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Bang On! are an energetic junk percussion duo who use a giant homemade drum kit to create funky beats and rhythmic treats whilst putting on an outstanding visual display of technique and showmanship. In 2008 Bang On! reached the semi-finals of ITV's Britain's Got Talent, impressing Simon Cowell who said they were "Brilliant Percussionists". During the build up to the semi-finals Bang On! appeared on ITV's 'This Morning' with Phil and Fern, the appearance was such a success it was featured in This Morning's best bits of 2008. To read more about their BGT experience click here, or to watch This Morning's 'Best bits of 2008' click here. The duo also achieved considerable success in 2007 when their theatre show The Joy of Junk became a sell-out at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The Joy of Junk will be touring again later in 2009, watch this space for further details! Bang On! are currently performing all over the country at festivals, corporate events, in nightclubs, schools and anywhere their impact is needed! For upcoming shows please see the events page, or to book Bang On! please email mail@bangon.net
KATIE
STEPHENSON-
Katie is a classically trained drummer/percussionist who started playing the drums aged 11
and took up percussion a couple of years later. Having played in brass bands, concert bands,
orchestras, rock bands and jazz bands she is an experienced performer and a keen composer who
has written music for percussion groups, bands and orchestras.
Katie studied music at Brunel University where she received the Griffin prize for music. On leaving university she went travelling taking a drum with her. To support her travels she went busking in many cities across Australia and New Zealand and gigged in Byron Bay and Brisbane.
Since returning to the UK she has gained widespread teaching experience and has performed throughout the country with well known acts. She can be seen playing drum kit in the Jamie Cullum video for the single 'Mind trick' and recently performed with Robyn at Radio 1's Big One.
Apart from Bang On! Katie currently plays drum kit and sings in the rock duo Paradise Non Gratis, performs as a session musician, and teaches drum kit in south west London.
DAVE
SMITH-
Dave started out playing the violin and achieved grade 8 by the age of 16.
He then taught himself drums, and this led to getting involved with all sorts of bands.
The buzz he got from drumming made him realise this was what he wanted
to do, so he turned his main focus to drums and percussion.
Forsaking a promising career as a dustman, he went to university to study music,
and has since performed with orchestras, djs, bands of various genres and
in theatrical and performance art productions. Also an improviser and a composer,
he finds that Bang On! perfectly combines the chance to be musically creative
on a whole range of instruments whilst doing what he likes best, which is drumming
on anything available.
As well as Bang On! Dave currently performs as a session musician, plays percussion for dance classes, kit for The
Break Lites and various instruments in eclectic duo The Magpies.
Katie and Dave met at university when providing percussion for a physical theatre production of Boudicca. The show was taken to the Edinburgh fringe festival in 2001, and while there, they successfully experimented with busking on djembes (African drums). This inspired them to continue performing together when they returned to London, busking in town and city centres, performing at club nights and parties, and working with theatre companies and bands.
In their final year at university, Katie wrote a piece for five percussionists to play on unconventional instrumentation - two dustbins, two chairs and a watering can. The piece was very well received at many performances giving Katie the enthusiasm to expand the project. She approached Dave with the idea of a junk percussion duo and Bang On! was formed.
Edinburgh festival 2002. This time they went as Bang On!, taking with them a drum kit (consisting of a table, four chairs, a watering can and some random rubbish) as well as the djembes, for more variety. Again they were well received and were invited to play at an international youth festival in Taiwan.
Due to the difficulty of taking a table, two big dustbins, 4 chairs and a watering can in your hand luggage, Dave made a new travel friendly kit from aluminium scaffolding poles. The pair went to Taiwan and had an amazing two weeks performing, experiencing a totally different culture, getting their pictures in the national press, an interview in a music magazine, and being featured on the TV news and a documentary programme.
After this, Katie went travelling but returned just in time to go to the Edinburgh festival 2003. This time they had the new kit, new rubbish, and a vibrant new banner! 2003 was a very successful year and things have escalated from there. Since then Bang On! have performed in nightclubs from Edinburgh to London, at carnivals and festivals, put on workshops in schools, performed with dancers, musicians, and toured the UK and Europe with The Dresden Dolls. See the Gigography page for more details! In 2007 Bang On! took on their biggest challenge yet of taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe festival. The Joy of Junk was a 50 minute explosion of sounds and visuals with many surprises and audience participation. The show received 5 star reviews and became a sell out!
Having been through many changes through the years the bin kit's most recent facelift happened in May 2006 with the addition of a 3rd water butt that Dave hooked up to act as a pedal-operated bass drum. As a result of this the bin kit currently consists of a frame made from aluminium scaffolding poles, 3 water butts for the bass sounds, and two metal bin lids that are used to create treble noise. This leaves plenty of space for tying on all sorts of objects that make different sounds, such as broken guitars, saucepans and a squeaky coat hanger, but as both performers have a tendency to break things the kit never stays the same for long!
Roundhouse - London. Photos by Pixie