Here at British Drum Co., we are extremely proud of our Axial Series pipe band drums. At the outset of this project our goal was to develop the next generation technology for pipe band drums. We wanted to create a product range that would change perceptions of pipe band drums, using a combination of cutting edge design and engineering whilst maintaining the handcrafted traditions of the drum-making craft. The team at the heart of the Axial project represents the epitome of world-class pipe band drumming expertise. British Drum Co.’s International Marching Specialist and 16 times World Solo Drumming Champion, Jim Kilpatrick MBE, worked alongside Design Engineering Manager Alan Kitching and CEO, Keith Keough to pool their skills and experience. Starting from a blank page and working through endless iterations, the team tirelessly strived to create the remarkable technology that resulted in Axial. The response to Axial has been universally positive. Players have embraced the advanced features in the drums, welcoming the balance between trustworthy functionality and futuristic aesthetics. Our reputation continues to attract global players and performers who recognise the high quality of the drums we make and embrace our values of supporting the pipe band world at the very highest levels. We hold true to our mission to create pipe band drums that look amazing, sound amazing and make you feel amazing! Learn more about our Axial Series Drums

In what has already been a whirlwind year, the British Drum Co. are pleased to announce the latest addition to their artist family, Russell Piner, who joins as an independent marching artist. Piner is a serving member in the Corps of Drums of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines. His extensive career has afforded him many opportunities to excel as a composer and as a drummer; writing multiple compositions and gaining his diploma in Snare Drum & Natural Trumpet in 2012. In 2017 Piner became Bugle Major Training at the Royal Marines School of Music and is responsible for the development of all Royal Marines drummers and buglers. He has had the privilege of performing with some of the world’s best drum lines, including Top Secret Drum Corps, West Point ‘Hellcats’ Field Music Group and The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. In 2016 Piner became a member of the United States National Association of Rudimental Drummers (NARD), and in 2018 he was appointed to the education committee for the Society of International Rudimental Drummers (SIRD). Piner is also the lead organiser for the 3rd International Rudimental Drummers’ Symposium taking place in Portsmouth, UK between the 18th and 20th June 2021. The British Drum Company, which launched in September 2015, was founded by master drum maker Keith Keough; Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews; top-level marching specialist Stu Warmington; product designer Alan Kitching; and award winning comedian and drum enthusiast Al Murray, aka The Pub Landlord. The ranks expanded when in 2017 The Verve & Charlatans drummer, Pete Salisbury, joined the company. Commenting on Piner’s appointment, Marching Division Manager Stu Warmington said, “Having Russ come onboard brings a whole new style of drumming to our ever-growing family of marching artists. Russ plays in, arguably, the best military drum corps in the world and it’s a privilege that he’s chosen to join the British Drum Co. Russ will be using a variety of drums from our highly successfully Regimental Series.

British Drum Co. is proud to welcome Nicko McBrain to the family as an Artist and International Ambassador. As the long-serving drummer with superstar Metal band Iron Maiden, Nicko McBrain is recognised as a world-class drummer, not only among his peers, but also as one of those rare drummers who can be considered a household name. With multi-platinum album sales and sold-out tours under his belt, Nicko is a global drumming icon, admired and respected everywhere. In addition to his capacity as an artist, Nicko will represent the brand globally and will play an integral role in the research and development of British Drum Co. products. ​ McBrain’s decision to move to British Drum Co. surprised many but the rationale for this bold development was easy, as Nicko explains, “The passion for creating spectacular drums that I have witnessed at British Drum Co. is second to none. Every single member of the BDC family is driven to this one goal of making the very best instruments they can. The creativity and craft that goes into even the tiniest of details is just breathtaking and I felt I had to be a part of this.” ​ The announcement was made amongst friends, artists and industry partners at a special launch event held at the Stockport brewery which makes the famous Trooper Ale for Iron Maiden. Central to the evening’s proceedings was the display of Nicko’s brand new British Drum Co “Legacy Of The Beast” drum kit which attracted a lot of interest amongst attendees. The drum kit is a Legend Series in custom sizes featuring a bespoke artwork celebrating Eddie, the Iron Maiden mascot, in his various guises as seen on album covers over the years. The event was a roaring success which celebrated perfectly the partnership of two world-class drumming names. ​ British Drum Co., which launched in September 2015, was founded by master drum maker Keith Keough; Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews; top-level marching specialist Stu Warmington; product designer Alan Kitching; and award winning comedian and drum enthusiast Al Murray, aka The Pub Landlord. The ranks expanded when in 2017 The Verve & Charlatans drummer, Pete Salisbury, joined the company. ​ British Drum Co. CEO, Keith Keough said,” this is one of the proudest moments as CEO of the British Drum Co. For our brand to attract such a world-class drummer as Nicko McBrain is amazing. It is a validation of everything we set out to achieve when we started thie company - it demonstrates that our dedication to excellence, together with our passion for crafting the finest drums is recognised at a global level.”

