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Jobecky Festival 2009
Jobeky UK Custom Drum Festival 2009 It''s one thing to have a good idea and quite another to make it happen. During the summer, Colin and Jane Ackroyd at Jobeky Drums had the idea of getting top class UK custom drum makers together with some fine drumming talent. After 2 ½ months of intense work the result was the first Jobeky UK Custom Drum Festival, held at Stafford County Showground on October 31st and attended by around 150 people. The visitors got to meet and hear some top players. The demonstrations started with local pro drummer Jon Broberg. He brought the hall to life with a rip-roaring set. He was followed by an impressive demo by Louis Davis from Outrage and then internet phenomenon Cobus gave his first solo performance to a live audience. He had flown from South Africa to support the event and his flowing, energetic style wowed the audience. |
Karl Brazil, the drummer for James Blunt and Robbie Williams'', was up next, showing his versatility by playing in a variety of styles including rock, latin and traditional Irish music. He made it all look far too easy! He was followed by the dizzyingly dynamic Robin Guy who brought the hall to a standstill by delivering a powerful performance at break-neck speed. |
It is well known that UK drum makers have a long and distinguished history. Though the big makers have found it almost impossible to compete with imported drums, one of the best things about this fair was to be assured that there is a thriving community of smaller British custom drum makers. They pride themselves on producing very high quality, innovative and personalised products. What''s more, though the competition between them serves to drive up their standards, there is a spirit of co-operation between them. They are working hard to fight Britain''s corner in the world of drum making and it was a real treat to be able to compare the products of these custom makers and to talk with them about their ideas. Guru Drumworks were showing one of their Zebrano wood stave-constructed kits, which had caused such a stir at the National Drum Fair in September. Even by the high standards of the festival, the quality of construction was impeccable and the result was a breathtakingly beautiful kit. The range of snares on display were of equally high quality and the prices reflected the many hours of work that had gone in to making them. |
Liberty Drums displayed a maple kit with a mahogany stain and matt lacquer. Again, the quality shone out. The 4mm tom shells (5.5.mm bass) sang when played. The finish on the piano black lacquered snare drum on show also looked stunning. Andrew Street, from Liberty, told me that they manufacture a whole kit like this to order. At that point I thought I''d better keep walking before I became too tempted. David Nuttall, of Jalapeno drums, was happy to answer questions about his birch wares. He had one of his ingenious Pack-Away kits on show, though my eyes were drawn to one of his Elite kits with 3mm 6-ply shells and support hoops. The undersized shells are designed to give a full, resonant sound and they work exceptionally well. |
AD drums'' Carl Haffield showed me some of his bespoke, eye-catching designs, which featured colourful prints and powder coated coloured hardware. He also explained that the birch shells that he uses are made for him in New Zealand. He used to make them himself but his facilities in Malvern were flooded, which forced him to re-think his business. He also told me that much of his work had come through people admiring the kits he used on tours with his band ''The Fallout Theory''. Because of this, his kits have developed a keen following among younger drummers. |
Carrera Drums, recently founded by the irrepressible Dave Carrera, was successfully launched at the show. Some of the snare drums on offer featured the audacious aluminium ''C'' lugs which he has had specially made. Dave also has orders for full kits and he is producing birch shells for other custom drum makers. He has ambitious plans for the future and is a maker to watch. The Jobeky stand attracted constant attention throughout the day. Although the mesh heads and triggers on their electronic kits don''t strictly require an acoustic shell, I noticed that many drummers gravitated to the kit which looked most like an acoustic one. One of their kits, with walnut veneered birch shells, was set up to try out with a choice of headphones to listen through - one pair linked to a Roland ''brain'' and the other set to a notebook computer using dedicated software. Though it was not a closely controlled test, people generally preferred the results from the program. New users (like me!) were surprised by the ''real'' feel and response of the Jobeky kit. |
Duallist pedals were there to launch their re-designed range with new drive mechanisms. Kevin Mackie''s innovative and solidly engineered designs offer versatility and outrageous bass drum BPM. |
Comic Al Murray made an appearance in the afternoon, though strictly as a drumming enthusiast. Al knows his gear and values ''beautiful'' British made drums. He was particularly taken with the Jobeky electro-acoustic drums and soaked up the drumming demos with the rest of us. Congratulations to Jobeky''s Colin and Jane (and their team) for putting together an enjoyable and high quality fair. There was a great atmosphere and plenty to interest everyone. The concept of inviting UK exhibitors who are exclusively from small manufacturers was an inspired one. Plans are already being made for a next year''s festival, which is likely to take place in the summer and promises to be bigger and even better. Jane told me that “It''s something that we wanted to do because we feel passionate about it”. It was certainly a show for people who are passionate about UK drums and I''m sure it''s set to become a regular high point of the drumming year. |
FenTiger (from the mikedolbear.com forum) Many thanks to Jane Giddings for the use of her photographs. |
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