Drumming it Home
Fight Like Apes is one of the most strident musical acts to emerge from Ireland in recent years. They featured in NME’s ‘New Bands You Must See’ list, and their music has been described as the ‘Perfect synth driven bass-throbbing heart-swelling indie pop’ by Organ Magazine. Apes irrepressible Drummer, Adrian Mullan, described by Hot Press magazine as a ‘veritable powerhouse of a tub-thumper’ is taking a short break from the road.
We are sitting in Adrian’s new home in North County Dublin; the sun shines across the terrace and in through open doors. Neighbours saunter on the lane and a welcome warm breeze sweeps in bringing promise of summer. Adrian, complete with rock star Mohawk, is relaxing on his couch. He is refreshingly honest and affable answering each question with a smile or a laugh, often hearty sometimes bellowing. He is thoughtful, reflecting his enjoyment of life and where the first part of this creative journey has taken him.
When it came to drumming, Mullan, now 31, was a late bloomer. “I got a Hohner percussion kit worth £200 when I was 18. I set it up, hit it and thought, right, that’s actually what that sounds like then. I didn’t touch the drums again for another year. I couldn’t play and didn’t want to make a fool of myself!” he recalls. He bumped into some friends who were starting a band. Adrian had drums, it seemed sufficient qualification, in truth his only qualification and being able to play, well, that would have to come later.
The band, which Adrian cites as “a direct rip off of their interpretation of a cross between Bush and The Smashing Pumpkins” practiced every weekend over the course of two months, shaping up to play gigs on the Dublin pub scene. Even if their performing zenith was a humble one to two gigs per year, the experience gave Mullan a taste for performing. “We played in a place called Frazer’s just off O’Connell Street. We ended up firing our bass player because he was arsing about, so it was guitar and drums, way before the White Stripes” he laughs. “Initially I was struck by the feeling; let’s just get through this gig. It felt so good the minute we got off stage and it was over. But I loved it!” Admitting it was just nerves, he insists it’s only a matter of time before a band loosens up. “You really get over it quickly. But those first couple of gigs, I mean, I see bands now and I see the look of fear in their eyes and I think ‘Yeah I remember…I remember all too well!”
The band played together for another five years before parting ways, setting Mullan up for his next musical endeavour. “There was a new band looking for a drummer, so I ended up trying out for them and we had a little thing going for just over a year” he says. A clash of personalities involving the lead singer and the rest of the band resulted in a split, leaving the four remaining members. And just like that, Fight Like Apes was born. Consisting of Mary-Kate ‘MayKay’ Geraghty (vocals and synth), Jamie ‘Pockets’ Fox (keyboard and vocals), Tom Ryan on bass and Adrian Mullan on drums. The name itself, ‘Fight Like Apes’ was purloined from a friend of Jamie’s, who was setting up a band himself, but decided on a different name. “Jamie suggested the name to us and we all thought it was pretty good” says Mullan. “It’s from the movie, Planet of the Apes, where some character demands that the apes attack the humans, and he shouts out; now, fight like apes!”
Three months after the foursome started playing as Fight Like Apes, they had their first gig. Adrian recalls “It wasn’t a bad first gig but it wasn’t amazing either. It got us a second gig though, which is always good, and the second got us a third and a fourth and so on. They all cascaded into each other; it was a very natural process.” The popularity of the band grew rapidly due to their ability to leave the crowd entertained and bemused. They caught the eye of Detroit band, The Von Bondies, “They found us on MySpace and we ended up going on tour with them. They were absolutely great. We got on really well as we gave them their space. I think they respected us for that. We’re still friends to this day and I’d easily go stay with them in Detroit.” says Mullan.
Adrian smiles with the mention of touring. Admitting that living out of a suitcase is his favourite element of being in the band, it is clear he enjoys every minute of visiting different cities and playing some of Europe’s most popular festivals. “I absolutely love it. Some bands don’t like being on the road so much, but I do, it’s great. I could be away for six weeks at a time, but don’t unpack because I could be off again in another week. Festivals are fantastic as well. You arrive; get your slot, which gives you time to go see other bands. You don’t necessarily get to do that if you’re a headline band because you’re too busy warming up to check out the other acts.”
Adrian has played in his fair share of places, including the US, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, but his favourite city is Bristol, in the UK. “Bristol I loved. It surprised me. There’s a really good vibe in the place. It seems to be a college town. We played the Louisiana in Bristol, a tiny place, but when it’s jammed full of people, it’s great.” he laughs. “We also played another venue there; it was a large converted boat, accommodating 800 people. You go down to the docks, into the boat and it’s literally the length of the hold!”
Being on stage has presented Mullan with some humorous moments. From kits falling apart on stage, broken drum sticks, shattered snare drums and floor toms resting on beer crates; these experiences were a small price to pay for the chance to tour with some of the biggest names in the music circuit. Fight Like Apes supported We Are Scientists, The Ting Tings, Kasabian, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Prodigy, the latter Adrian notes as one of the strangest crowds to play for. “I was watching from the side with their manager looking down into the crowd. There was this serious biker-metal guy, covered in tattoos, late forties, early fifties. And there’s a lad right beside him, in a hoodie and anorak, with his face falling apart because he’s so out of it on drugs” he recalls. “Any other time of the year, the two of them would kill each other. But at that point in time, they were having a ball!”
As support to the Prodigy, the Apes had to warm up the audience filled with metal-heads and chavs. These stereotypical individuals were less than enthralled with the Apes during the first couple of shows, but Mullan saw the funny side. “The first night we played some slower songs. Not a good idea!” he smirks. “The next night was a bit better, but we were getting pints thrown at us the entire gig! There was a serious queue for the bar and the pints weren’t cheap, so we must have really been bad at that point!” he says. Needless to say, the show must go on. The foursome gave it their all and kept on playing. “The last night we decided to not give a crap, so we went out there, stormed all the songs and they responded. Half liked us, half hated us but no pints were thrown that night! It was great craic.”
Adrian’s love of music and performing has taken him a on an exciting journey, yet his friendly demeanour is still very much intact. He is unfazed, modest and appreciative of it all. He talks about playing a venue, ‘El Paradiso’ in Amsterdam where fans were wearing Fight Like Apes t-shirts, singing along to the songs. “We had never even been there before. It was totally bizarre but fantastic all the same!” he says with a smile. His aspiration and focus on drumming is impressive, a far cry from the days of adolescence. “I’ll always be drumming. Any jobs I have had revolved around drums. Anything that was going, I’ve done, all to get a wage packet to enable me to move on musically.” This has certainly worked for Mullan, progressing from an amateur Hohner kit to Pearl Masters, an impressive kit he has played for a number of years; still drumming his way to the top.
Adrian talks of self-education, which doesn’t seem to cut it at his level of ambition. “With drums, like everything else, you can only get so far on your own. But to advance and really work up a technique, you need guidance from someone who knows what they’re doing. I want to get back into education with it” he says. Adrian’s next step is to enrol in Drumtech, a contemporary drum college located in London. “It looks great. I’ve been to open days, but with the band being so busy lately I couldn’t commit to it fully. I really want to elevate my playing!”
To do what you love is the greatest of gifts. Mullan has matured into an accomplished drummer with the humility to know there is more to learn. He relishes the challenge. We look forward to his next adventure in music, and you can be sure he will do it to the beat of his own drum.
FACT: Coffee tastes better in a cat mug.