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Home , Cerrone, Sabian Cymbals

13.9_24-33.qxp 10/25/04 8:35 PM Page 29

MICKMICK FLEETWOODFLEETWOOD NNewewBlood Bloodby Waldo the Squid

NICK SUMMERS JEREMY L. OWSLEY Age: 20 Equipment: Tama Starclassic drums; Age: 26 Equipment: Tama Starclassic drums, MYMY Zildjian ; Gibraltar, Pearl, and Tama Sabian cymbals, Tama hardware and pedals, FIRST hardware; sticks; Evans and Evans heads, Ahead sticks. FIRST heads; LP cowbell. Contact: [email protected] DRUMDRUM Contact: [email protected] ashville-borne Owsley has a cool musical eople seem to be picking up on this whole Npedigree: his father Lynn was a pedal steel SETSET P“professional-looking package” bit, as Nick guitarist for Ernest Tubb, and early on young Summers turned in a supremely comprehensive Jeremy learned the hard-knock touring life of s the solid pulse of Fleetwood Mac for (and well-written) press kit. One small suggestion, theaters, arenas, buses, and hotel rooms. How almost 40 years, Mick Fleetwood first though: you might want to lose the photo with the young? Dad’s guitar case was converted into a learned how to keep a beat on a boom arm going through your cherubic face. That makeshift crib for naptime. A 1992 Metallica Amodest three-piece Gigster kit at the said, Summers does nothing but shine on the laid- shifted Owsley’s attention from baseball age of 11 after convincing his parents that he back music he sent The Squid. The video, in to drums, and 1995 saw the rise and fall of his was very serious about playing the drums. particular, shows a very relaxed, confident player first band, a punk outfit called Krackbaby. That During boarding school, Fleetwood would in school band and club settings. Tasty hi-hat same year he suffered a more profound tragedy, spend his time sending away for drum catalogs. work, crispy snare, Louisiana-warm toms, and a when his younger brother Joshua took his own He dreamed of owning a set of drums, but the bass drum like a bowl of red beans and rice. Heck, life at the way-too-young age of 13. Owsley Gigster never played in his dreams. “I was everything about his playing is downright humid, channeled his grief into drumming and music, dreaming of a Premier kit,” Fleetwood recalls. which makes sense since the guppy was born in which led to a surely interesting stint as … an Still, he wouldn’t pass up a gift Gigster. “My Albany, Georgia, moved to Louisiana, and studied entertainment coach driver. Not just any coach parents realized I was hellbound bent for these with Nashville studio and touring veteran Mark mind you, we’re talking about driving Kid Rock, wretched drum-kit things, then they went out Smith (who preached the gospel of second-line , Queens Of The Stone Age, Danzig, and and bought it in a little music store in styles), and is now pursuing a finance degree Sugar Ray, among others. A 2000 tour with (talk Gloucestershire. They realized I was so serious from Louisiana Tech University. He’ll need that about karma) Metallica reinvigorated Owsley’s about drumming. They were such great parents degree to count the spoils, as among the many lust for drums, and now he’s pounding hard and and they encouraged that.” bands he’s played with (including Mudd Pi, G.G. heavy behind the Nashville ska-punk-metal quartet The kit came with a bass drum, a snare, a Shinn And The Hot Damn Band, and Capt. Pimp Murvacet. On their indie debut The Liars Club, top-headed tom, hi-hats, and a mounted And ‘Em), Monty Russell And the Hardcore Owsley bashes beautifully through “The Long on the bass drum. It’s been many years since Troubadours have opened for Willie Nelson, Run,” “Nothing Changes,” and the rocking closer Fleetwood had that kit so he has a little trouble Charlie Daniels, Dwight Yoakam, and Delbert “Going Home.” If I had hands, I’d make devil remembering the sizes. “The tom, I think, was McClinton. That’s some serious jambalaya, folks. horns. 6”, the cymbal was probably 10”, the bass drum was probably 16”, and the snare was about YOU CAN APPEAR IN NEW BLOOD, TOO. Just send an audio cassette or CD of your drumming, 10”.” It was a perfect beginner set, except it a bio with your age, equipment setup and contact information, and a color or black-and-white photo to Waldo didn’t come with a throne. “I sat on the side of a the Squid, c/o New Blood, 395 East Taylor St., Suite 215, San Jose, CA 95112. No materials will be returned. chair or the sofa, and that was my drum seat.” Armed with new drums, Fleetwood spent the on the disc as well, with a solo that next three years practicing and playing along to ENGLAND records in the attic. features grandfather Jean, brothers The UK is still shaking to the As much as he loved that kit, Fleetwood André and Jean-Paul, and son Regis. stunning beats of Drummer Live! outgrew it and traded it in for a Rogers. “I never French drummer Cerrone The event, run for the very first time, saw it again,” he softly adds. Still, his had his July open-air show at the attracted nearly 7,000 visitors over disappointment was soon overshadowed by the Chateau de Versailles cancelled due the two days to Wembley’s excitement of getting a newer kit. “I was frothing at the mouth because I was getting a to security reasons. The concert has Conference Centre. A combination of ‘real’ .” been moved to July 2005 to support exhibition space and a live room lent The gold Gigster is long gone, but it has the 2012 Olympic Games in Paris. itself to the formidable line-up of impacted Fleetwood all these years. “It really Bernard Minet, best known as the artists that appeared. In the live became the foundation of where I’m still sort of Photo by Curtis Quinn Curtis by Photo drummer for Les Musclés on kids TV room Dan Foord from metallers at: a hi-hat, snare, and kick. It grounded me into shows in the 1980s and as the singer Sikth opened proceedings with a 55- the player I am today because that’s what I’m all of Bioman, is now performing in minute set that had the sweat about - keeping time and not flashing around the and is also putting on drum kit because I didn’t have a drum kit to flash pouring. Next up was Pink’s Mylious around on. I’m happy that I’m this type of private shows in his home. Hey Johnson, who brought groove and drummer. It suits my opinion of what’s important ! Got news? Email it to: to his slot, and many words of musically – to support the frontline. And there [email protected]. wisdom to the enthralled crowd. you have it.” Thomas Lang, who following his – Billy Ramirez

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