Where has this year gone? When Mike Dolbear first asked me to write a tour diary in the summer it sounded like a great idea, but the schedule took hold and opportunities for down time and family time became few and far between. So a thousand false promises later I’ve decided to get typing while I’m on my travels and share with you how diverse and crazy this job can be on a month-by-month basis. I thought it would be poignant to start with a summer round up of all the highs and lows of my travels. I’m not going to do a day-by-day account, as you will probably fall asleep!

July started off with three days off back-to-back, which was, great to kick a football round the park with my son Taylor and start to plan my album. On one of those days I had a missed call from Chris George, Marshall Demonstrator, amazing player and all round top fella asking if I would play in the house band for the Guitarfest and Drumfest charity dinner the following week alongside, Chris, Fin Muir from Waysted and Rob Butterfield. So rapidly after I said yes I found myself charting out various rock covers that some of the performers wanted to play. Rehearsals were at Marshall’s HQ in Bletchley. The building is everything you would want to see from a world leader in their field. There is obviously a massive British pride element that starts at reception and goes right through to the warehouse. It had a really great aura about the place that I’d not seen before. Steeped in the Marshall tradition, the demonstration theatre was just a sea of cabs that really did go to 11! The gig was so much fun. It was lovely to see old friends Greg Bisosnette, Ian Danter and Jason Bittner again.  Jojo, Robin Guy, Carmine and Greg all played amazingly. It was so nice to see them playing music that you don’t normally associate them with. A great night for a GREAT cause. Well done to Craig Glover at PMT and Chris George for making it run so smoothly.

Straight after this gig it was over to Kent for a week training teachers how to motivate children and themselves into creative thinking in the workplace and how genres can cross collaborate (crossover?) on the creative diploma from music to art and drama to TV and film. I was one of four practitioners up from various professions alongside some wonderful motivational speakers. Armed with my portable studio, various Roland drums, a keyboard and various compositional elements, ready to get the teachers writing soundtracks for short films or delivering live performances for a dance troop. I’ve put a lot of time into these events this year and I’ve got to work with some really amazing individuals who specialise in getting the best out of people. It’s really starting to pay off with my approach to my job, the way I write music and the way I teach in a master-class environment or with my pupils. I find these courses a real challenge, and one that I love.

Then to Europe for some festivals with King King. If you like your Rhythm and Blues a bit more edgy with a bit more aggression, this is a band that I urge you to check out. They we’re on after Jethro Tull at The Maryport Festival recently and made some great headlines in the press. They are making some serious waves on the circuit over here and in Europe. I’m doing a set with them on Radio 2 for the Paul Jones show in November. I’ll post details on my site when it’s going out.

Now for the UK’s three main drum camps back to back! First up, the much anticipated and talked about “Ultimate Drummer Event” organised by your very own Mr Dolbear. When Mike first approached me in the spring about this event, I really liked his ideas and he generally seemed passionate about the outcome he wanted to achieve from the week. Having the wonderful talents of two musicians I hold in such high regard in Steve Smith and Ralph Salmins was an added bonus. I don’t want to go into massive detail but it was a great week, one of which I felt very proud to be a part of. The review of it is here http://www.mikedolbear.com/story.asp?StoryID=2005 The personal highlights for me we’re getting to spend most evenings with such passionate drummers and being bled dry of information from breakfast to bed time. To jam with Steve for a couple of hours and generally share ideas constantly with a hero and friend is something I will never forget.  It just made me step back and take stock of what I wanted to achieve when I turned professional, to have the respect of your peers is just an incredible feeling which gets me every time. After we all said goodbye it was straight to Brixton to play live with Jungle legend Congo Natty/Rebel MC. Beanie hats at the ready! It all went off! Pack gear, straight in the car and drive down to Bath in the early hours to start my three days at the Rhythm Course. Once again this is another amazing course with a great teaching team. This is my second year on the teaching staff at the course and rightly or wrongly I seem to be getting a bit of a reputation for turning people inside out so I thought in keeping with what people would expect, I’d fry em!   So I did, job done! I’m actually really pleased I only did three days, as my liver couldn’t handle more nights with James Hester, Colin Woolway and Martyn James! A real family vibe is what you get on the Rhythm course with some real characters. I said my goodbyes on the Tuesday evening and drove straight to Winchester to the last one. The Freddie Gee summer camp. It’s always such a great honour to play at this event. Once again, there is an amazing vibe with students on this course. This was the tenth anniversary and a large proportion of them we’re regulars which was testament to George Fredricks and Steve White. George fell ill during the course of the year so it was a real downer that he wasn’t there, he was really missed. As he’s on the way to a real recovery I think its only right that the celebrations should spill over into next year’s course when the wonderful fella can join in on what he started all those years ago. It’s so nice to work alongside Steve as a mate first drummer second; it makes you see things differently. Steve and me have some really exciting plans for 2010 so keep your eyes posted on respective sites. One thing that hit home over the course of the three camps was the volume of young and old drummer’s willing to better themselves, more proof that the UK drumming community is more vibrant than ever.

