How long have you been playing now?
10 years.

What is your most preferable choice of kit?
I really don’t mind as long as it sounds good! I have an Eddie Ryan custom kit, bought off EBay, and it does really well at gigs and recording.

What is your experience with Planet Drum? What do you like most about it?
I have had several different teachers, and it’s been good to get different perspectives from different tutors.I think the teaching is very motivational, and flexible, I don’t feel like I’m being put through a factory line, and the teachers are genuinely interested in the pupils development. Plus, it’s nice to have a little bit of community. All the events and workshops which I’ve attended have been very friendly.

Is this a hobby? Are you hoping to play professionally someday? Or have you already joined a band?
I usually rehearse and gig regularly. I’ve drummed for at least 20 bands so far.. I’ve done recording, tours in UK and Europe, Festivals, etc, but still have a day job…

If you are in a band, how would you describe your life as a musician/live performer?
As a balancing act! What is great is that my skill level is developing all the time. I make connections with other musicians all the time, and the better I get, the more confident I am in taking up opportunities that come up from networking with people. I can also learn material more quickly these days, so have been able to do one-off fill in gigs for people at short notice, which is usually a lot of fun!

Do you have a favourite venue that you have played in?
That’s a good question! I think the Scala in London, for size and sound system. However, it’s often the audience that makes a really good gig, and so I think somewhere like AstroStube in Hamburg is my favourite, where they cram 100 people into a place the size of a living room, and the audience is right under the band’s noses.

What advice would you give to people who are interested in learning the drums?
I get a lot of girls asking me about this and I usually tell them to just start playing and don’t be afraid to make noise! Also, it’s good to be dedicated in a practice routine.

Who is your favourite artist/band?
Another good question! There are so many! Usually, I like bands with great drummers, like the Raconteurs, or Dave Brubeck! Once I’ve seen recently is Jenny and Johnny (excellent drummer!), and right now I’ve got Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers playing on Spotify...

And last but not least, who is your favourite drummer?
That is the hardest question of all! There are so many drummers to see and learn f enjoy many different drumming styles so I can’t really pick a favourite. I’m going to cop out on this one and say my Dad. :-)