Here we have our first hand account of the hugely inspirational Scottish Drum Fair 2014 . All the performers and audience had a fantastic experience. Enjoy…
This year’s drum fair took an immense amount of preparation but we’re happy to report from our perspective that it was indeed the best event we’ve ever put on.
We couldn’t have done it without the fantastic support we received from the drumming community. Everyone from our trade suppliers to the performers worked hard to make it great day.
Most of all though, we’re grateful to every single person who came through the door for a great day of all things drums!
The feedback we’ve got so far suggests that you guys had good time, so we’ve got a wee show report below so you can have another look at everything that went on at the show.
Performances
Dave McKeague kicked off the day reminding us of why he won our competition to play at SDF14. He stepped up and delivered a performance that was just as impressive as anyone we’ve had playing on the SDF stage. He’s clearly one to watch for the future! An incredibly tasty pair of solos interspersed with a short Q&A got the audience suitably prepared for the deluge of drumming that was to follow.
There’s not many flowery words we can use that adequately describes Robin Guy’s performance – suffice to say that he totally smashed it! There aren’t many drummers who can entertain a crowd like Robin, but it wasn’t all flashy moves and hard hitting. Robin gave out endless advice that covered everything from stretching and preparation for a gig, to adding lots of sounds to a small drum kit.
Gabor Dornyei wasted no time in demonstrating why he is quickly becoming one of the most in demand clinicians in the international drumming scene.
He crammed as much odd-time grooving and four-limb independence in to his slot as he could (all with audience participation). Our heads were spinning after 45 minutes so we’re desperate to get him up for a day of teaching soon!
There’s no denying it – Steve White is an incredible drummer. His opening performance displayed his amazing versatility and class, and the advice he gave could be taken to heart by young and experienced drummers alike. With everyone suitably inspired, Steve led the traditional SDF drum off to a standing ovation – the perfect end to an event that we’re very proud of.
Trade Hall
Away from the performances we had a trade hall that was jam-packed with great products from familiar names to rare and boutique custom drum builders.
The Roland stand was constantly busy with excellent demos from Reverend and the Makers drummer Ryan Jenkinson and our very own Phil Ragsdell.
Ryan Jenkinson Demos the incredible flagship TD30KV at the Roland Stand
Ted McKenna demonstrating the Beautiful segmented Murray Drums.
Beautiful kits from the likes of Murray and VK Drums receieved a huge amount of attention with SDF regulars Amedia Cymbals, Hardcase, D’Addario UK (Evans Drumheads, Pro-Mark Sticks and Meinl Cymbals), EMD (Remo Drumheads and Stagg Cymbals) Dualist and Jalapeno drums hosting very busy stands throughout the day. The lovely Benjamin and Elli from Cymbal Magic made their debut at SDF showing off how a craftsman can bring a damaged cymbal back to life. We can’t wait to have them back next year!
Premier were, of course, present at SDF14 for the third year running. They were one of the many brands who helped to support our event and their head craftsman Keith Keogh was present to show off a collection of some the finest handmade drums Premier have ever produced (including their stunning Modern Classic range).
Loads of people left SDF14 with goodie bags and there’s a good chance that plenty of Christmas lists were started – we can’t wait to see you all in the shop!
We’d once again to extend our gratitude to everyone that was involved with SDF14. These events couldn’t take place without the handwork and commitment from performers, helpers and trade displayers. Nor would they exist without the continued support of the Scottish drum community.
It’s a big THANK YOU from us at dD Drums! Here’s to SDF15!