everybody needs a montage
I started playing drums at the age of eight, introduced by my father as a means of channeling my inccessant ‘tapping and banging’ as a child. I joined a blues band at 14 which transformed into a group called Supergroove, a seven piece line up with horn section, playing a mix of Funk, Rock, Soul, & Rap, with high energy on-stage antics. We were signed to BMG Records and the band blew up in the mid 90's with Multi Platinum sales in New Zealand.
At 19 I left the band, and began teaching drums, both as an itinerant tutor at various Secondary Schools and privately, and over the last 10 years I’ve had a pretty good run professionally. I've been fortunate to have worked with a number of successful NZ artists, including Che Fu, Anika Moa, Brooke Fraser, and my own band from 1996 – 2004 ‘Eight’. I’ve performed on numerous recordings across a range of styles from Rock, Pop, RnB, Hip Hop, Reggae, Singer/Songwriter, Acoustic etc. Each track on my music player is a short compilation of recordings I've done with that artist/band, and which I think help reflect my style as a player.
I relocated to London with my wife and daughter in 2006, and have since worked with a range of artists, including Daniel Bedingfield, Lucie Silvas, Bruce Conlon, Nathan King, and Freddie Stevenson among others.
I love the diversity of working with different people and styles. For me music is about ‘capturing moments’, and as a performer behind the drum kit, whether it’s on-stage or in the studio, it’s all about finding the unique feel and flow of each song, and putting everything into communicating the energy and emotion that the music intends.
I'm currently working full time in the West End as part of the London cast for the musical STOMP. It's been a great challenge making the switch from behind the kit to jumping around onstage, making music with brooms, bins, & basketballs, but it's an amazing opportunity and I'm having a great time 'working'!
The show is based at the Ambassadors Theatre, West WC2, so if you're in London or passing through anytime soon, come and check it out.
