China Drum
| China Drum | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Drum |
| Origin | Ovingham, Northumberland, UK |
| Genres | Punk rock, alternative rock |
| Years active | 1989–2000, 2013–present |
| Labels | Fluffy Bunny, MCA, Beggars Banquet, Mantra |
| Members | Adam Lee Bill McQueen Dave McQueen John Steel Kate Stephenson |
| Past members | Jan Alkema |
China Drum are an English punk rock band from Ovingham in Northumberland active initially from 1989 to 2000, playing under the name The Drum beginning in 1999. The group released three moderately successful full-length albums and toured in support of noted punk and alternative rock groups, including Green Day, Ash, and Supergrass. They reformed in 2013 under the China Drum moniker.
China Drum were formed in rural Northern England in 1989 by brothers Bill and Dave McQueen, a guitarist and bassist respectively, and singing drummer Adam Lee. Then teenagers, the members first began rehearsing in a local farm's empty pig shed powered by an electrical generator. After four years of extensive local and regional gigging, the band self-released their debut single, "Simple", in 1993, which was championed by John Peel and other members of the British radio press. They were also heartened when Frankie Stubbs and his influential punk band Leatherface received the single warmly and covered the B-side track "Meaning" on their "Little White God" single the following year.
The "Great Fire" single was issued later in 1994 by the London-based Fluffy Bunny Records imprint before a UK tour with Green Day which also included an Amsterdam date, their first international gig. Green Day remained supporters of the group, and bassist Mike Dirnt can be seen wearing a China Drum t-shirt in the music video for their successful single "When I Come Around". Over the next two years, China Drum released the Barrier EP and numerous smaller releases, many of which received national support from such outlets as BBC Radio One.
The band soon signed with Mantra, a subsidiary of Beggars Banquet Europe and Japan, and MCA Records in the United States, who issued a reworked version of the Barrier EP. They released their debut album, Goosefair, on 26 April 1996. The album peaked at No 53 on the UK Albums Chart and received good critical reception, with AllMusic critic Jack Rabid calling the material a mix of "wild catchy pop and charged rock and roll" and Hybrid Magazine's Tom Topkoff praising the group for its heavy pop prowess. Extensive international touring followed in support of the album, including dates in North America, Bosnia, and Sarajevo, and shared bills with Ash and Supergrass.
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