Hello and thanks for checking out my site.
My name is Alex Cromarty and i'm a drummer of about 6 years, within that time i've worked with bands of all levels and styles from all over the country.
i spent 3 years as a workshop leader for North Yorkshire County Council, teaching drums and percussion in schools, youth groups, prisions and anywhere they put me. That opened me up to be felxiable and to appreciate all types of music, and gave me the change to tour, record and play some great gigs.
I've played in bands who have supported acts like, the Kinks, Argent, Caravan, Link 80, Goober Patrol, The Light House Family, Johnny Markin, Daniel Beddingfield, The Sugar Babes, Elliot Randall, [spunge], Attomic Kitten, Consumed, Darious and the amazing Chesney Hawkes!
At the miunte i'm teaching in London for a school and with Mike Dolbear and i'm loooking for my perfect band, although i do still love playing with my buds back home in Yorkshire!
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At the minute i'm useing a Yamaha Birch Absolute and she's perfect! I use a 20" kick, 8", 10", 12" and 14" toms and have a couple of different snares depending on what i'm doing. i don't normally use all my toms, again i decide what would sound best for what i'm doing.
i have too many cymbals but my babies out of the bunch are:
my 20" K ride, 14" master sound hats and 12" special reocrding hats, 8" brilliant stagg, 10" AAX spalsh, 14" AAX dark, 18" AA El Savor and 18" AAXtreem china.
i love changing my cymbal set up and do it all the time but i can always come back to these guys with a smile!
i use a DW 5000 Accelerator double pedal, it's lasted me years and has only ever broken once.
Sticks tend to be Vic Firth 5A but at the minute i'm playing around with as many different sizes and weights as i can find, simply for fun.
Heads are hard for me, i still haven't found the perfect all rounder, so i swap between remo, evans and who ever is about!
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You can be influenced by anyone, no matter who or where they are, you must be open to listen
There are so many people that influence me and my playing it would be impossible to put them all down, but i can reel off a few:
Chad Smith - i have loved the Chilis since the age of 8, their music has had an effect on me since before i'd picked up a pair of sticks.
Buddy Rich - the greatest drummer that has and will ever be
Thomas Lang - the greatest tech drummer of the moment, a master of himself and his art.
The BeeGees, John Mayer, BigWig, James Taylor, Mike Dolbear,
the Rolling Stones, Blue Oyster Cult, Sly and the Family, James Brown, Paul Weller - Steve White, Herbie Hancock, Gene Krupa, Art Blakey, Gregg Bissonette, Te Beach Boys, Slayer, Machine Head, System of a Down, DC Talk, Eva Cassidy, Ian Thomas, Travis Barker, Black Eyed peas, The Hippos, I against I, The Supertones, POD, Shinia Twain, Mutt Lang, Will Jackson, Elliot Randell, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, i can go on!
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| Gabriel | this is a band i was in from York. Since i left the keyboard player has picked up some sticks! | | Take the Fifth | this is a band i love and have have done bits of session for, there's a deal headed theie way anytime soon! | | 6 K Vision Records | this is a young persons lable i help set up and do alot of session for | | Mike Dolbear's site | the best drum site around run by drummers for drummers!
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I'm not drumming in a band at the minute just auditions!
When back in Yorkshire i play with a few mates like Take the Fifth, Gabriel, Robo, Mark, Ben and Lee and my drum buddies Mike, Rob, John, Simon,
i am also a self acclaimed singer song writter, and love to play the guitar. i have won competitons and played gigs in all sorts of venues. My biggest gig to date has been Stockton Riverside festival where i played to over 30,000 people along side acts like the sugar babes, daniel Beddingfield and Darious!
Even though there were so many people there i still managed to spot my mates!
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i wish for:
people to stop getting all high and mighty about music, it is what it is. Appreciate it, love it, make it!
a cool gig with someone like john Mayer
a fun gig with someone like Britney
a life changing gig with someone like James Taylor
a fat DW exotic finish kit, just to look at!
more cymbals and world peace, or something close!
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