90 minute, One on One Lesson with Chris Grainger

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90 minute, One on One Online Lesson with Chris Grainger!

Career Highlights

Grainger spent a decade with the Blues Club band, taking over the drum seat from legendary drummers Mick Avory (The Kinks) and Chris Slade (Tom Jones, AC/DC, Asia) to join a line-up which included Peter Hope-Evans (Pete Townshend, Roger Chapman) and Gary Grainger (Rod Stewart, Roger Daltrey, Nick Lowe, Ringo Starr).

In 2007, he was invited to perform Bad Company and Free greatest hits with Mick Ralphs (Mott The Hoople, Bad Company), Robert Hart (Manfred Mann’s Earthband, Foreigner, Bad Company), Dave “Bucket” Colwell (Humble Pie, Bad Company) and Jaz Lochrie (Go West, Paul Rodgers, Bad Company).

The association with Dave “Bucket” Colwell continues to this day, with Grainger joining Rick Wills (Foreigner, Bad Company, Small Faces) on numerous shows. Having been impressed with the outfit’s abilities, Brian May of Queen chose the band to back him in 2012.

Grainger turned down an enticing offer to join the World Tour of the hit musical Mamma Mia due to prior commitments with other artists such as Paul Carrack (Ace, Squeeze, Mike & The Mechanics), Simon Townshend (The Who), Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), London soul band Empire State and Lost In Music, an eleven piece band with an impressive corporate client list including British Airways, BBC, Lancome.

Associated Artists

Chris is well known for his years of full throttle performances with Bruce Foxton (The Jam), the legendary bassist/vocalist in iconic British bands The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers, taking over from drum hero Mark Brzezicki (Big Country, The Cult, Pete Townshend).

Playing a set of The Jam’s 18 consecutive Top 40 hits including “Eton Rifles”, “A Town Called Malice”, “Going Underground” and “That’s Entertainment” comes with an awesome amount of pressure and Grainger has received brilliant reviews for his strong drumming presence.

Chris continues to work with a variety of artists on both sides of the Atlantic after his 2017 move to Los Angeles, including soul great Lloyd Wade (Robert Palmer, Take That, Eliza Doolittle) and guitar virtuoso Neil Rambaldi.

*Brian May (Queen) *Robby Krieger (The Doors) *The Jam/Bruce Foxton *Mick Ralphs (Bad Company, Mott The Hoople) *James Leach (sikTh) *Simon Townshend (The Who) *Lloyd Wade (Robert Palmer, Take That, Eliza Doolittle) *Paul Carrack (Solo Artist, Ace, Squeeze, Mike & The Mechanics) * Peter Hope-Evans (Pete Townshend, Roger Chapman) * Jaz Lochrie (Go West, Paul Rodgers, Bad Company) *Robert Hart (Manfred Mann’s Earthband, Foreigner, Bad Company) *Dave “Bucket” Colwell (Humble Pie, Bad Company) * Rick Wills (Foreigner, Bad Company, Small Faces) *Phil Chen (Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, The Doors) *Ed Roth (Annie Lennox, Tom Morello, Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats) *Kenji Ota (Ravi Shankar)

Influences

Vinnie Colaiuta, Jeff Porcaro, Terry Bozzio, Billy Cobham, Carmine Appice, Alex Van Halen, Steve Gadd, and Buddy Rich are all primary influences for Chris.

However, Grainger’s earliest sources of inspiration came from watching performances of bands with his father.
“I was lucky enough to watch my dad, guitarist Gary Grainger, work on some amazing gigs and recording sessions with Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, Simon Phillips, Kenney Jones, Zak Starkey, Ronnie Wood… I grew up surrounded by these legends and was probably even picking up drumbeats from Carmine Appice in the womb!”

“When I was three, we went to stay at Kenney Jones’ country house, where he kindly gave me my first proper drum lesson. Soon after, I was given a drum set for Christmas. A few years later, I guess I felt my Mirage 4-piece kit was not cool enough and traded it in for a snazzy electronic Simmons SDS-8. Far more 80’s and no doubt a whole lot quieter! It was the time of synth-led pop groups and electro drum sounds. Eventually I got bored with programmed drum sounds and turned my attention to my far more rock ‘n’ roll Flying-V guitar. Thereafter, the Simmons kit got a bit dusty, and was then more or less packed away.”

“At the age of eight, we went to see The Who on their 1989 tour, and I was allowed on stage by the crew before soundcheck. After checking out Townshend’s sea of red Strats and Entwistles’s basses, something incredible happened. This curly-haired character began hitting his huge red Tama kit. I could not believe how awesome drums sounded in an empty Wembley Arena. I watched Simon Phillips avidly for the rest of the soundcheck, and indeed the rest of the gig with laser-focus. As soon as I was home, my drums were set up so fast and sticks have never left my hands since!”