Joys of Camping
Steve Heather
Joys of Camping
I carry with me when performing a suitcase full of objects that I see or hear as an extension of my drum kit. I reach for these objects when I feel the need to extend the sonic boundaries and techniques of the traditional kit. Every object has a story, meaning, history, and an individual purpose. One of my most beloved objects is a metal camping plate given to me by another percussionist friend (Sean Baxter) at the end of a European tour. Needless to say, this metal plate had seen better days. When given to me it looked more like frisbee chewed on by a large playful dog or a miniature Star Ship Enterprise limping home after a losing battle with an intergalactic dark force. Unfortunately for the camping plate, life hasn’t become any easier since entering my hands. When bent it crackles randomly like digital distortion. Dragged across the rims of the drums it creates a nasty white noise that is hard to beat. Laid flat on the snare with a light chain upon it, the plate and the chain give the drum an entirely new life and sonic depth. The plate has endless possibilities, limited only by my imagination and its life span, as it slowly disintegrates. The plate has now traveled to many places, seen many drum kits, surfaces and been coupled with wire brushes, chains, and saw blades. I carry it with me continually and along with it comes the friend that gave it to me. If the camping plate could speak, I’m sure it would say, “BRUTAL!”
Steve Heather is a composer/performer (percussion, drums, and electronics), based in Berlin.