NEW BLOG

Check it out here

Lateralus - Tool

'Empire State of Mind' cover

Flaner is back!

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

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.

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• You're no longer valid for a 'Young Person's' railcard.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?

"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.

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'

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'

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?

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!

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

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'

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

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'

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?

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'

Not perfect...ah well.

NEW COVER: 'Paramore - Decode'

Let me know what you think below.

FAQ #2: Are you poor?

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!