Dominic Howard
Encyclopedia
Dominic James "Dom" Howard (born 7 December 1977), is the drummer for the English rock band Muse
.
, Greater Manchester, in England. When he was around 8 years old he moved with his family to Teignmouth
, a small town in Devon
. He began playing drums at about the age of 12, when he was inspired by a jazz
band performing at school. .
Howard's first band was named Carnage Mayhem, which he was in at school. Meanwhile, he befriended Matt Bellamy
, who played guitar but did not have a stable band. Not long after, Bellamy was faced with the chance of entering Howard's band. After two years of drop-outs after Bellamy suggested that they write their own songs, only Howard and Bellamy remained. Chris Wolstenholme
, who played drums in "Fixed Penalty", then entered the scene and with a great "spirit of sacrifice" he began to play bass.
In the first months of 1994 Gothic Plague was born, followed by Rocket Baby Dolls and then finally Muse.
. Just after their performance finished, Bill died from a heart attack. The band then cancelled other shows including an Italy tour and Roskilde Festival
. The band released a statement "In this dreadfully difficult time, we request that the privacy of Dom's family and friends is respected".
In a session where he and Bellamy answered questions from fans, Howard stated that the celebrity, alive or dead, he'd most like to meet is Jimi Hendrix
. He has a dog named Hendrix, named after Jimi Hendrix
.
On 26 September 2008, Howard, along with Bellamy and Wolstenholme, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts
from the University of Plymouth
.
He has stated on the French programme Taratata
that he is living in Nice
, France, and is currently single.
, and uses a custom finished kit by the brand. However, he has used a set of orange and red Ludwig Vistalites in the USA cut of the Stockholm Syndrome music video, while a clear set of Vistalites is seen on one of the background images of Muse's official site. As of 2009, Dominic appears to be using DW Drums. His new kit is maple with VLT (Vertical Low Timbre) shells and reinforcement rings in a custom finish. All of his recent appearances in support of the new album "Resistance", Howard can be seen using Drum Workshop kits. All of his drum sets are left-handed.
Some of his past drum sets include:
cymbal
s. Over the years his tastes in cymbals have changed – for example, on the Hullabaloo DVD he uses 13" A Custom Projection hi-hats, 8" A Custom splash, 11" FX Oriental "Trash" Splash, 18" and 19" A Custom Crashes, 18" FX Oriental China Trash and a 22" K Custom Ride, whereas more recent performances have seen the addition of a 20" Escalade Rim as a cymbal, hung above his hi-hats, and the discontinued 14" K Custom Special Dry Hi-Hats to replace – and contrast – the A Customs. Lately the A Custom splash has been changed out in favour of an 9" A Splash. He has discontinued using the Crash Of Doom as of the Black Holes period, and now uses a 22" K Custom Ride in live situations (and for recording). Also in 2006, at the Quart festival, he is seen in a picture at www.muse.mu using an 24" Escalade rim as a Cymbal on his right stand.
For recording he uses darker K Custom Zildjian Fast and Dark crashes while he often uses the brighter A Customs in live performances for their increased "cut" (K Customs were used at Live 8, Abbey Road Session, Royal Abert Hall, and so on).
. The hickory TX101W Dom Howard wooden tipped drumstick is 16" (40.64 cm) long and is 0.571" (1.45 cm) thick with an olive tip.
and Aquarian drum heads. At Hullabaloo his toms have clear Remo Emperor batter heads while the Black Beauty snare has an Aquarian Hi-energy batter head. His Ayotte kick has a Remo
Powerstroke 3 batter and the Starclassic snare usually has either coated Emperor or coated CS dot heads.
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
.
Early life
Howard was born in StockportStockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, Greater Manchester, in England. When he was around 8 years old he moved with his family to Teignmouth
Teignmouth
Teignmouth is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon, situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign about 14 miles south of Exeter. It has a population of 14,413. In 1690, it was the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power...
, a small town in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. He began playing drums at about the age of 12, when he was inspired by a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
band performing at school. .
Howard's first band was named Carnage Mayhem, which he was in at school. Meanwhile, he befriended Matt Bellamy
Matthew Bellamy
Matthew James Bellamy is an English musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, pianist, and main songwriter of the alternative rock band Muse.-Early life:...
, who played guitar but did not have a stable band. Not long after, Bellamy was faced with the chance of entering Howard's band. After two years of drop-outs after Bellamy suggested that they write their own songs, only Howard and Bellamy remained. Chris Wolstenholme
Chris Wolstenholme
Christopher Tony Wolstenholme better known as Chris Wolstenholme, is an English musician and the bassist and backing vocalist for the English rock band Muse...
, who played drums in "Fixed Penalty", then entered the scene and with a great "spirit of sacrifice" he began to play bass.
In the first months of 1994 Gothic Plague was born, followed by Rocket Baby Dolls and then finally Muse.
Personal life
In 2004, Howard's father, Bill Howard, came to watch Muse's performance at Glastonbury FestivalGlastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
. Just after their performance finished, Bill died from a heart attack. The band then cancelled other shows including an Italy tour and Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
. The band released a statement "In this dreadfully difficult time, we request that the privacy of Dom's family and friends is respected".
In a session where he and Bellamy answered questions from fans, Howard stated that the celebrity, alive or dead, he'd most like to meet is Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
. He has a dog named Hendrix, named after Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
.
