Mayhem’s Biog,
I started playing the drums at the age of 18. I don’t know where this came from as I was an artist not a musician. I was constantly listening to my dad’s record collection: Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and Frank Zappa. After hours of banging rhythms out of the living room sofa, I bought myself a kit and played with many local bands. I came alive when i was behind the kit and I knew, then, that this was what I had been searching for all my life.
One of these bands was Concrete beach, which was my first taste of rocking out. After a year or so, I then hooked up with a guy called Peter James (whose daughter Gail was voted best drummer in LA at that time) who is still an awesome player today. I then had lessons, realising it was time to go and learn my craft from the most basic rudiments. After practising 6-8 hrs a day, I had to stop as I received a letter from my local council.
So, it was time to go to London…
Whilst playing with various bands in my first week in the big city, I met Tom Jones’ Drummer, Ian Thomas, at the 606 club. He gave me his time as he could see something special in me. I did more gigs and toured with more bands. I was then asked to audition for the band Coldplay, but the old drummer came back on the scène. After that I was recommended for the Stereophonics and Feeder. Around this time, I met up with my great mate Thomas Lang, who has played with the biggest names in the industry: Ozzy Osbourne, Robbie Williams and The Clash, to name but a few. He gave me his time and I had lessons with him. Thomas showed me that I could make it as a drummer: “You’ve just got to keep going, Mark, and practise even harder”.
… So, I did, and landed a gig (with Danny McCormack from the Wildhearts) in his band, The Chasers. Thanks to my great mates Murr and Davy, who I met in this band, I also got my name “Mark Mayhem” and was in Kerrang Magazine. Both Thomas and I knew that it was a really cool name and a sign that I was on the right watrack as a drummer. Unfortuntely, everything turned bad as The Chasers disbanded. At that time, for me, London life was proving difficult and expensive for me to sustain myself as a drummer. so I decided to move back home to “Wales”, where I was to practise and hone my skills further. Here, I got together with my old mates from Concrete beach and we formed One Room Down. Thanks to their continuing support and nurturing, we took over from where we left off a few years previously.
Currently, I have a busy schedule teaching to all abilities and ages of drummers. Session work with local artists takes up the remainder of my time.
So, ever since I started playing drums it has been the one thing that keeps me going. I have met. and conyinue to meet many amazing people through this art form. It’s my karma to be the great drummer, Mark Mayhem. So, to all you out there, keep going and believe in what you do… it will happen, dudes! Take care
Email: markmayhem@hotmail.co.uk
Watch this space for my web cite “Just give me 3 minutes and a pair of Sticks” coming soon!