November 28, 2005

Hello again FuNky~Drum~People!!!
I’m Sorry I haven’t Blogged iN a While but I’ve been INSANELY Busy iN the preparations for the CD LAUNCH of the NEW Friendship & Respect Trio Album “Rainshine” to be Staged iN My Home Town of Bournemouth, South~Coast UK >>> It’s coMing Up oN Thursday 1st December 2005 & Will be a VERY Cool, Smooth & Civilised Affair!>>> I’m a Great Believer in Self~Promotion, So I’ve been Busy Designing EVERYTHING & then Covering the Town with HUNDREDS of Stylish looking Posters & Flyers!>>> Not to Mention preparing THE PRODUCT to be Ready for Sale, all Packaged & Beautiful by Thursday!!!(3 Days Time!) >>>>> PHEW!!! >>>

SO, Double Pedals,
Many of My Drum~Students have asked Me over the Years why I do not have a Double Bass Drum Pedal >>> The short, simple answer to this Question is that I don’t like them!! >>> but there is of course More to it than that!
There are some TRULY GREAT DRUMMERS who use Double Pedals Brilliantly & with GREAT SKILL, but these Talented Men & Women are Few & Far Between!!! >>> I’m speaking of MASTER DRUMMERS such as Neil Peart, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gene Hoglin, John Blackwell Jr, Shiela E, The Wonderful Brit Simon Phillips, even My Friend at Poole Percussion Austin Lane has something VALUABLE to contribute on a Double Pedal but the VAST MAJORITY DO NOT!!!!! >>>

I recently Perchased from the afore~mentioned Drum Shop a REALLY EXCELLENT DVD by the WONDERFUL Drummer & Human Being BILLY WARD >>> CheCk Him out on His Web Site billyward.com >>>
His New DVD “Big Time” is one of THE BEST Drum~Instructional Experiences I’ve encountered in A VERY LONG TIME!!! >>> I’m affraid to say Drum DVDs are usually pretty Aweful & leave Me COLD & UNINSPIRED but Billy’s is Informative, Funny, COOL, NOT TOO LONG (an extremely important criteria for a Busy chap like Me) & to get back to the point Billy displays some Very SUBTLE & Sexy Bass~Drum Chops >>>

This is My MAIN POINT with Double Pedals >>> SUBTLETY!!!!!!! >>>
Most of the Young Drummers who express an Interest to Me iN My Lessons are really only interested in Playing LOUD, FAST Bass~Drum Work in an effort to Impress their Friends or sound vaguely like one of a variety of Metal Drummers (I know there ARE some Good ones out there) >>> For Me this is BULLSHIT DRUMMING!!! >>> There is NO MUSICALITY, FINESSE, STYLE or CHARM in this type of Playing & it is BY FAR, My least favourite!!!

The BIG PROBLEM with most Youngsters who own a Double Pedal on a whim, is they are not prepared to put in the VAST amount of practice time it is going to take, to get even a tiny bit proficient on one of these pieces of Equipment! >>> Doubles between the TWO Feet, Paradiddles of ALL kinds between the Left & Right Foot, Controlled Singles etc. etc. etc. >>> & that’s just for STARTERS!!! >>>

If You Can’t play with Style, Precision, Control & Flair on a SINGLE~PEDAL, how do You expect to be even Vaguely Useful on a Double??? >>> The Mastery of ANY Musical Instrument takes TiMe, Patience & Focus >>>
The long Road to Success lies in a Calm, Clear mind with an Eye constantly on the objective >>> In the case of Drums & Drumming, that is INDEPENDENCE & CONTROL (with a liberal dollop of PASSION, JOY & OBSESSION!!!) >>> Starting with a standard Set~Up & working ONWARDS & OUTWARDS from there, as Your Talent grows, Your kit can grow with it if that is what You Desire >>>>>>>>>
I plan to be Playing & Learning WAY into My 90s >>> Therefore there is PLENTY of Time to Explore Your Drum~Set & Your Playing!! >>>>
SO onward with Drumming & Drum~Teaching, PeaCe to ALL You DruMMiNg People out there, Whatever Your Equipment tastes are >>>
BE COOL,
***< <<<< SiMoN the Daddy Funk >>>>>***

