Alley Cat Club Review and Nathan's Drums

Nathan 286 writes:

Hello and Happy New Year to our followers. All 286 of you. It's me, Nathan writing this. Now some of you have written in complaining that everytime I write a band blog, it always ends up heavily edited or censored. Some of you even claim my blogs aren't even written by me at all. Well this one may get a bit technical and 'drummer geeky' so by the end of it (if you're still reading!) you will be in no doubt.

We have kickstarted the New Year with a really enjoyable gig at The Alley Cat Club in Soho Sound. Yes, the basement of one of Pop History's most iconic recording studios!


Our great mate Tom H. Wing from the amazing band The Roves organised it and was gracious enought to ask us to play. I snobbily said "only if I use my own kit and no-one else touches it". Well, imagine my astoundment when the middle band Fallen Heroes (absolutely terrific musicians and really nice guys) turned up and their drummer (my new best mate Emil) pulled out a Vintage Ludwig 20" bass drum with a mounted cymbal arm, rivet cymbal, Acrolite Snare, etc etc etc. He even had a high stool like me and a jubilee clip holding his Vintage Premier Hi-Hat stand like mine! It had the black footprint-shaped pedal and everything! The first thing he said to me was "is that a real Hayman?".

I will never forget that for the rest of my life. Yes, I was using my Metallic Blue Hayman with 18" bass drum and 14" floor tom (both rare as hell), also with mounted cymbal arm, Cosmic Beverley 21 snare, 15" Hi Hats, Zyn ride and vintage Premier stool with the red top and white piping. HEAVEN.

Oh yeah, the gig! I forgot sorry, I drifted off for a mo just then. Seeing as this was the last gig I will ever do with a microphone (yes folks, I'm quitting singing to focus on this new double bass drum setup I intend to use in The 286... I tested it at rehearsal but the stage was too small to bring it to the actual gig), I brought along a sound effects box for a laugh and belted Sophie Sands as if it was the last time I will ever sing it...

...which it was. Too bad if you missed it but there is more than enough surviving shaky Youtube footage of this song if you need to see what it was like. You will also see exactly why I NEED to quit singing and drumming at the same time.

Spencer's new song "Walk In The Sky" was a thorough JOY to play and got everyone dancing like MAD. Ash came back and played amazing piano as always. But for "Lisa Part II", he went into the audience and Becky played her original piano part for that number. Emotions.

Special thanks go to Dennis for filling in that night. Special medal goes to Adaq for squeezing behind the piano. And Liv and Alex, well, what is there left to say?

I'm off now to write some instrumentals for the band.

Bye!