MikeDolbear.com is run as an equal partnership by two people, Gerry McDonnell & Mike Dolbear, in their spare time with support from a core team of writers and reviewers. Our philosophy is to use the power of the Internet to bring the drumming community together, to share knowledge and experience for the mutual benefit of all. We positively encourage all of our visitors to use the site to increase exposure for themselves, or their music by joining the online discussion group, writing reviews of gigs, albums and equipment or learning materials.

We also offer the opportunity for industry manufacturers and distributors to update the drumming community on their latest products and developments, while also giving our visitors the opportunity to objectively review these products. Our overriding philosophy is the promotion of the UK drum industry from grass root to professional and retailer to manufacturer.

We aim to continually promote our instrument, and to positively encourage all players, irrespective of age, ethinicity, religion gender or ability, to value their unique contribution to the drumming community. Our commercial aims are to meet the costs of maintaining and running the site. To this end we offer advertisement space to companies and teachers in the UK and elsewhere. We run the now very popular UK Young Drummer of the Year competition as well as the Best of British Drum Fest and as well as putting on tours throughout the year, we co-sponsor the Drummer Live Show.

About Mike Dolbear
Mike has been a professional drummer for over 20 years having studied with some of the greatest teachers including Kenny Clare, Max Abrams and Bob Armstrong. He has worked in a variety of musical situations, including studio, TV, musical theatre, backing cabaret covers bands. His teaching studio has been running for over 12 years and many of his students have gone on to play in a professional situation either as a teacher themselves or a player working with Geri Halliwell, Paul Young, Van Morrison Moloko and the Faders to name but a few. Mike also teaches in-house and consults for a couple of major record labels and management companies where he is employed to help new drummers in the business work in the studio, or to generally improve their overall playing. In 2000 Mike wrote the tutor book “Rhythm and Fills” which is now one of the biggest selling drum tutor books in Europe.

Mike’s role with mikedolbear.com primarily centres on industry and artist relations. He liaises with the industry to arrange reviews of equipment, their involvement in our events and tours and he arranges and does interviews with top players.

About Gerry McDonnell
Gerry has played drums since the age of 16 and has had lessons with the likes of the famous Mike Dolbear! After completing a degree in computing in the University of Brighton, he started working in the web industry on high end websites. Gerry also runs a web design company (ArcadiaBlue) with his wife, developing web sites for the Drum and other industries. They also develop bespoke start-up packages for small companies developing their branding and media presence.

Gerry’s role within mikedolbear.com centres around the development and maintenance of the website itself. He is the site Editor and Webmaster and is responsible for administering and adding content to all the mikedolbear.com group of websites, developing new features for the site, marketing and designing all external advertising, moderating the Forum and administering the Online Shop. He also takes the photos at the shows and events we organise and attend.

Both Mike and Gerry organize and run the national Young Drummer of the Year competition.

The website is also possible though a group of dedicated drummers, who review equipment and gigs and write features and regular columns, all for free, in their own time. They are a testament to the community as well as being a rather nice bunch of chaps!

Finally, the unsung heroes of mikedolbear.com are without doubt Mrs. Dolbear and Mrs. Mc Donnell. Without their ever present support and understanding (and now involvement in the running of the site) none of this would be possible.

For more information about what we do, go to our FAQ’s page