Andy Strachan
Encyclopedia
Andrew Douglas Strachan (born 20 August 1974) is the drummer
of Australian rock
band; The Living End
.
in Adelaide and went on to study Natural Therapies for 3 years. Prior to The Living End
, Andy worked in hospitality
doing restaurant work.
At age 15, he began playing drums in an Adelaide
band called The Runaways, playing covers of mostly '50's and 60's songs - similar to fellow band mates Chris
and Scott
's previous band named The Runaway Boys. He later moved to Melbourne with mates Paul Inglis and Toby Martin in the band Poxsii Barccs. After appearances on Pot of Gold and Red Faces
and a lot of busking the band broke up due to lack of support.Together with John Baxter formerly of Holocene and Denny Brereton he formed Melbourne rock trio Alcotomic 1996. Paul Inglis joined in 1998 and the band folded in 2001 after releasing 1 self titled EP and 2 Singles.
Andy was introduced to The Living End
in 2002, after a recommendation by a mutual friend of his and Scott
's, upon the departure of previous drummer Travis Demsey
. Andy's first feature release with The Living End
was the One Said To The Other
EP, followed by Modern ARTillery in 2003.
His hobbies include surfing, cooking and the art of coffee making.
He also has a tambourine mounted above the floor toms during the "The Ending is just the Beginning Repeating" tour.
He uses Vic Firth
drumsticks (size 1A).
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
of Australian rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band; The Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
.
Biography
Andy started drumming at the age of 12, and is self-taught.He graduated year 12 at Aberfoyle Park High SchoolAberfoyle Park High School
Aberfoyle Park High School is one of the largest public secondary schools in South Australia. Its facilities include the Community Library, Performing Arts Centre, Gymnasium, and the Information and Communication Technology facilities...
in Adelaide and went on to study Natural Therapies for 3 years. Prior to The Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
, Andy worked in hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
doing restaurant work.
At age 15, he began playing drums in an Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
band called The Runaways, playing covers of mostly '50's and 60's songs - similar to fellow band mates Chris
Chris Cheney
Christopher John Cheney is the guitarist, main songwriter and lead vocalist in the Australian rock band, The Living End. His trademark guitar is a Gretsch White Falcon and he uses mainly distortion and modulation effects...
and Scott
Scott Owen
Scott Bradley Owen plays the double bass in the Australian rock band The Living End. After playing the piano for many years, he decided that the keys would not work for a rockabilly band, so at age 17 he purchased and taught himself double bass, letting him play rockabilly with best friend and...
's previous band named The Runaway Boys. He later moved to Melbourne with mates Paul Inglis and Toby Martin in the band Poxsii Barccs. After appearances on Pot of Gold and Red Faces
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
and a lot of busking the band broke up due to lack of support.Together with John Baxter formerly of Holocene and Denny Brereton he formed Melbourne rock trio Alcotomic 1996. Paul Inglis joined in 1998 and the band folded in 2001 after releasing 1 self titled EP and 2 Singles.
Andy was introduced to The Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
in 2002, after a recommendation by a mutual friend of his and Scott
Scott Owen
Scott Bradley Owen plays the double bass in the Australian rock band The Living End. After playing the piano for many years, he decided that the keys would not work for a rockabilly band, so at age 17 he purchased and taught himself double bass, letting him play rockabilly with best friend and...
's, upon the departure of previous drummer Travis Demsey
Travis Demsey
Travis Demsey was the former drummer for The Living End from May 1996 to Feb 2002.He had envisioned being a drummer since his youth, eventually The Living End's big break fulfilled his dream. Being part of the Living End, he was able to visit sick children. One certain child was particularly close...
. Andy's first feature release with The Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
was the One Said To The Other
One Said to the Other
"One Said to the Other" is a single by The Living End. "One Said to the Other" and "What Would You Do?" featured on this EP were recorded in 2002, before the Modern ARTillery sessions....
EP, followed by Modern ARTillery in 2003.
His hobbies include surfing, cooking and the art of coffee making.
Equipment
Andy's drum kit setup generally stays the same, although the skins appear to change regularly.- PearlPearl DrumsFounded in 1952, the is a multinational corporation based in Japan with a wide range of products, predominately percussion instruments.-History:Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa, who began manufacturing music stands in Sumida, Tokyo on April 2, 1946...
Masterworks Series Drums & ZildjianAvedis Zildjian CompanyThe Avedis Zildjian Company is a cymbal manufacturer founded in Istanbul by Armenian Avedis Zildjian in the 17th century during the Ottoman Empire. At nearly 400 years old, Zildjian is one of the oldest companies in the world...
Cymbals: - Drums
- 13x8" Tom
- 16x14" Floor Tom
- 18x14" Floor Tom
- 24x14" Bass Drum
- 14x6.5" Snare
- Cymbals - ZildjianAvedis Zildjian CompanyThe Avedis Zildjian Company is a cymbal manufacturer founded in Istanbul by Armenian Avedis Zildjian in the 17th century during the Ottoman Empire. At nearly 400 years old, Zildjian is one of the oldest companies in the world...
- 15" K Light Hi Hats
- 2x 19" A Custom Medium Crash
- 19" K Custom Hybrid Crash
- 21" A Sweet Ride
He also has a tambourine mounted above the floor toms during the "The Ending is just the Beginning Repeating" tour.
- Drum Heads - RemoRemoRemo is a male given name of Latin origin - see Romulus and Remus.Remo may also refer to:* Remo, an American drum skin company* Remo , another name for the German wine grape Riesling* Remo language, a Panoan language of Brazil and Peru...
- Toms: (13", 16", 18") Coated Emperors (top)
- Bass Drum: (22") Powerstroke 3 (back)
- Snare: (14") Emperor-X (top)
He uses Vic Firth
Vic Firth
Vic Firth is an American musician and is the founder of Vic Firth Company , a percussion stick and mallet manufacturing company that he started in 1963. The company bills itself as the world's largest manufacturer of drum sticks and mallets...
drumsticks (size 1A).
Trivia
- The correct way to pronounce Andy's last name is "Strakkan", rather than the common pronunciation of "Strawn"
- Andy won the 2006 Jack AwardJack AwardsThe Jack Awards are a set of popularly-voted Australian music awards, sponsored by Tennessee whiskey company Jack Daniel's. The awards were conceived by Damien Wilson, former creative director of Peer Group Media to create a national platform that rewarded all areas of Australian live music, from...
for the AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's Best Drummer category - Andy started playing drums at age 12, after an unsuccessful stint with the violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
for two weeks. - He has also played in the bands Social Insecurity, Alcotomic, Violeteen and Pollyanna.
- Has been introduced by Chris Cheney as "Andy 'Big Balls' Strachan: By name and nature"
See also
- The Living EndThe Living EndThe Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
- Scott OwenScott OwenScott Bradley Owen plays the double bass in the Australian rock band The Living End. After playing the piano for many years, he decided that the keys would not work for a rockabilly band, so at age 17 he purchased and taught himself double bass, letting him play rockabilly with best friend and...
- Chris CheneyChris CheneyChristopher John Cheney is the guitarist, main songwriter and lead vocalist in the Australian rock band, The Living End. His trademark guitar is a Gretsch White Falcon and he uses mainly distortion and modulation effects...
- Joey Piripitzi
- Trav Demsey