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FUTUREBEAT is here! If you don’t know, FUTUREBEAT is a competition for drummers aged 13-18 to compete against each other in a national talent exhibition to find the UK’s BEST young drummer. Thousands of eager competitors submit a video showcasing their thunderous grooves and lightning-quick fills to win a spot in the top 8 for our regional final. If they’re successful in gaining a place, they are given a choice of 2 play-along tracks from 6 different music genres to perform in front of a live audience. After all 8 finalists play and a champion is crowned, they win a brand new Yamaha Recording Custom Snare drum AND a place in the GRAND final at Yamaha HQ in Milton Keynes.
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At the Grand final, our winner along with the other regional champions must compete again at Yamaha HQ in Milton Keyes. The stakes are higher as each young drummer performs with a professional band in front of a judging panel to a chance to be crowned the overall winner of FUTUREBEAT 2018. For their valiant effort they win a Yamaha Tour Custom kit (which goes beautifully with that snare) and a spot to perform at the prestigious London Drum Show.
Monday night we witnessed some of the finest young drumming talent Glasgow has to offer, everyone competing brought their A-game which made it a true spectacle to watch. As this was the first regional final the bar was set VERY high…glad I wasn’t a judge! So, lets meet the competitors…
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Kicking off the competition was Roan Anderson, taking arguably the hardest slot of the night. He showcased some solid groove with some subtle yet noticeable finesse. Matthew Gault was next laying down a powerful yet dynamic groove followed by Eamon Kelly who brought the tempo down but kept the skill level to an all time high. One of the youngest competitors, Cameron Clark, brought solid grooves showing everyone that he’d be a great addition to any band, while Jude Leslie showed some clever chops with tight rhythm. Lottie Shoesmith, the only girl in the competition met with a standing ovation for keeping the groove tight with flashy fills thrown in. Findlay Mayers showcased some dynamic flare while keeping the groove solid, while Cameron Ferguson smashed out big rock grooves and fills that were reminiscent of the big drum feel of Dave Grohl. Everyone played to such a high level, but there could only be one winner…
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Our Scottish regional winner of FUTUREBEAT, representing Drummers Only and Scotland in Milton Keynes was Mr Matthew Gault! Matthew took the gold (literally) and bagged himself a Yamaha 13×6.5 Recording Custom snare as well as a place in the Grand Final. Very well deserved, best of luck in Milton Keyes Matthew!
It was a tough competition, everyone played to the absolute best of their ability and not one competitor should feel dishearted with their efforts. Music is an art-form that gives you a confidence nothing else can compare to so we encourage all of our contestants to keep striving to improve, and most of all to have fun. We look forward to see how the competition plays out, but one thing I can say for certain is…the future of drumming is bright!
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