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BLOG: 30/06/08 Oli Brown's debut album OPEN ROAD was released on Monday 9th June and sales are looking good so far, and HMV stores across the country are stocking it. The album is also available online via HMV.com, Amazon, Play.com and Zavvi, as well as through iTunes. It had a great review in the Sunday Express last week - read the article here. Gig-wise, we have been in London (2x), Norwich, Harrogate, Glasgow and Yorkshire. The Norwich gig, at Norwich Arts Centre in aid of the Davenport Trust, was a brilliant event, and the other three bands on the bill were all fantastic. I think it was probably the hottest gig we have played in a long time - I came off stage feeling as though I'd been standing in the rain for the past hour! This week we're in London, Birmingham and Norfolk. (see gigs page for details) Sunday 15th June was the London International Music Show at the Excel Centre. The drum-side of things was definitely a little smaller than last year, with a few big manufacturers missing, but there was still a good amount of new equipment to see and play. Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) performed on the main stage, and his playing was just as scary as I thought it would be. The sound was much better this year, and I was sat in the front row so had a great view. I've been lucky enough to see a lot of drum clinics and performances. The ones that stand out for me are Billy Ward, Gavin Harrison, Dom Famularo, Neal Wilkinson, Steve White, Thomas Lang and Terry Bozzio. My favourite overall though is Billy Ward - not your typical clinician, moreso a practical drummer. He shared his stories and tips for creating different sounds and serving the music. Throughout his whole clinic I found myself nodding my head and smiling, agreeing with everything he said. Just brilliant. His DVDs are superb too, so check them out. Finally, a quick update on equipment: As well as Premier drums and Trueline sticks, I now also endorse Hardcase cases and Baskey Ruggluggs. Please check out their websites for details of their products. Thanks go to Dave Eyre and Ian Baskey for their support. More soon, and thanks for reading. Simon
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