[kj] Gatherer's bands

[Frank Coleman]

Cool.  Thanks for this thread.

I've been playing drums for over 35 years and it is my true passion in 
life.  I have two vintage Slingerland acoustic kits plus a set of Roland 
V Drums and have also written my own software to trigger and control 
images and videos from the pads. 

Demo:
http://www.21ca.com/2007/vdrums.html

I also play the full array of percussion instruments, as well as 
keyboards, soundscapes, samples, loops, etc.  I sing, too.  I've played 
with everything from symphony orchestras to live DJs to punk bands and 
everything in between. 

I'm happy playing any style, but I prefer a spectrum that runs from 
experimental/dub/trance-ambient/trip hop to rock/industrial/punk/pop.  
Stylistically, I definitely prefer drummers who play for the song, 
rather than showboat and try to cram in a million riffs.  Martyn Atkins, 
Rob Hirst, DJ Bonebrake, Pete DeFreitas, Robert Gotobed.

I'm in four bands at the moment.  Three in New York City, one in Boston.

A. 777s (pronounced "Triple Sevens"): power trio consisting of two hot 
chicks and me.  Kinda like The Ramones with a sex change.

B. The F-Units: classic four piece lower East Side rock 'n' roll band.  
Two guitars, bass, drums.  Sort of like early Green Day, Social 
Distortion with occasional nods to AC/DC.

C. Direct From Hollywood Cemetery: Horror-rock septet (2 guitars, bass, 
drums, farfisa organ, male and female lead singers).  Imagine The Cramps 
on speed.  Everyone is in costume and makeup.  We have a hypno-wheel and 
the male singer saws his way out of a coffin.  My persona is "The 
Vegetable" -- kind of like the lobotomy victim in One Flew Over The 
Cuckoo's Nest.  It's a blast.

D. The Bentmen:  I'm one of two drummers in this band (though for our 
20th anniversary gig last year, we had *six* drummers), a Boston-based 
performance art rock band with 5 albums out and a movie score (MARK OF 
THE ASTRO-ZOMBIES, I edited the soundtrack).  My first gig with The 
Bentmen was on 10 days notice in front of 40,000 people. (!)  We're 
doing a movie of our rock opera, ULCER GULCH and I'm directing.

I've been doing a lot of session work lately.  My brother runs The 
Cutting Room studios in NYC.  When a band gives me their mp3s, I 
generally chart 'em up and get well rehearsed beforehand and then just 
cut the tracks by myself to a click.  For me, it's just easier to sing 
the songs in my head and follow the chart. Much faster -- less 
distraction.  I did 15 songs in 2.5 hours for the 777s and 10 songs in 
90 minutes for DFHC.

And my #1 favorite band is Killing Joke.  I hope to someday play drums 
for them, or at least for Jaz on one of his other projects.  He and I 
have discussed it on several occasions, so maybe it'll happen.  Hope 
springs eternal.  We are both Colemans after all (probably cousins of 
one sort or another) and have many parallels in our respective lives.  
Oh, and of course, I know every song cold.  ;)

Anyway, that's my rant.  Peace and respect to all...

best,
FBC

F R A N K . C O L E M A N
Design . Development . Direction
Interactive . Online . TV . Video . Audio  . Print
Portfolio . 21st Century Art . http://www.21ca.com

MySpace . Frankie7 . http://www.myspace.com/frankie7

Drummer . Bentmen . http://www.myspace.com/bentmen
Drummer . 777s . http://www.myspace.com/triplesevens
Drummer . F-Units . http://www.myspace.com/funits
Drummer . Direct From Hollywood Cemetery . http://www.myspace.com/dfhc

Alter Ego . The Vegetable . http://www.myspace.com/the_vegetable