A TEEN from Barry was the only Welsh finalist in a prestigious national drumming competition.
Dave Grohl, Artic Monkeys, Rene from the Stone Roses, Dylan Clarke of Whitmore High – the names sit well together, but we’re thinking Dylan has the added Whiplash determination and dedication about his drumming.
Dylan, 15, recently got to the final ten of the Young Drummer of the Year 2024 held in Poole, Dorset, run by prestigious drummer extraordinaire Mike Dolbear.
It was a landmark year for Dylan in this year’s competition, making the final ten for the first time having been whittled down from a huge 400 fellow drumming contestants.
The finals sounded daunting, with the chosen ten having to jam with a band on a track they had only heard on the day.
Watch below and listen to that sound! as Dylan jams in his room
Jamming in your room to seriously cool beats! Until 5.30pm not to disturb the neighbours…
We mentioned dedication earlier on in the article and that dedication was clear to see when we visited Dylan – half his room is taken up by a full-size (£5,000!) drum set which makes one hell of a sound – trust us, we listened and you had to wear ear defenders while Dylan jammed in his room!
It really is an incredible set-up, with Dylan putting in thick foam sheets into the window to help control his amazing sound.
Watch below as Dylan jams in his room
Dylan is serious about his ambitions to pursue his dreams of playing the drums professionally.
He’s in band Dead Flowers who had their first gig at Blackwood Miners Institute on February 16 - their next gig is set for Green Rooms, Treforest, February 24. He’s also in band the Velotines.
Dylan, who is currently completing his GCSEs, rehearses four to five times a week as well as practicing at home – however, in agreement with the neighbours – home time practice is maxed at one hour a day.
One of the avenues for Dylan to achieve his dreams is to become a session drummer. He was formerly in band 8:48 (as in the time) with his friends, however that band split up, but fear not, there was no Gallagher-esque fallout, they just went their separate way.
As long as Dylan has a dream and is determined to pursue it then good luck to him, and rock on!
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