On 26 September 2008, Howard, along with Bellamy and Wolstenholme, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts
Doctor of Arts
The Doctor of Arts is a discipline-based terminal doctoral degree that was originally conceived and designed to be an alternative to the traditional research-based Doctor of Philosophy and the education-based Doctor of Education . Like other doctorates, the D.A. is an academic degree of the...
from the University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth
Plymouth University is the largest university in the South West of England, with over 30,000 students and is 9th largest in the United Kingdom by total number of students . It has almost 3,000 staff...
.
He has stated on the French programme Taratata
Taratata
Taratata is a French TV show showcasing live and pre-recorded footage of current rock acts. Presented by Nagui since its début in 1993, the show was initially shown on France 2. This show often involves surprise and unlikely duets, as well as brief interviews with the artists...
that he is living in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France, and is currently single.
Drum kits
Howard is known to be an endorser of DW DrumsDrum Workshop
Drum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
, and uses a custom finished kit by the brand. However, he has used a set of orange and red Ludwig Vistalites in the USA cut of the Stockholm Syndrome music video, while a clear set of Vistalites is seen on one of the background images of Muse's official site. As of 2009, Dominic appears to be using DW Drums. His new kit is maple with VLT (Vertical Low Timbre) shells and reinforcement rings in a custom finish. All of his recent appearances in support of the new album "Resistance", Howard can be seen using Drum Workshop kits. All of his drum sets are left-handed.
Some of his past drum sets include:
- Blue sparkle Starclassic Maple kit with chrome hardware (destroyed at the conclusion of the 2001 Origin of SymmetryOrigin of SymmetryOrigin of Symmetry is the second studio album by English alternative rock band Muse, released on 17 July 2001 by Taste Records. In the UK it reached #3 and was certified platinum. The title for the album comes from a concept put forward by Michio Kaku in his book Hyperspace.On Origin of Symmetry,...
/ Dead Star/In Your World EP support tour, as seen on "Hullabaloo" DVD). - Grey kit (unknown composition) with chrome hardware (as seen on the "Top Of the Pops" live performance and recording of Origin Of Symmetry). Its fate is unknown.
- Blue sparkle Starclassic Maple kit with chrome hardware (used during 2002 tour and Absolution recording). Its fate is unknown. At least one rack tom survived until 2003 as it was used at the Grouse Lodge sessions of the Absolution recordings.
- Silver sparkle Starclassic maple kit with chrome hardware (as seen in music videos for Hyper Music, Feeling Good, Plug In Baby and Dead Star).
- Custom chrome finished Starclassic Maple kit with black nickel hardware (as seen on the Absolution TourAbsolution TourAbsolution Tour is a live video album by English alternative rock band Muse. Released on 12 December 2005, the DVD release documents the band's performance at the 2004 Glastonbury Festival...
DVD). At least four different instances of this kit have been acquired and subsequently destroyed by the band at the end of live shows, at the conclusion of the Earls Court 2004 performance, at the 2004 Glastonbury FestivalGlastonbury FestivalThe Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and on two other occasions. - Crystal ice (transparent) Starclassic Mirage kit with white powder-coated hardware. This Kit was donated to OxfamOxfamOxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
in help of the 2010 Haiti earthquake2010 Haiti earthquakeThe 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
. (During the last show of the Black Holes and Revelations tour, at V festival, Howard used this kit but with the standard chrome hardware). - He has also played a Starclassic Bubinga kit supporting My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
in Williamsburg USA. - For recording he has used a blue DWDrum WorkshopDrum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
kit. - During 3 songs (Soldier's Poem, Unintended, Blackout) at the band's performance at Wembley Stadium he used a Vintage Gretsch Jazz Kit in a Champagne Sparkle Finish.
Cymbals
Howard uses a selection of ZildjianAvedis Zildjian Company
The 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...
cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s. Over the years his tastes in cymbals have changed – for example, on the Hullabaloo DVD he uses 13" A Custom Projection hi-hats, 8" A Custom splash, 11" FX Oriental "Trash" Splash, 18" and 19" A Custom Crashes, 18" FX Oriental China Trash and a 22" K Custom Ride, whereas more recent performances have seen the addition of a 20" Escalade Rim as a cymbal, hung above his hi-hats, and the discontinued 14" K Custom Special Dry Hi-Hats to replace – and contrast – the A Customs. Lately the A Custom splash has been changed out in favour of an 9" A Splash. He has discontinued using the Crash Of Doom as of the Black Holes period, and now uses a 22" K Custom Ride in live situations (and for recording). Also in 2006, at the Quart festival, he is seen in a picture at www.muse.mu using an 24" Escalade rim as a Cymbal on his right stand.
For recording he uses darker K Custom Zildjian Fast and Dark crashes while he often uses the brighter A Customs in live performances for their increased "cut" (K Customs were used at Live 8, Abbey Road Session, Royal Abert Hall, and so on).
Drum sticks
Howard has made his own signature series drumstick with Pro-MarkPro-Mark
Pro-Mark is a Houston, Texas-based American drumstick company owned by founder Herb Brochstein. It is a widely known stick company generally played in drum set, drum and bugle corps and concert bands.-History:...
. The hickory TX101W Dom Howard wooden tipped drumstick is 16" (40.64 cm) long and is 0.571" (1.45 cm) thick with an olive tip.
Drum heads
Howard uses an assortment of RemoRemo
Remo 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...
and Aquarian drum heads. At Hullabaloo his toms have clear Remo Emperor batter heads while the Black Beauty snare has an Aquarian Hi-energy batter head. His Ayotte kick has a Remo
Remo
Remo 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...
Powerstroke 3 batter and the Starclassic snare usually has either coated Emperor or coated CS dot heads.