Carl Gaywood - Drummer with SkaSouls:
Carl explains why he now plays a Carrera Kit & Terrier snares.... he has 2.

"I got my first drum-kit when I was asked to join a mate's band, aged 19, it was a severely beaten up old "Stratford", and I hated it.
As far back as I can remember, I was forever tapping out rhythms on any available surface, which I guess is why they asked me to join.
After a year, I'd saved enough to get my first proper kit, a shiny new Yamaha 5000!
We stayed together for a couple more years, culminating in a very well received gig at the "Rock Garden" in London's Covent Garden & almost immediately imploded in true Rock `n' Roll style.

Drums sold, moved on.

Cue many years later, & planning a knees-up for my 40th, I booked my friend Lee's band. Lee persuaded me to take up the sticks again in "Foulplay".
We built up a very solid reputation as a hard-working, entertaining covers band, and in the eleven years that Foulplay lasted, I went through half a dozen or so high-end kits/snares. Each one was moved on because although they were lovely, there was always something that wasn't quite to my liking. None of them sounded like "the kit in my head", the colour/finish was wrong, the sizes weren't quite right, etc.
As Foulplay was reaching the end of its shelf-life, Lee was talking to a couple of local horn players. They'd been fans of ours & especially of the "Ska" section of our set, something that none of the other local bands were doing.

A couple of rehearsals and "The SkaSouls" were born.

This was my first experience of playing with a brass section, crikey, they're loud!
It soon became apparent that none of the snares I owned were cutting through the horns.
I'd heard good things of Carrera Drums on various drum forums & website reviews, so I went along and met Dave Carrera who showed me his latest creation the "Terrier" snare. Wow! Beautifully made & finished, and with a crack that nearly took my head off, I was sold.
I took it to the next rehearsal & gigged it the following weekend and that was it. I had my sound, and it cut through the brass perfectly.
A few months later, I took then next logical step & talked to Dave about a full kit.
What a revelation. Instead of going to the local drum-shops and looking at the mainstream manufacturers ranges and having to choose from their "stock" sizes/colours, Dave, being an independent manufacturer was able to offer me any combination of size/colour.
After a lot of thought, I came up with my ideal sizes, shell thicknesses, colour. Dave then patiently guided me through the whole process, never once making me feel that any of my questions, (some of which I'm sure were really stupid), were anything other than a pleasure to address.

Finally, after what seemed a never-ending wait, but was in fact only about six weeks, I got the call to come and collect my baby.
Stunning! 12x8" & 16x14" 4.5mm shells with re-rings & a 22x17" bass in 7.5mm so that it could take the mounted tom/cymbal, finished in a gorgeous black stain that was polished to a mirror-pond finish and was just translucent enough to allow the grain to show through. All supplied with genuine, branded Evans heads.

When I got it back to the studio and had a rattle round it, I couldn't believe it. Dave had created "the kit in my head". The Birch shells give a lovely, warm, rounded tone, but with plenty of projection and presence. Simply perfect.
I've had it over a year now & I can honestly say, hand on heart that there is not a thing about it that I would even consider changing. I'm a very happy drummer!
Thank you to Dave, Mike, & all at Carrera Drum HQ for looking after me so well."

SkaSouls Website