Pen Portraits of band members

Roy Arbuckle

Derry City Co Londonderry

Singer, songwriter, rhythm guitar, lambeg, bodhran.

"Roy has a voice you could take a bath in" O.R.Melling - Irish Times

People with long memories will remember Roy from his early days with showbands and in the 70's with folk band Chaff. He moved to North America in 1978 and toured extensively with Fiddlers Elbow and later The Rambling Boys of Pleasure.

Roy returned to his native Derry in 1985 and as well as performing solo became involved with many community arts and community development projects around the North West of Ireland. After spending some time at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland he became a founder member of the Meitheal Trust, a holistic community based in Donegal.
He conceived and founded Different Drums in 1991 as a community relations project and has led its development since.

He was member of the N.Ireland Advisory board of BBC Children in Need and is involved with several community projects in the area of Community Relations, Integrated Education and Peace Building.

Currently he also works with the Holos Project, a healing and personal development training organisation operating in the border counties.

In 2003 he graduated from the University of Ulster with an M.Sc. in Professional Development Within the Community and still gets no respect from his children John, Robert, James and Emma. His wife Martina thinks he is God.

Stephen Matier

East Belfast

Bodhran, lambeg, darbuka, bones, cajon, vocals, various percussion

Stephen is one of the founder members of Different Drums and has been involved in Music for most of his life. He is a native of East Belfast and has lived in Belfast for the last 10 years after spending time in England and Derry. He began playing music as a schoolboy in a variety of rock bands, most notably the band that went on to be known as Ghost of an American Airman He then found the blues with Noella Hutton. Since being involved in Different Drums Stephen has been exploring the roots of Irish and world music and has interests in Middle Eastern and American roots music.

Since teaming up with Roy in 1992 Stephen has informed the work of Different Drums and been instrumental in developing the educational and workshop aspects of the band. He has a history in community development work having worked in the Citizens Advice Bureau (a free legal advice Centre) for 10 years and is currently involved in facilitating percussion workshops in North Belfast, with a view to opening a cross community percussion school. He currently works as manager of the Shankill Citizens Advice Bureau and hopes to develop the musical infrastructure around the area.

Stephen has an avid interest in Integrated Education (educating children of all faiths and none together) and is a governor of Millennium Integrated Primary School, which he has been involved with since 1998.

Dolores O'Hare

Mayobridge Co Down

Multi-instrumentalist playing Uillean (elbow) pipes, Whistles, Fiddle, Button and Piano Accordian and Bodhrán.

Dolores comes from Mayobridge in County Down an area steeped in music which has also produced the renowned Sands Family. She is a talented teacher, her pupils achieving great success in the Ulster and All-Ireland Fleadhs.

Dolores has also performed with Inchiquin and balances her time with Different Drums with bringing up Shiofra, Caolan and Che.

Paul Marshall

Originally Belfast, now Bangor, Co Down

Bodhrán, Lambeg, Longdrum, Snares, Drumset, Djembe, Pelodrum, Doumbek, Frame Drums, Wooparine, Vocals, Bronze Horn, Native American Flute, Stuff.

Paul is a multi-percussionist, sound artist, sound designer, instrument designer, composer, artist and sculptor. He works with Stomp as an instrument design consultant.

Paul has been with the Different Drums line up since 2002 and brings a wealth of experience having played drumset for 35+ years and hand percussion for 25+ years. Paul manages most of the band media and website. He also has experience in music & video technology skills, audio recording, editing and production, foley, video recording, editing and production, as well as studio and live sound production.

Paul's business BingBangBong designs and creates instruments and inventive sound artefacts for outdoor sound play areas and sensory spaces. Apart from sheer fun these spaces provide an opportunity for musical, educational, social and cognitive development for children and adults.

Richard Campbell

New Buildings, Co L'Derry.

High Tension Snare, Djembe, Long Drum, Bodhran and Lambeg

Richard has been guesting with Different Drums for the past few years and joined the band permanently in early 2005. He has been playing drums since childhood and is the fourth generation of a family of pipers and drummers. Richard learned his snare drumming with Bready Ulster Scots pipe band from Co. Tyrone which took second place in the 2004 World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland. He is a founder member of ‘Caledonian Connection’, a contemporary expression of the Ulster-Scots musical tradition. Richard is also an exponent of the Lambeg drum which is unique to Northern Ireland. The Lambeg has deep connections with the 400 year old Fife and Drum tradition which still flourishes in Northern Ireland and America and has influenced the Fife and Drum Blues style in Mississipi. Richard's snare drumming is inspired by the 14 times world champion Jim Kilpatrick.