Recently, Eddy Thrower, drummer of Lower Than Atlantis, kicked off ACM Freshers’ Week in true rock ‘n’ roll style. Delivering a jam-packed masterclass full of his top tips of life in the industry, new students received the perfect introduction to what ACM is all about.
The masterclass started with ACM tutor Joe Yoshida introducing Eddy to a room full to bursting with eager students. Eddy soon got things started with a performance of the Lower Than Atlantis track ‘Here We Go’. During the class, Eddy was really keen to get students involved, inviting them up on stage to take a look at his kit while he was performing. The session ran in an informal format, with questions encouraged throughout.
“It was amazing to have such a great drummer as Eddy Thrower open our Freshers’ Week. Eddy’s a very humble guy and to hear him share his advice to our students is so rewarding and so valuable to them as they are starting their careers.”
Joe Yoshida, Drum Tutor, ACM
The class touched on topics such as playing live, which Eddy stated was “wicked, the best thing”, and networking, which he told one student was the one thing he wished he’d realised was so important when he first started out. Another student asked about whether Lower Than Atlantis thinks about radio when they create their songs. Eddy replied that you should write music for yourself and not worry about what radio will think and the pair agreed that it was great to see stations such as Radio 1 bringing rock music back into the mainstream environment.
Aside from performing in the well-known rock outfit Lower Than Atlantis, Eddy has also performed with the likes of One Direction as a session player. During the class, Eddy revealed that when he was younger he practiced by watching Kerrang with drumsticks on the sofa and for about a year of his life he played only using his hands, really developing them when the bass drum pedal of his electronic kit broke.
Sharing many top tips and insider knowledge during the class, Eddy advised the students on the importance of social media and the need for them to be active online, while being creative and different about it. Another great tip Eddy shared was to make friends with bands across the UK and to do gig swaps in the different areas when you’re starting out without a booking agent.
Throughout the class, students were thoroughly engaged and asked many questions. Afterwards, students were keen to get selfies with the famous drummer, which he happily took part in, ensuring no student left disappointed.
“ACM for me is the perfect thing for an aspiring musician or anyone that wants to get into the industry. I think it’s wicked; the facilities, the tutors, the people that come here, everything all round is just positive, creative and yeah, just wicked – really really beneficial to do.”
Eddy Thrower, Drummer, Lower Than Atlantis