favourite Carter grooves are by commenting below.

FAQ #1: Why does your snare sound like s**t?

2009-09-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

I'm going to answer some faqs on this blog, as i repeatedly get asked the same kind of questions. This one is easily the one i get asked the most.

To be honest, it probably sounds rubbish because i'm lazy; too lazy to tune it correctly, too lazy to buy new heads for it. Recently i decided to put some masking tape on it to get rid of the ringing noise it makes, but i don't know if this has made much of a difference.

Anyway, i can't see myself buying new equipment anytime soon, as i like to get the most out of what i've got. This means viewers of my covers will have to put up with it for the foreseeable future. Sorry!

Do any of you have any good snare drum head reccommendations?

New covers coming 19th Sep

2009-09-06T05:09:00.000-07:00

I'm aware that i created this blog, and haven't actually done anything with it! To be honest, i didn't think anyone was actually looking at it, so i thought '...Meh.' But now i've had a few questions (which i like answering!), so i might as well keep updating this thing.

Anyway, i've got new covers coming on the 19th. These are the ones i'm thinking of doing:

- Spineshank - 'Synthetic'
- At the Drive-in - One Armed Scissor
- Sinch - Something More
- Muse - Knights of Cydonia
- 30stm - Attack
- Dead By April - What can i Say

Anyone got any other ideas? I want to do some covers that actually get a decent amount of covers for once, so any 'popular' suggestions are welcome.

If you are not signed up for blogs, you can still comment as 'anonymous' ... just don't slag me off as it!

And on the 7th day God created...blogs.

2009-08-18T01:59:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to my (Flaner's) blog!

Basically, i've created this blog because i'm sick of Youtube taking down my videos all the time. Now that this is set-up, i can upload videos they cut to another website and link to them from here.

This means i'll be able to do covers from bands such as 'MCR', 'Red Hot Chilli Peppers' and lots of fantabulous other ones.

I'll also use this blog to answer some of your drumming questions (if anyone has any).

Cheers
Fil