Gavin Harrison here!

I can't tell you if you'll find what you're looking for - but I can say that the Tamas are extremely well designed and very nicely thought out. They are a different feel - and one that I'm enjoying.

Cheers
Gavin

Hi Gavin!

Thank you for your opinion, all I wanted to know, that you are satisfied in terms of it's quality!
I'm still thinking, because:
DW: adjustability and the feel of the 5000, Cobras: very good reviews and your opinion. The only issue with the Cobra is the unfamiliarity of it. I still have 1 or 2 months to decide, so... we'll see!

Thanks again for your opinion! The rest as they say, is up to me! ;)

Cheers
Matthew
 
Hi Gavin!!!

First of all, thanks for taking the time for answer all our questions, that means a lot for us, at least for me :)

I'm saving to buy a double pedal again (third time :)) and before the Speed Cobras showed up I had a my mind on the Iron Cobras, because I already had them in the double variant and they feel amazing, I already have one Iron Cobra single pedal and I love it every time I play.... but the Speed Cobras got me thinking... I cant try them where I live (damn stores!!!). Now, I see that you switch to Tama Speed Cobras, before you did it, I'm sure as hell that you tried a lot of other pedals before you switched....so for you (and I know pedals, as you say it, are very personal things), what is the main difference in feel between the Cobras, Speed and Iron of course.

Thanks a lot for your ideas and feedback!!!

Gabriel

P.D: by the way.... it is amazing stuff that you do here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWI0l4I2RaE
 
Hi Gavin !

I'm not a drummer, just guitarist even though I'm very interested by rhythm skills, tricks, fills (not sure of my vocabulary, frenchness doesn't help ...)

Anyway. First of all, I'm a huge fan of your playing and of your sound.
Porcupine Tree is one of my biggest influences too.

This forum is maybe not the right place to ask you that, but it's the only one I found.

I didn't have the luck to see your show at the Royal Albert Hall. I know it wasn't filmed, but I read somewhere (maybe on the PT twitter, not sure) that it was recorded and maybe, someday, it might be probably released ...

So, I'm asking if you guys intend to release a record of this live one day ? I saw the track-list and it would be really great to hear all that old songs with your sound and drumming !


Sorry if it was already asked a hundred times
Cheers
Victor
 
Gavin, I’m Back with too many questions I’m sure!! Answer at your own discretion;) I don’t want to be a thread hog – Hahaha! I searched Ask-Gavin in Advance;)

1) Do you play note for note live?

2) How long did it take you to write Rhythmic Illusions, Rhythmic Perspectives etc.?

3) I see that you will be teaching @ Dave Weckl’s Drum Fantasy Camp in 2011. Will you also be doing a few clinics while in the States!!! Hint. Hint. Pray. Pray.

Awesome drummer you are!
Many thanks & kind regards, Tess
 
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Gavin...

I own your books ....and the way you describe metric modulation is by far the best Ive ever seen

just wanted to thank you for that

Anthony Amodeo
 
Hi Gavin!!

Its been a pleasure communicating with you..
I have been going through your book as well and moontheloon was right. By far the best.
Would be really nice meeting you someday.

Regards.
Silmi
 
3) When you joined Porcupine Tree the band went from (dare I say) decent to amazing!! – like over night!! How did you inspire all that??

Wow wow wow... Thats your opinion.. Chris Maitland is a really talented drummer, youre giving Gavin too much credit.
 
Wow wow wow... Thats your opinion.. Chris Maitland is a really talented drummer, youre giving Gavin too much credit.

The word "Decent" is not referring to the ability of anyone to play their instrument. You said that not me. It is referring to the musicality, depth and dynamics of the band which I see has been fully realized by Gavin at the helm. Also, I removed the question on second thought as it makes for a potentially uncomfortable response on Gavin's part.
 
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Hi gabdrums

Now, I see that you switch to Tama Speed Cobras, before you did it, I'm sure as hell that you tried a lot of other pedals before you switched....so for you (and I know pedals, as you say it, are very personal things), what is the main difference in feel between the Cobras, Speed and Iron of course.


I haven't played Iron Cobras - but I watched Simon Phillips playing his and he was having no problems at all with them!!

Hi Headstone

I didn't have the luck to see your show at the Royal Albert Hall. I know it wasn't filmed, but I read somewhere (maybe on the PT twitter, not sure) that it was recorded and maybe, someday, it might be probably released .

Yes it was recorded but not filmed - so it is an option to mix and release that but we have no plans to at the moment.

Hi Tesseract

1) Do you play note for note live?

no - I try to improvise a bit from night to night.

2) How long did it take you to write Rhythmic Illusions, Rhythmic Perspectives etc.?

Rhythmic Illusions was written over seven years. Rhythmic Perspectives took about three years.

3) I see that you will be teaching @ Dave Weckl’s Drum Fantasy Camp in 2011. Will you also be doing a few clinics while in the States!!! Hint. Hint. Pray. Pray.


I'd love to - but I haven't been asked.

cheers
Gavin
 
The word "Decent" is not referring to the ability of anyone to play their instrument. You said that not me. It is referring to the musicality, depth and dynamics of the band which I see has been fully realized by Gavin at the helm. Also, I removed the question on second thought as it makes for a potentially uncomfortable response on Gavin's part.