November 4, 2005

What is the FUNK? >>>

Well in My Educated yet Humble opinion it’s got alot to do with attitude, Style, Sex~Appeal & the Passionate NEED to be Different, Exciting & COOL!!! >>>

In Music, the FUNK plays an essential part in My Working day, defining Who I AM & WHY I do what I do! >>>

Super Heroes have got the FUNK!!! >>> There is absolutely NO QUESTION about this! >>>
I have been an AVID Comic Book & Super Hero FaN since I first started buying Comics as an 8 Year old boy in the town of My birth~ Wimbledon in South~West LoNdoN, way back in 1973! >>> The seed of the “Daddy Funk Vibe” was sown being BLOWN AWAY by AWESOME Marvel Comic Book Genius! >>>Such unforgetable Characters as “Conan the Barbarian”, “Spiderman”, “Nick Fury agent of S.H.I.E.L.D”, “Thor”&”The Fantastic Four”. >>> Fabulous, Magical, Modern Titans to fill My Young Mind with Passion, Joy, Excitement & Hope! >>>
I was inspired enough to Draw many of My own Comic Books & Write regularly to Marvel in the UK asking all sorts of Questions which filled My Young Brain to bursting point! >>>

In later Years as an Art Student at the Arts Institute of Bournemouth & Poole, Super Heroes again affected & Influenced My Art, Design & Early Music Making & Song Writing >>>

I Visited & Subsiquently Lived iN the Mighty New York City in 1986 as a 21 Year old MaN where Music, Culture, Art, Women & Super Heroes were an important part of My every day exsistance >>>

Moving back to Live in the thick of LoNdoN in the late 80s, My passion became an all consuming Obsession with the discovery of the “Graphic Novel” >>> Holy Bat~Funk Robin!>>> This Shit was INCREDIBLE!!! >>> Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” re~Invented The Batman (a DC Character) in a way that seemed SO RIGHT, GRITTY & REAL & was the PERFECT Mind~Fuel for My Song Writing, Drumming, Latin Percussion Playing, Clubbing….. Infact EVERY element of My Life at that time in My Life! >>>

& OH MY GOD that LOGO!!! SO COOL, SO SEXY!!! & a HUGE influence on the Daddy Funk “DF” Logo I use, in ALL My Business today.
The Batman became My MAN in the 80s & I had every GREAT title by ALL the ground~breaking Artists & Writers during that period >>> BATMAN was Dark, Driven, obsessed, COOL & above all SUPER~FUNKY!!!!!!!!

These Days with Many Hollywood Movies on the subject of Comic Book Heroes ~ Some GREAT, some TRUELY AWEFUL!!!! My LOVE of Comics & Comic Heroes is as Fresh as EVER! >>> As an adult I have More Money to spend on the subject (YIPPEE!!!) & My Passion grows & GROWS!!! >>>
I’m reading X~Men Comics at present & LOTS of Daredevil & Witchblade >>> So I seem to have Returned (with the exception of the Witchblade) to My original LOVE AFFAIR with ALL THINGS MARVEL! >>>

&&&&& I wish to state INFATICALLY that “Batman Begins” ( Directed by the Brit, Christopher Nolan & Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine & Gary Oldman ) is without a doubt THE BEST Batman & Super Hero Movie EVER MADE!!!!! >>> There I’ve said it! >> Panther Kitten & I saw the Movie twice in New York this July & were COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY!!!>>> May all Blogging Hell break Loose if You disagree!!!!! >>> >>>>> I DARE YOU ! < <<<<

Well, must get back to Drum Teaching & BEING PHAT & FUNKY!

Peace & Hero~Love from Daddy Funk & the Panther KitteN,

***<<<<< SiMoN the FuNk >>>>>***