Boom Dang
It`s so loud that you can hear them coming from miles away and that is the appeal. Audiences can’t help but dance, nod their head and clap their hands when Boom Dang The Band play their bold, funky rhythms on their distinctive bright green drums – this is what carnival music is all about.

Boom Dang is the collective name for a band of young carnival drummers making a name for themselves all over the UK. The group is in demand, with a busy schedule of international gigs and performances.

Boom Dang play complex rhythm sequences with seamless transitions into different tempos and levels of intensity. The whole performance is visual and the routines incorporate sidestepping, jumps and pivots. There are also accompanying bells, high-hats and cymbals all specially adapted as attachments to the drums.

Boom Dang was created by Therese Johnston and Dan Fox who designed the concept and designed and manufactured the drums. The project is run in collaboration with The Sage Gateshead.

Boom Dang is part of CoMusica – one of 22 Youth Music Action Zones set up in areas of social and economic depravation across the country. Each zone is a consortium of non-profit making music projects targeting 0-18 years olds who might otherwise lack opportunity.

Instruments
The drums are designed and manufactured by Hands On Rhythm. They are unique to the company and there are no other Boom Dang bands in existence.

The drums are lightweight and come in four sizes. They have two skins. One skin is low, the other high to give two sounds when played – a boom and a dang.

The Music
The music is all completely original and the influences range from Hip-Hop, Funk and Drum & Bass to Merengue, Arabic and Indian Dhol.

Performances
The band have an international reputation after completing three summer tours.

Gigs 2004:

• CoMusica Stockton Gathering
• Barcelona Young Person’s Music Festival
• Barcelona – Alella Fireshow
• Garden Of Delights, Manchester
• Dalton Carnival
• Youth Music’s The Big Gig, Symphony Hall, Birmingham
• Murray Park School, Derby
• Ulverston Carnival
• Staveley Carnival
• Baltic Square, Gateshead

Gigs 2002/2003:

• BBC Music Live - Gateshead
• Royal Gala Performance - Newcastle City Hall
• Liverpool's World Street Music Festival
• Garden of Delights - Manchester International Arts
• Ulverston Carnival
• Carlisle Carnival
• Blackpool Puppet Festival
• Workington Carnival
• The Platform - Morecambe
• Stockton International Street Arts Festival - Stockton
• The Sun Café Bar - Lancaster
• CoMusica Whole Network Gatherings - Brampton, Hexham, Gateshead, Newcastle
• Newcastle New Years Eve 2002 - Newcastle

The Bigger Picture
Boom Dang is part of a bigger network of projects called CoMusica, managed by The Sage Gateshead. The large network of musicians support each other, share ideas, plan new events, share music and form collaborations with other projects.

Boom Dang recently had a residential in Keswick at Newlands Outdoor Activity Centre, Stair. A collaboration was formed with CoMusica Westricity - an electronic project in West Cumbria, managed by Altar Native, working with DJ's and bands. Two new pieces of music were written, rehearsed and recorded by Boom Dang, a rapper, a DJ, a bass guitarist and a rhythm guitarist. This was then performed live at a network gathering in Stockton University. Being part of the network gives the band more opportunities to travel, perform, record, see other musical acts, meet young people on other CoMusica projects and make their ideas come to life.

Future Plans
Hands On Rhythm is currently running a Studentship Programme. It enables young people to learn the skills to become music leaders. When the young people are 18 years old they can then apply to do a traineeship with The Sage Gateshead.

The young people have run workshops in schools and led our beginner bands. They will be the Boom Dang leaders of the future.

The band is currently fundraising to enable them to travel and perform in Barcelona in 2005.