The band has evolved of course, there was an obvious change of the bands nature when Gavin joined, but I don't think it's either worse or better, just different. Records like Moonloop and Metanoia are really an expression of musicality to me, and the drums are quite amazing on those records, and the other instruments as well.
 
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Hi Gavin!

Care to share your Speed Cobra settings with us? (footboard height, beater distance, etc)

Regards,
Alex
 
Thanks for the response Gavin!, I'm surprised that you haven't try the Iron Cobras though :) I'll have to wait to try the Speed Cobras to feel the differences, I'm in no hurry though since my Iron Cobra single pedal is just heaven, was just curious....

Now, another question :)

I remember an interview where you said that it was extremely difficult and you where specially nervous when you played the first time in the Modern Drummer Festival. How does it feel now with more "drummers events" behind? specially when there are a lot of people that only know you from your work with PT and in the events you do amazing non PT stuff.

Cheers!!!

Gabriel
 
Hi Gavin!

You're obviously a tremendous drummer, but I don't think you need anymore ego boosting, right? ;)

Anyway, can you please tell me something about you hi-hat gear. I thought I read there was something special about it.. It's a Sonor stand, right?

Thank you in advance.

- Lex
 
hi Gavin,

big fan from the Philippines. what are nice songs that are in 7? you can give me your top 5 :) we would love to have you do a clinic here in the Philippines. dont forget me if you will!

niko
 
Good morning!
I just wanted to bring up some issues about In-Ear monitoring and clicks vs live music. Both you guys and a lot of other bands as well use In-Ear monitors these days. I have tried it myself and although I can see (or hear actually) the advantages (better mix, less bleed into the mikes, ear protection and so on) I felt it affected the way I played both in the groove, tempo, looseness and in the way i hit the drums and cymbals. The lack of presence from the room/stage and certain frequencies (even though I mixed in room mics) was too obvious. You could say that the sound in a way was "compressed" into my in ears and I missed the sound of the other instruments including my own, or the natural acoustics/sound of the music. It might have sounded technically perfect though.

Now my theory is that bands that use In-ear with click-tracks, have to sacrifice some of the natural interplay at that particular gig, we all respond to each other from the sound (or lack of sound) we hear around us, even small nuances. And watching bands today, especially bands that have been around for a while like you guys in Porcupine Tree, it feels that they become so "obsessed" with controll over stage sound and tempo that the concert lacks a certain x-factor, it doesn't have that spark or the variation and becomes a sterile and tecnically perfect reproduction (which I suspect some live acts and sound crews these days strive for).

Do you sometimes wish you could play more in the moment without being in sync with any videos, without click-tracks and let the stagesound and the general emotion of that night dictates the tempo, the dynamics, the way you play and how you guys respond to each other at that particular gig (like a more jazz-oriented approach perhaps)?
Or do you think the Porcupine Tree music is so challenging and hard to reproduce right that a different approach would not serve the performance and that exact tempos, video sync, intrumental and sequenced passages, balance, dynamics....are key elements at every PT show?
As a long-time admirer and frequent concert attendee, I'm not even sure (or would that be shure, ha-ha) myself.

Kind regards
KB
 
Hi Headstone

I didn't have the luck to see your show at the Royal Albert Hall. I know it wasn't filmed, but I read somewhere (maybe on the PT twitter, not sure) that it was recorded and maybe, someday, it might be probably released .

Yes it was recorded but not filmed - so it is an option to mix and release that but we have no plans to at the moment.

cheers
Gavin

Would be really awesome !

Thanks for your answer !
 
Hi Gavin!

You're obviously a tremendous drummer, but I don't think you need anymore ego boosting, right? ;)

Anyway, can you please tell me something about you hi-hat gear. I thought I read there was something special about it.. It's a Sonor stand, right?

Thank you in advance.

- Lex

he uses a normal sonor hi hat, with a tama cobra clutch and a dw sm505

which can all be viewed at this picture :
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/datommaster/GavIMG_7314.jpg?t=1302705794

or at least last time i checked he was ;)
 
Hi Gavin,

I'm a big fan of your playing. You're very inspiring to me. Thanks for taking the time to answer all those questions in this forum.

I read in Drum magazine, where you were giving tips on having a career in music, that you had gone through a time where you had not much work, in the early nineties I think and that you had spent a lot of time practicing back then. Could you tell what you used to work on or what would your practice routine would consist of. I think you went on to play with an italian singer after that.

By the way, I really liked that article, and the quote from Tony Levin saying: It's all down to luck but the more I practice, the luckier I get.

Thanks!

D.
 
Hi Gavin,

some more questions from me:

1.
I just read somewhere that bands and/or producers mix their cd's in a "bad" way on purpose
so that they are playable on kitchenradios and small hifi systems,
because people with good equipment are rare.

What can you say to that?


2.
If you don't wanna answer this, then I understand.
How do you develop your odd meter grooves? Maybe you can give me some ideas to start because I often don't have a clue where to start = where to put the bassdrum, snare,
so that the groove don't sound as an odd meter groove.
 
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Hey Gavin.... loving your work. When I've seen you with PT live I was very taken by the way you used your crashes - not always with the BD & some nice creative textures. Is that something you have focused on or did it just evolve?

Just seen you are doing Drum Camp - can you comment on what you may focus on? I am thinking of coming, but still wonder what a pro-player (albeit not a well-known one!) would get out of it other than just having fun with other drummers.

Cheers & thanks!
 
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