EVENT REVIEW 


LONDON DRUM SHOW


FACT FILE:


EVENT: London Drum Show DATE: September 4th and 5th VENUE: Olympia, London EXHIBITORS: 36 VISITORS: 1,921 VERDICT: An excellent event that impressed both the public and those with their gear on show. Well organised with a good choice of venue, the London Drum Show is sure to become an established MI show, but dealer exhibitors hope will sales will improve.


Striking a balance W


Providing a plethora of rhythmic enjoyment for both the trade and the public, The London Drum Show finally gave the percussion sector back an event of its own. Adam Savage waded through the paradiddles to check it out…


ith no little cacophony and a good helping of percussion related bedlam, September 4th


and 5th saw the London Drum Show come crashing and pounding into town, which was to have been expected from a building full of drummers and a delightful array of the things for them to hit. A glance around revealed just how well


the organiser had managed to fit so much exhibition space in the small hall – and it hadn’t been stingy on booth space either. What was immediately noticeable was


how Yamaha had, quite literally, taken centre stage with a trio of Rock Tour kits


“ 18 miPRO


national sales manager. “The quality of the punter here has been excellent. Their enquiries have been on a very deep level – a lot of understanding.” Another manufacturer that attracted a


great deal of attention was Roland. With a stand that featured the much-loved V- Drums range, there was barely a moment where its space was not invaded by legions of youngsters itching to unleash their adolescent aggression on these kits. Those who stopped by Roland’s stand


were also graced with the presence of Craig Blundell, a demonstrator for the manufacturer and another specialist who


We brought the people in, but we can’t make them spend. We work in other sectors and


this is nowhere near as bad. Hugo Montgomery-Swan Oyster House Media


sitting proudly on the corner of its large display area. Although showing nothing brand new, the Japanese company was able to demonstrate not just its power, but also that it is still takes shows like this just as seriously as other brands. “You have to be here to keep the brand


in front of the public. You can never quantify this sort of thing, but you know it’s valuable,” said Darren Power, Yamaha’s


OCTOBER 2010


wowed fans in the afternoon with his electronic percussion skills. Blundell also offered words of praise for the event. “It’s got a really good, friendly vibe. It’s a good experience for Roland and it’s great to see the punters mixing with the players,” he said. As well as the V-Drums, Roland’s Octapad was a real eye-catcher, with Blundell demo’ing how to loop the bass and drum effects effortlessly.


As for sales, it seemed that accessories


and drum parts were doing better than full kits, which was good news for a few of the brands that had gone along. The Dream Cymbals range, distributed by Soar Valley, was there in full force and was the source of a great deal of optimism from sales manager Darran Bramley. “We’ve just got the full product range


in, so the timing has been perfect. It’s a good show for us and it seems people are interested and getting the message. I’m really optimistic for Dream Cymbals and shows such as these only help,” he said. Following on from this, one of the few


negatives that emerged was the lack of overall sales across the venue. Hugo Montgomery-Swan, managing director at Oyster House Media, the event’s organiser confirmed this, but also revealed that many taking part had realistic expectations, so weren’t too disappointed. “It’s a difficult one. We brought the people in, but we can’t make them spend,” said Montgomery-Swan. “All I can say is that we work in other retail sectors and this sector is nowhere near as bad as some of the others. I think it’s simply down to the economy suppressing people’s desire to spend.” Also in the accessory category,


Stageworks used the Drum Show to launch the second product in its line of problem solving products, the Rimma. This


stick holder/clip attaches to the top of a bass drum and allows the user to reach down and grab a spare stick with ease, should one fly out of the drummer’s hand during a performance. Interest in world percussion was


declared a bit quiet by a number of the tradesmen that MI Pro spoke to, but a few of the larger brands were an exception, convincing a good number to have a tap and a patter on their latest offerings. Natal looked to have been extremely busy since its appearance at the MI Retail Conference & Expo, showing off a huge array of cajons and a wonderful selection of congas and bongos, including the Fuego and Spirit ranges, which is impressive considering how it is still in its early stages of development since being taken over by Marshall Amplification. “It’s got good energy and good visitors.


There’s also a good spread of exhibitors – just about everybody is here who should be,” commented Craig Fenney. “Natal is just getting into gear now and the plans for new gear are on track.” Another percussion brand that was


recently the subject of a new distribution deal was Gon Bops – now owned, of course, by Sabian. Instrument designer Akbar Moghaddam, who designs and makes its California conga range, as well as a handful of its other models, was making a surprise appearance.


WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84