Roland V-Drums Championship: UK Final 2012

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V-Drums-UK-Finalist

News from our Roland brothers around the world

Top UK drummers battle it out for a chance to represent the UK in the V-Drums World Championship 2013

Last year’s V-Drums World Championship competition attracted hundreds of talented drummers from every corner of the globe. These were narrowed down to 16 finalists who traveled to the World final in Anaheim, California to perform in the renowned House Of Blues club. After a night of spectacular performances the top honor finally went to drummer Baard Kolstad (Norway), who impressed judges not only with his drumming ability but also with his use of the technology available on Roland V-Drums.

Back in August, entry for the 2013 competition opened and Roland UK began the search for the next V-Drums World Champion. It was a difficult task choosing participants for the regional finals from the wealth of great video entries submitted but after much consideration, six drummers were invited to participate in a live show at the Birmingham Jam House on 23rd October.

It was a great night of varied live music with each performer bringing something unique to the stage. The participants had the new flagship Roland TD-30KV V-Drums, SPD-SX and OCTAPAD SPD-30 at their disposal. The competition was intense with all drummers getting five minutes to demonstrate their skills whilst the performances were judged by a panel of industry experts like V-Drums demonstrator Craig Blundell, V-Drums Product Manager Jules Tabberer-Stewart and Chris Barnes, editor of Rhythm Magazine.

The judges had a tough job on their hands trying to choose a winner but in the end drummer Geoff Fry emerged victorious, impressing judges unanimously with a mix of impressive technique, creative rhythm and great showmanship. He had a clear grasp of how utilizing Roland technology could raise a performance up to the next level. For his stellar effort he was awarded a brand new Roland SPD-SX sampling pad. Check out the video below to see his performance from the night.

Geoff will travel to Frankfurt in March 2013 during the Mussikmesse 2013 trade show to compete against drummers chosen by Roland branches around the World. He will spend the coming months preparing his performance with an aim to win the V-Drums World Championship crown for the UK. We are sure he will give a performance that will do the UK proud.

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