Following on from the recent release of Glasgow Police Pipe Band we are pleased to announce leading Drummer David Henderson has joined British Drum Co. as an independent pipe band artist. Drum Sergeant of the Glasgow Police Pipe Band, Henderson has won every major drumming championship possible including 15 RSPBA major drumming titles, 2 World Championships and 3 Champions of Champions titles. As well as holding a BA Honours Degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland specialising in Pipe Band Snare Drumming, Henderson is also a full-time Drumming Instructor in schools across the central belt of Scotland, including current Novice A World Champions, North Lanarkshire Schools. As if that wasn’t enough, Henderson is the drumming instructor of The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland – a performance based band that perform at concerts and festivals worldwide. As a director of D2 Percussion, a piping and drumming tuition and retail business, Henderson will be adding the Axial & Regimental Series to his inventory as an official British Drum Co. marching dealer. The British Drum Company, which launched in September 2015, was founded by master drum maker Keith Keough; Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews; top-level marching specialist Stu Warmington; product designer Alan Kitching; and award winning comedian and drum enthusiast Al Murray, aka The Pub Landlord. The ranks expanded when in 2017 The Verve & Charlatans drummer, Pete Salisbury, joined the company. Commenting on Henderson’s appointment, Marching Division Manager Warmington said, “adding David to the British Drum Co. marching family is fantastic. The expertise and experience he brings is truly amazing. The British Drum Co. pipe band family is growing and it’s a very exciting time for British handmade marching drums. Henderson replied “I am delighted to be joining the British Drum Co. team as a Pipe Band artist. The passion and vision for the company from Keith and Stu is inspiring. It is evident that, with the launch of the “Axial” Pipe Band range, they are committed to making a huge impact on the Pipe Band scene and I am honoured to be a part of what is sure to be an exciting future!” ​ Keough added “Once again the marching division seems to be going from strength to strength and adding Henderson to the current roster only emphasises how serious we are about bringing onboard the best to play the best”.

Two months after a successful launch of their Axial Series at The World Pipe Band Championships held at Glasgow in August this year, the British Drum Co. can now proudly add the Glasgow Police Pipe Band to its Artists Roster. Glasgow Police Pipe Band (formerly Strathclyde Police) was formed in 1883 as the ‘Burgh of Govan Police’ and is the most successful Grade 1 Pipe Band in history, winning the World Pipe Band Championships on 21 occasions.  A feat unmatched in the grade.  The band’s first place prizes include the following: 4 times Scottish Pipe Band Champions 12 times British Pipe Band Champions 10 times European Pipe Band Champions 11 times Cowal Highland Gathering Pipe Band Champions 13 times Champion of Champions 21 times RSPBA World Pipe Band Championships The band consists of a mix of serving Police officers and civilians and performs at prestigious events for Police Scotland and other organisations all around the world, in addition to their competition season. The band’s main sponsor is the Scottish Police Federation and is under the direction of Pipe Major Alisdair McLaren and Drum Sergeant David Henderson. The British Drum Company, which launched in September 2015, was founded by master drum maker Keith Keough; Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews; top-level marching specialist Stu Warmington; product designer Alan Kitching; and award winning comedian and drum enthusiast Al Murray, aka The Pub Landlord. The ranks expanded when in 2017 The Verve & Charlatans drummer, Pete Salisbury, joined the company. ​ Commenting on the addition of Glasgow Police Pipe Band to the British Drum Co. family of artists, Marching Division Manager Warmington said,  “I’m thoroughly honoured that Glasgow Police have chosen to use the British Drum Co. Axial Series as part of their set up for the forthcoming seasons. You’ve only got to look at the band’s history to know the drums are in safe hands. Glasgow police are an incredible band and I’m very excited to see what the future brings”. ​ Leading Drummer David Henderson replied, “I am excited for the Glasgow Police Pipe Band to become the first Pipe Band Drum Corps endorsed by the British Drum Co.  BDC’s Axial Series of Pipe Band snare, bass and tenor drums are the pinnacle of precision engineering and craftsmanship by Keith Keough and his fantastic BDC team. The attention to detail is excellent with a striking design, but most importantly, the quality of sound is exceptional! The solidity, consistency and projection from the snare drums coupled with the innovation, stability and resonance from the bass and tenors make the BDC range second to none. I have complete faith that these drums will serve us well and I can’t wait to get them out on the competition field!” Keough replied adding a Grade 1 pipe band was absolute key to the success of the Axial Range and I can think of no one better to take our drums on first than The Glasgow Police Pipe Band. I look forward to the future and what this great pairing can achieve together.

