GIG - BERLIN - THURSDAY!

So, happy new year and all that!

I haven't posted for ages and so I thought I would share with you everything that has been happening in the Rich Millin world of drums and also what I have planned for the first part of 2012...

Firstly, thanks to everyone for reading and participating in the Drumazine!  It's a small venture where I get to speak to lots of drummers about their lives and get an insight into who they are and what they do, all for my own personal and completely selfish wish to gain more knowledge about what it means to be a drummer...

I don't know about you (even if you're not a drummer), but I suffer from serious self doubt.
I am always questioning what I do and how good (or not) I am at it.  I never know if I'm right or wrong.  I never think I'm good enough and I always think that everyone else is much better than me.  Maybe because they are more disciplined?  Or maybe because they are naturally better?  Or is it because I am lazy?  And why did I never get that massive world tour or that lucky break or session which would have propelled me onto the world scene of top drummers...???  Obviously it's because I am not good enough...
Having said that, what would I do if I did succeed in my ultimate career dreams?!  I might be too nervous or get it wrong or maybe, maybe...  Ahhhh!  I don't know!

Anyway, that was the whole point in Drumazine.  I really wanted to interview other drummers, some who have made it and some who haven't and some who are teachers, some who just play for fun and some who are struggling just like me to find out if I am alone in my thoughts.  They fact I am sharing these interviews with the drumming world is just something I thought would be fun.  Turns out I was right!  Drumazine has had well over 1,500 hits in a month!  It's ace!  I love the feedback I am getting and the positive response, not only from readers but also from the interviewees themselves!  Amazing stuff!  So again, thanks to everyone :-)

The other things I have been doing include lots of eating and drinking and being lazy over Christmas and New Year visiting family and friends.  It was lovely.  Although, coming from a fairly sleepy little town in mid-west UK, I really wasn't prepared for the war-zone in Berlin on New Years Eve!  Seriously, there must have been about €1,000,000.00 spent on fireworks!  It was like being in Berlin circa 1943!  Explosions everywhere!  The guy on the balcony next door was sat there happily firing his fireworks at the apartment in the building opposite!  The guy opposite, instead of getting pissed off or calling the police, simply went up onto the roof of his building with a big stock-pile of ammunition and started firing back!
Ridiculous!

Before that, (I seem to be working backwards chronologically from now to my last post for some reason?!), I was in the UK for a ridiculous amount of drinking and some absolutely unforgettable gigs with The Dacoits and BabyTrain.  It turns out that The Dacoits can pull off a 20 song, 90 minute set no problem and BabyTrain can play a somewhat flawless gig without even having 1 practice in 5 months!
I miss my UK bands...

I am, however, keeping very busy in Berlin with other musical projects...  Mr David Marx has been here lots to rehearse for a gig this Thursday 12th January at The Ufer Cafe in Berlin.  I am extremely excited about my first Berlin gig, so if you are in the city and can make it down , please do...  :-)

Also, (and this is the scariest thing for me to plan for in 2012), I have been asked to run a Master Class at The Academy of Music and Sound in Swindon in March for the end of term Master Class week.
Me!  A Master Class!  HA - Awesome!

Anyway, I have a lot of preparation to do for this.  I am hopefully going to be touring this Class around all of the Academies in the UK and while I am in the UK (around 20th March until 10th April) I will be offering 1-1 lessons (limited time obviously!) and also will be running some other drum workshops for anyone wishing to attend.  The workshops will be based around careers in music, new technology in music and for drummers who wish to know more about:

a) careers in teaching
&
b) drum specific and playing workshops looking at time itself - (time signatures etc...)

So, let me know if you are interested in attending a workshop or if you would like a tailor-made 1-1 lesson.  (Swindon only).

Finally, whist in the UK in March/April, I am happy to announce a mini tour for System Of A Clown!  (It really is a mini tour, so far two dates!)  7th April sees us at The Furnace in Swindon and the 8th April we will be at The Louisiana in Bristol.
For more information visit the Facebook group here.

I think that's all for now...

bis später.
:-)


(Oh, and I had a haircut)

New Video!

Thanks again to Martin and all at Swindon Viewpoint, here is another Black Sheep Apprentice video from the Swindon Shuffle 2011!

http://www.swindonviewpoint.com/video/re-awakened-danger-black-sheep-apprentice

Enjoy!

Swindon bound...

This Wednesday I will be returning to Swindon for the first time since September.  I am very excited!  Not only do I get to see all my family and friends, but I also get to play lots of drums with some amazing musicians!  I have missed my bands...  I have missed them a lot.

I wonder if I will miss Berlin?!

For those of you in Swindon - see you soon!

For those of you in Berlin - see you when I return!

For those of you elsewhere in the world - where's my invitation for a visit?

DRUMAZINE!

Thursday 1st December 2011 saw the official launch of my new endeavour:

Click here to visit DRUMAZINE!

This is a mini on-line blogazine dedicated to drums and drummers and drum education and all that kind of nerdy stuff...

