MARK McLARNEY

Other Bio's: Band | Neil | Mike | Mark | Bernie

Plays: Drums, percussion, vocals.

Musical background: I played clarinet and saxophone throughout most of elementary school and high school. I picked up the drums after years of watching and listening to the drummers in several concert bands I was in. Before long I was jamming with guys I went to school with, including Mike and Neil, who was also a drummer back then. Neil and I kept in touch over the years and we got back together after I finished university and formed what would eventually become The Dawgs.

Best known for saying: "My back is killing me!" "Alright, who owes me money??" "Bernie, wait til I count you in!" "Neil, you owe me a steak dinner for that one!"

Influences: I was influenced more by bands in general than by individual drummers when I was younger. For instance, I knew every drum beat and fill from every song on Yes' "Big Generator" album, but I had no idea who Alan White was. I listened to a wide variety of music when I was growing up, so my influences are quite diverse. Some big name drummers who definitely had an impact on me include Neil Peart (Rush), Phil Collins (Genesis), Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp), Bill Bruford (King Crimson), Keith Moon (The Who) , session greats Omar Hakim and Manu Katché, and the great Buddy Rich.

Most likely to order: Diet Coke while I'm playing...maybe the odd beer. (Ever tried keeping time when you're drunk? It doesn't happen!) I don't usually eat before gigs, either. Can't play on a full stomach!

Role within the band: I guess you could say the drums are the rhythmic centerpiece of any band, so my role in The Dawgs is really just to keep the other three guys in time, provide a basic rhythm for the music and add the occasional little flourish of colour. I'm a "meat-and-potatoes" type of drummer who doesn't get caught up in trying to be too fancy; it doesn't really fit well with the type of music we play. I also see the drummer as someone who controls the dynamics of a song, leading the band through the song's crescendos and decrescendos. No one likes to hear a band blare away at one volume all night. I'm also becoming a little more active singing-wise, throwing in some backup vocals on a few songs and even lead vocals (whenever the guys let me!). Oh yeah, and I also moonlight as the band's webmaster.

Most embarrassing moment on stage: The time my drum throne broke out from under me and I fell over like a bag of wet cement. (Remember Harry Flashman's, guys?) Fortunately for me it was right at the end of a song and not in the middle!

What I like most about playing with The Dawgs: The four of us have really tightened up as a unit over the years. We all gel together very well, and there's a real musical connection we've established with each other. Being able to anticipate what someone else is going to do onstage in the middle of a song is very important, and I think we've achieved that to a certain extent. That's certainly the case with me and Neil, who as bass player is the other half of the band's rhythm section. Aside from all that, the four of us get along great and there are no egos to contend with. At the very core, we are a group of friends who can very often be seen hanging out on weekends when we're not playing, which is not something a lot of bands do these days.

Gear (for you fellow drummers out there): I play a standard 5-piece set of Premier drums. Toms and kick are model XPK's, and the snare is a Genista, the most durable and versatile snare I have ever played. My cymbals are a mix of Zildjian and Sabian with a genuine Rancan china-type (nice and trashy!). I have a tendency of cracking my crash cymbals though, so the mix of these is always changing. My favourite cymbal is my trusty old ride, a Zildjian K Custom--the best rock ride ever made, in my opinion!

You can e-mail Mark directly at dawgdrummer@yahoo.com.


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