The British Drum Co. is proud to reveal that their new Regimental Series flagship snare drum, The RS1, has been selected as the instrument of choice by the world-renowned Corps of Drums of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines. The decision represents a welcome return to the historical tradition of the Royal Marines playing British-made drums following a period in which foreign instruments were the only viable alternative on offer. Pictured: The Corps of Drums of Her Majesty's Royal Marines play the British Drum Co. RS1 Victory model snare drum during the Mountbatten Festival of Music at London's Royal Albert Hall in March 2019. This remarkable development is a major milestone for the relatively young UK drum manufacturer, which is still only in its fourth year of operation. The Royal Marines’ decision to choose the RS1 is testament to the high standards of quality and innovation built in to the drum. The drums have been designed to be lightweight yet also ultra-reliable and simple to maintain. Brand new technologies were developed entirely in-house at the British Drum Co. solely for the Regimental Series drums. Chief amongst these was the Levitone™ parallel snare mechanism, a system which allows the snare wires to retain their tension even when disengaged, allowing for a smooth and silent transition between the playing states on both upper and lower heads. The Levitone™ systems bring an unprecedented level of innovation to what is essentially, a very traditional instrument, but the benefits are very much appreciated by today’s musicians. In keeping with British Drum Company’s fine attention to detail, the RS1 model produced for the Royal Marines contains a very special component. Each drum possesses, with the kind permission of The National Museum of the Royal Navy, a fragment of English Oak retrieved from the ancient timbers of HMS Victory, incorporated into the inside of the drum’s shell. This, in itself, is a remarkable achievement as use of the wood is rarely granted and then, only for extremely worthy situations, so it was important that the limited quantity of this precious material was employed wisely and effectively. The Victory Oak has been sensitively, but beautifully presented in the form of a commemorative disc accompanied by an inscription of the lyrics of the Regimental March Past of the Royal Navy, “Heart Of Oak”. The drum also bears the Royal Marines’ motto, “Per Mare Per Terram”, which means By Sea, By Land, on all the lug washers. The emotional and cultural significance of this inclusion has not been lost on members of the Corps of Drums who have instantly formed an abiding bond with their new instruments. Equipped with their new instruments and bursting with pride, the Corps of Drums of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines marched out on to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall in London to perform with their British Drum Co. RS1 Victory model snare drums at the Mountbatten Festival of Music in March 2019. In attendance was His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex, who is the Captain-General of the Royal Marines. The spectacle of 28 drummers playing this innovative, yet traditional British-made snare drum in its debut performance was something quite special to experience. In keeping with the British Drum Co. brand promise, the RS1 drums looked amazing, sounded amazing and made everyone involved, feel amazing. British Drum Co.’s Marching Division Manager, Stu Warmington, said, “I am immensely proud of the Regimental Series drums. The RS1 Victory model produced for the Royal Marines represents the pinnacle of our achievements in marching drums so far and I am delighted that the Corps of Drums of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines have chosen our instruments as their drums of choice”. Pictured: The commemorative plaque built into the RS1 Victory model snare drum featuring a fragment of the ancient oak sourced from HMS Victory. Professor Dominic Tweddle, Director General of The National Museum of the Royal Navy, said, “The Royal Marines Band Service is considered to be one of the finest in the world. How fitting then that a piece of the finest historic ship in the world should feature inside the drum. HMS Victory is often used as a stunning backdrop for its music and we are honoured that she should be remembered this way”. Keith Keough, CEO of the British Drum Co., added, “As the CEO of the British Drum Co. - a UK manufacturing company that’s only just over three years old - I am incredibly proud to be able to launch the Regimental Series. Every single member of the BDC team has put their heart and soul into this project and the Marines’ overwhelmingly positive reaction to our drums has been a validation of our drum-making expertise”.

Nearly 3 years after launching the British Drum Co. their Marching Division has announced Jim Kilpatrick MBE as their International Marching Specialist. Kilpatrick, who was awarded an MBE in 2004 for ‘services to music’, has won the World Drum Corps Championships an unprecedented 19 times, including a run of 11 consecutive titles, a record that still stands. Kilpatrick has also won the World Solo Drumming Championships a record 16 times. Pictured (left to right): Stu Warmington (Marching Division Manager); Jim Kilpatrick (International Marching Specialist); and Keith Keough, (CEO, British Drum Co.) The British Drum Company, which launched in September 2015, was founded by master drum maker Keith Keough; Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews; top-level marching specialist Stu Warmington; product designer Alan Kitching; and award winning comedian and drum enthusiast Al Murray, aka The Pub Landlord. The ranks expanded when in 2017 The Verve & Charlatans drummer, Pete Salisbury, joined the company. Commenting on Kilpatrick’s appointment, Marching Division Manager Warmington said, “When we started the company it was my dream to bring on the top professionals in their relevant fields and when it came to the pipe band world there was no one better qualified for the job. To actually have Jim join the company is a great day for the British Drum Company.  The expertise and knowledge he brings to the company is second to none and we relish the opportunity of working with him” Kilpatrick’s reply, “I’m thrilled to join the British Drum Company team, a company that has the most talented people in the industry with a deep commitment to excellence. When I look at the British Drum Company, I see a company that has already made a huge mark on the global Drum Kit market and I’m excited about many of the things in the Marching and Pipe Band range that we’ll be working on together in the near future”. Keough added “Stu has been working hard behind the scenes on our Marching Division and signing Jim is a significant point in the company’s history. We are proud to have the most successful pipe band drummer of all time join our team and it is an honour to be working alongside him”.