There are three main things I want Drumazine to share with the world.  They are:

1. My thoughts about drum education!  Not that I think I'm right, or better than anyone else or that I know more than anyone else, but I do have some ideas...  You might not agree with my ideas, but that's the point!  I want to hear your thoughts too.  I want to know if you disagree and why.
2. INTERVIEWS!  Type #1:  Interviews with drummers!  Some interviewees will be "famous", some will be "semi-famous", some you will never of heard of and maybe one or two will be some of you!  I want to ask questions which will give insight into a broad ranging and diverse cross-section of drummers, drum teachers and drum students from around the world.*
3. INTERVIEWS! Type #2: Interviews with instrument manufacturers!  I am a bit tired of the "Branding Giants"; you know, the big boys.  The heavyweights.  The giants of instruments manufacture that everyone knows.  I am bored of them saying that they are the best, just because Johnny Fathands from whatever band-of-the-moment is using there stuff.  I am not however, saying that they are not the best.  I am just saying "what about the little guys?"**  Those small companies from Slovenia or Brazil or Turkey that are tirelessly working away super hard making quality instruments by hand and not getting any press or recognition because they can't afford to spend $1,000,000 on advertising.  These are the people I am interested in sharing with my readers.  There are some amazing companies out there that you probably haven't ever heard of but probably should know about.  And the big-boys have too much press already anyway...  :-)

So, there you go.  That's what it's all about.  It's still only 2 days old, (so please be gentle), but go have a look and share it with all your drum nerd friends!

AH!  I forgot about the little * & ** I put just now:

*For the interviews with drummers - if you have any ideas about drummers you would like to see interviewed and questions that you would ask them, please get in touch with me and I will do my best to make it happen.  I have already had huge success with this concept and would like to carry it on...

**If you are a "smaller" manufacturer and you would like some free press and advertising, please also get in touch and I will be happy to interview you about your products and share your company with the drumming world!

That's all for now - go check it out:

http://drumazine.blogspot.com/

GIGS!

There are a mountain of gigs coming my way over the next 6 months with various bands in various venues, towns, cities and countries!  Hopefully some of you will be able to make it to one of these:

Firstly on 16th Dec I will be playing for (at least) The Dacoits at the annual 12 Bands Of Xmas event held at The Vic in Swindon, UK.  This is always a very drunken affair where bands are asked to play any 2 cover versions in a style of their choice.   I'm sure I've had very much fun at all the previous 12bands nights - you'll have to jog my memory if you saw me at one of the last ones...

Next up is a full on rock set with The Dacoits again on 17th Dec at The Bear in Marlborough, UK.  This will be along with the wonderful Vooz (a drunken bunch of locals who always manage to tear up the joint whenever we play with them - especially Robin the last time I saw them at the Vic when he managed to fly across the stage face-first and not miss a note: Professional.)

Then is a more acoustic style Dacoits gig at The Beehive in Swindon on 20th Dec.  A little light Christmas jolly full of hot wine, hot bass player, hot chicks, hot music and a hot fireplace where the drum kit is usually set-up.

On 21st Dec is another full on Dacoits show at The Vic in Swindon to support Black Sheep Apprentice on their album launch night!  Even though I am not sure if their album is ready to launch.  Having been a very temporary drummer for BSA I am excited to see them perform with Mr Andrew Cox behind the kit.  And, as an added bonus (for me definitely!) I get to also play a set this night with the wonderful BabyTrain.  2 gigs in one night!  I don't usually get involved in such shenanigans...

After what I'm sure will be a very cold but beautiful Xmas and New Year in Berlin (and Salzgitter), I am proud to say that I have been asked by Mr David Marx to accompany him and bass player Kai Wiergert under the guise David Marx & The AK Poets.  There is a gig scheduled for early Jan in Berlin - details to follow.


Also, exciting news from the System Of A Clown camp:  We might do another gig in April!  Venue and date TBC, but it will be in the UK somewhere...


Hopefully I will see you at one or maybe more of these gigs.


So long for now
Rich

Another video from the Swindon Shuffle 2011

Thanks to Swindon Viewpoint for another great video!  Here is a link to My Sweet Insurrection by The Dacoits from this years Swindon Shuffle.
I hope you enjoy it!

old news and new news...

Here I am again!  Blogging!

I wasn't going to write for a while, but there are a couple of stories I discovered today...

After a week of English company whith two very good friends visiting from my home town (a fellow Dacoit and a fellow TrainBaby - I am still cleaning up the mess they left behind), I am now back to reading things on the internet:

The first story I came across this morning was unfortunately a bad one.  For those of us trying to make a difference and also make a living in music, it is really heart-breaking to read stuff like this...

The second story however was a nice surprise!  The top 50 Beatles covers of all time, (compiled by Paste Magazine), features the song 'Here, There and Everywhere' which I played on with my old band, belarus for a covermount CD for Mojo Magazine a few years ago.  It was a nice surprise and is an honour to be included among such amazing company!

So, one nice story and one not so nice, but both got me thinking...

...I'd better get back to work.