Geordie Clark
Hi Everyone,
As previously mentioned I started playing drums at about 15 years of age, probably after seeing Cozy Powell on Top of the Pops playing "Dance with the Devil", it sort of sticks out in my mind, but actually drifted away from the instrument for a while to take up guitar! An accident at work which damaged my fingertips put a stop to that one so it was back to 'tub thumping'.......and of course the late great Mr Powell actually joined my fav band at the time Rainbow so that probably reignited my interest in the instrument aswell !
I've actually played around the 'circuit' since my early 20's (HOW LONG?!!) with various bands, not all rock orientated though.
A good band is a good band regardless of musical genre.I have a very eclectic taste when it comes to music but my playing preferences will always be rock based. I think this derives from my love of bands with more stand out contributions from their respective drummers/percussionists like Rush and Dream Theatre.
Having said that there's also nothing more enjoyable than just laying down a solid 'groove' as part of a rhythm section that a band can play off and I like to think that, along with a quality bass player like Mick, we do that more often than not, Although I do enjoy listening to people like Mike Portnoy, it's not all about congesting a song with a monster fill at every opportunity and that probably sums up my playing style quite well actually.
Influences
On the drumming front, as mentioned, the first drummer that really caught my attention was Cozy Powell, but there really are only two guys who have made me sit up and say "that's seriously what i want to do"...... the legends that are Neil Peart and more latterly Mike Portnoy. There are other drummers who really impress like Mike Mangini, Deen Castronovo, Carter Beauford and technically superb players like Thomas Lang, but hey, I'm a huge Rush and Dream Theatre fan, what more can i say?More latterly I've been really impressed by Gavin Harrison , great feel in his playing and he makes weird time signatures still sound tasty.
Gear.
As from 2017 the kit of choice is a beautiful Yamaha PHX in natural ash finish. The configuration is "three up, two down" and the full set up is as follows:
22" kick
8",10",12",14",16" toms
Ludwig black beauty 14" x 6 1/2"snare
Zildjian K 14" hi hats
Zildjian 20" Earthride
Istanbul traditional 18"china
Zildjian A 10" splash
Zildjian A 14" fast crash
Zildjian A medium thin 17" crash
Zildjian A medium 18" crash
DW 9002 double kick pedal
Yamaha hex rack and hardware
Evans EC2 coated heads
Remo controlled sound snare head
Remo powerstroke 3 kick head
Pro mark sticks
All percussion from Alesis sample pad pro
Sennheiser in ear monitoring and Shure headmic .
About the band...
Well, as I write this ( 2018 ) I'm in my eighth year with the band, still amazed and humbled by the dedication of people around the set up like Clem, Norm and more lately Colin who make band life so much easier and more enjoyable ......and a mention, sadly no longer with us, to Trucka Phil....made me feel right at home from day one, I'll always remember his rapier wit....I've been on the receiving end of it so often but a more genuine,loveable guy you'll never find. Thanks for everything Bud !As for the rest of the band they remain three of the finest musicians on the circuit, certainly that I've played alongside and not just up here regionally, but probably anywhere and I know that's not just my opinion! The rep of the band has been forged by other line ups long before my inclusion with outstanding players over the years from the drumming angle alone and hopefully we are still doing the biz live which is, after all where it really matters!