After enjoying a week in the sun abroad it was time to perform at the Roland dealer days and company meeting showcasing the new TD-20kx. It was a great few days, even though I missed the first one due to a certain airline being utter rubbish! Shortly before this I’d been invited to join the research and development team and to work internationally for Roland. I’m spending most of December in Japan filming videos and working on new ideas, what a real honour. I never in a million years thought that it would happen. I feel like a little kid who’s just been given some money to spend in the sweet shop, I’m so excited. I will update you when I’m back from my travels.

August, September and October were almost back-to-back with only 6 days off over the three months. Here are the bullets and highlights; I recorded the first part of David Cross’s album, wrote a theme tune for an advert for TV, toured Europe and headlined festivals with King King and The Nimmo Brothers, appeared in 7 magazines, recorded Congo Natty’s album, wrote a soundtrack for the Computer History Company, Lectured and performed at 8 Roland academies, Spent a wonderful day drumming with my hero and friend Nick Mason, Played 6 in-store events, DJ’d at Bose European meeting, Started my column in Drummer magazine, Introduced Whitey to Electronics, programmed drum tracks for 5 record companies, got to play Kayleigh with Steve Rothery  from Marillion, performed 8 clinics, Wrote all of my album in my studio and at various airport lounges and hotels across the globe, performed at the PLASA Show at Earls Court, the first showing of the TD-20kx worldwide,  opened a music store, got to play at Roland’s Main Event which was reviewed in the last issue of Drummer magazine with Steve White, Johnny Rabb, Nick Mason and John Thompson.

It’s been a manic, manic summer. I never thought it would get like this to be honest. Now my thoughts turn to mixing down my album before its release on the 1^st January. I’m so excited about the Dr oKtopUs project. It’s not really a drummer’s album. I made a point of using no toms on all the tracks. It’s kind of based on my old school Jungle influences, mixed with Bollywood, Classical and a bit of metal, with some very special guests and catchy hooks. A mixture of programming and playing that I’m very proud of and petrified in releasing it into the public domain!

My next update will be November and December which will include a very special filming project with a great drummer and friend, my visit to Roland Japan, writing a soundtrack for a gaming company and the Radio 2 session. As I write this on my way to Holland on 2 hours sleep, my next day off is December 21^st, then a long few weeks off I reckon…

So there you have it, I apologise if I’ve not made much sense if you’ve spoken to me over the past few months! I can’t thank you all enough for your amazing support that you show me, on my website, internet and in various magazines. As I’ve said throughout this update, it completely floors me what people say about my progression and performances. To inspire people is the best feeling in the world so I continue to push myself constantly. When the workload gets tougher, I get up earlier to practice and hopefully try and discover new things everyday that I can show people. Just a smile of approval at a clinic, trade show, master-class or gig is worth its weight in gold.

See you next soon.

Craig Blundell

www.craigblundell.com