Bath RhythmFest

Hi, my name’s Ed Gallimore and I’ll be one of the drum techs this year. It will be my job to help get gear where it’s going, help sort out the artists’ kit and all round carry heavy things! If you wanna come and talk to me about anything i’ll be wandering about campus regularly throughout the days, and at night best bet would be the Bar.

I’ve been playing drums and percussion for 11 years in a number of groups and bands. Most recently i’ve been gigging and recording for legendary blues harmonica player Pete Trill and ‘The Pete Trill Band.’ At the same time i’ve been playing as a live session musician for Hip Hop act ‘Gecko’ and i’m the resident drummer with Funky Soul outfit ‘Room To!’. More recently i’ve set up my own outfit Dark Matter who i’m currently in the studio with on and off.

This is my second year working on the crew and am thoroughly looking forward to coming back, catching up with all the old faces and meeting some ones this year. Take care till i see you all and hope we’ll have some fun.

Mike began playing drums after seeing Cozy Powell on TV, a few years later he was playing in semi pro covers and originals bands in his native Manchester. Before leaving school he was recording with Arthur Kadmon from Ludus and he joined NWOBHM band Aragorn in 1980. Aragorn toured the UK including supports of Iron Maiden, Angelwitch, Saxon and others.

As well as extensive session work in Manchester, including The Distractions, George Clinton, Simply Red and many others, he toured Europe, completed sessions in Frankfurt in 1984/5, returned to the UK in 1987 where he sessioned and produced in Manchester and London and in 1988 endured a short stint with PJ Proby. Since then he has gigged regularly with many bands, pop, rock, big band, and free form jazz including supports of Wilko Johnson, Jah Wobble, Charles Hayward, Pete Doherty, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Lauren Harris, Sex Gang Children and many others.

Mike has also acted as drum tech for the UK’s “Young Drummer of the Year Show” in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, Drummer Live, Rhythm Course, Club Antichrist and Dark Elf Event Services; for Thomas Lang, Mitch Mitchell, Jojo Mayer and Billy Cobham as well as Craig Blundell, Benny Greb, Jerry Brown, Geoff Dugmore, Tim Brown, Chuck Sabo, Damon Wilson, James Hester, Chris Bell and Rob Stroud. Mike has also performed at drum clinics alongside Billy Cobham, Craig Blundell, Adrian Erlandsson, James Birt, Robin Guy and Dan Foord.

As Tech Director my primary roles are to devise the course programme and make sure the week runs smoothly. I’ll be there all week to answer questions, sort out problems and make sure everyone has the best week they possibly can.

I’ve been behind the scenes at the Bath Course for quite a while now, and I’m hoping to build on all the great work James Hester has done over the years.

As a drummer I’ve been playing for around 27 years with various levels of success, and I’m now fortunate enough to live and teach in Bath from my own studio. I also work in web design so that I don’t have to use my passion as my bill-payer!

Playing-wise, I’m currently performing regularly with Bootie & The Ho Fish,
a hard-working disco / funk covers band, Dudlow Joe (boogie, blues, jazz), FattyBoomBasstic (pop, funk, rock), and soulpod,
an R&B, TripHop, DnB, Soul outfit

I have been to all of the Rhythm Courses, from 2000 as a student, then slowly getting more involved, helping out Pete Riley, right through to organising and then teaching on the course.

As a young drummer I went to a few drum ‘camps’ and I always gained so much knowledge from them all, in fact it was on one in 1993 with Steve White, Neal Wilkinson and Greg Bissonette that I decided that I wanted to become a professional drummer. I know how important these times can be in a players career and I will stop at nothing to make it the best and worthwhile week in a drummers year!!

As a player I play in 9 or 10 bands playing everything from experimental pop to rock covers, but my main job is working Island/ Universal records with a band called Malakai.With them I’ve played the largest venues in the UK (including 3 sell out nights art Brixton Academy, Manchester Apollo, Royal Festival Hall), recorded sessions for Annie Mack, Zane Lowe and Giles Peterson (Radio 1) at the world famous Maide Vale studios, performed live sessions on Radio 6 Music, played live on Lily Allens BBC TV programme and this summer will be playing 02 Festival (Hyde Park), Glastonbury, Massive Attacks Meltdown Fest and many others…..

As a tutor I qualified as a stage 1 Further Education teacher in 1997 and I’m acting Head of Drums at BIMM Bristol (British Institute of Modern Music) and I teach 10 high level private students a week when I’m at home. I get a lot out of teaching and enjoy it very much!!!

The Rhythm Course is great fun and run by a great team, it’s one of the highlights of my year!! See you at the bar!!

Hi I’m Dave (Jones), ‘the official photographer’ for the Rhythm course.

It’s my first year as part of the crew, although I’ve attended the course as a student for the past six years. It’s a privilege to be invited to join the staff by James Hester, who’s a great guy & exceptional drummer to boot!

I’m excited at the prospect of capturing on film the guest drummers, teachers & students alike. I see my role as an elusive one, aiming to capture the drummers in natural candid moments, whilst trying not to distract them.

Drumming is my greatest passion & I’ve been playing for 27-years, although it wasn’t until I joined the Rhythm course, that I started to take my drumming seriously & began practising every day.
So in that respect, you could say, the course changed my life!
It’s hard not to get inspired, when you’ve attended master classes by the likes of, Steve Smith, Thomas Lang & Simon Phillips, to name a few.

I’m in several bands & I’m out playing in the Bristol area most weeks, playing cover standards at weddings to pretending I’m Travis Barker (I wish) in a pop-punk band.
I’m living proof that the Rhythm course can seriously improve your drumming!

Craig has stamped his mark as one of the most in demand session drummers and International drum clinicians in modern day drumming. His list of commercial credits is rapidly expanding and he is now one of Mapex, Roland and Paiste’s foremost clinicians. His clinic style, performances and level of entertainment have received rave reviews in the media all over the globe and have put him ‘out there’ with some of the best clinicians and educators in the world. He continues to stretch the boundaries of his instrument and always impresses people with his unique talent and his approachable and infectious personality

His credits have seen him playing with some inspirational people in the music industry. Craig is just about to start rehearsals with “David Cross” The virtuoso violin player from King Crimson. February see’s the band touring in Italy playing in front of David’s formidable fan base. The music is a mix of old Crimson tracks through to David’s own compositions, with Craig’s healthy obsession with time signatures, its the perfect mix

Colin Woolway, well known drummer, teacher and author of Drumsense Volumes 1 & 2, which are rapidly becoming the standard books for teaching beginners to play the drum kit. As a professional drummer he toured the world for 20 years, including original touring productions of Godspell and The Rocky Horror Show, and eight years as Suzi Quatro’s drummer, and then he hung up the touring boots to concentrate on teaching.

This resulted in a very busy teaching studio, the aforementioned books, a percussion video and more recently, Drumsense DVDs volumes 1 and 2. He set up the Drumsense Teaching Project in 2000, starting with 5 teachers using the Drumsense programme. At the time of writing there are 115 teachers based in the UK, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Australia and America.
Colin wrote the popular “Teasers” column for Rhythm magazine for 12 years, and still writes the “Getting Started” articles which are featured on Rhythm’s CD/video disc every month.
Colin presents drum clinics regularly for the Drumsense network, and endorses Sonor drums, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, Protection Racket cases, Aquarian drumheads and Bill Sanders practice pads.

This will be Colin’s 5th (or 6th) appearance at the the Bath Rhythm week.

I’m Andy Sutor, 18. I’ve been playing drums for 6 years, and have been gigging all around the Southwest since I was 14, playing in several different bands. My main projects at moment are an original soul/funk/jazz band called ‘Messy Subjects’ featuring Nadine Gingell on vocals and my Led Zeppelin tribute band ‘Live Zeppelin‘ .

I’m currently studying at Access to Music where I was taught by James Hester for 2 years, going onto Bristol Institute of Modern Music in September to do a professional diploma course. I’m influenced by all styles of music, my main drumming influences are John Bonham, Joe Morello, and JoJo Mayer. I also play bass.

I’ll be part of the drum tech crew in August.

Now in its 9th year, the annual Bath Rhythm Week is the biggest event of its type in Europe.

2009 is going to be the most exciting year yet, with more artists, more classes, more workshops and more performances. Everyone joining us -whatever their standard- will come away a better and more rounded player, with bags of inspiration, better technique, new ideas and new friends!

Keep an eye on this site for news about masterclasses, artists, tutors, events and performances. Also feel free to use the forum to ask questions, give us comments or share experiences from previous years. We really want to make this a week that everyone can be a part of.

We haven’t yet got final confirmation of the artists for next year, but the shortlist can be seen below with video clips in the bar to the right.