Neil Sanderson

Neil Sanderson
Background information
Birth name	Neil Christopher Sanderson
Born	December 17, 1978 (1978-12-17) (age 32)
Origin	Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Alternative metal, post-grunge hard rock
Occupations	Musician, drummer, percussionist, composer, vocalist
Instruments	Drums, vocals, cajon, djembe, piano
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Jive
Associated acts	Three Days Grace, Groundswell, Thousand Foot Krutch
Website	www.threedaysgrace.com
Notable instruments
Yamaha Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Mountain Rhythm Djembes

Neil Christopher Sanderson is the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the Canadian band Three Days Grace.^[1] He cites his influences as John Bonham, Danny Carey and Stewart Copeland.^[1]

Early years

Neil Sanderson was born on December 17, 1978. Sanderson took up the piano before he started school.^[1] He had an avid interest in music and worked with different instruments while he was in elementary school. He became enamored of drums during this time^[1]

He entered the Norwood, Ontario high-school in 1992,before that he attended Adam Scott C.V.I high school in Peterborough Ontario, and met Adam Gontier, both of them were in Grade 9. With bassist Brad Walst, they practiced writing and playing instruments. With Phil Crowe and Joe Grant, they created the band "Groundswell". Sanderson was also the drummer for the band Thousand Foot Krutch^[2] from 1996 to 1997.

Groundswell reformed as Three Days Grace in 1997.

Success

Under the name "Three Days Grace" the band played various concerts and locations in Toronto and eventually signed a recording contract with the American label, Jive Records.^[1][3][4]

The band's first album, the self titled Three Days Grace, was released in 2003. Three singles from the album, "I Hate Everything About You", "Just Like You", and "Home" became hits, each reaching #1 on the US Rock Charts. This album has been certified "Platinum".^[1][4]

The band released a second album, One-X in 2006.^[4][5][6] That album reached fifth place on the Billboard Album Chart.^[1] Three singles from that album "Animal I Have Become", "Pain", and "Never Too Late" also reached first place on the US Rock charts. This album has also been certified "Platinum".^[1][7]

In 2006 Three Days Grace won an American Billboard "Song of the Year" award.^[1]

In 2006, Three Days Grace served as the opening act for the Rolling Stones in Saskatchewan. Three Days Grace has toured in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Europe, and Japan.^[1]

Speaking of the bands comeback from problems in 2007 (when a band member spent time in rehab^[4]) Sanderson said, "Now it's all about maintaining that communication, and it makes [touring] so much easier and a so much more enjoyable experience."^[8]

Sanderson was thrilled by the success of Three Days Grace. Speaking in Greensboro, North Carolina during their 2008 tour, he said: "We get to blow stuff up onstage now. We like to put in as much production and lights as we can. The seizure factor has gone way up."^[9] Speaking of the band's move to larger playing sites, he continued "It's great to be able to see everybody in a smaller place. But the same people who were there in the early days are still there for us."^[9] Speaking of fan response to album songs, he said: "[W]e also play a lot of album tracks, and the crowd sings along just as much for those. These days, you have to make an awesome album. I think we're getting back to where people want to hear real stuff, since so much is contrived these days."^[9]

In 2009 the band released the album Life Starts Now. It was initially listed at number three on the Billboard album chart.^[5][6][7]

Equipment

Sanderson, has over the years used yamaha drums, sabian cymbals and vic firth sticks

Drums:

Yamaha PHX Finish: textured black sunburst

• 24"x17" Bass Drum (Evans EQ3 Bass Head)
• 12"x9" Tom (Evans G2 Clear)
• 16"x16" Floor Tom (Evans G2 Clear)
• 18"x16" Floor Tom (Evans G2 Clear)
• 14"x6.5" Mike Bordin Black Lacquered Copper Snare ( Evans 14" Super Tough Snare Head)

Cymbals:

Sabian

• AA Medium Hi-Hats 14"
• HHX Evolution Splash 10"
• V-crash 17"
• V-crash 18"
• APX Splash 10"
• APX Solid Crash 18"
• HHX Legacy Crash 18"
• AA Chinese 18"
• AAX Stage Crash
• HH Raw Bell Dry Ride 21"
• APX Chinese 18"

Drum sticks:

• Vic Firth Danny Carey

Critical reaction

Sin Lucas, writing in The Silver Tongue said "It’s hard to pick a highlight ... but the drum solo by Neil Sanderson was nothing short of spectacular."^[10] A reviewer for Electric City wrote of Sanderson's "impressive chops and accuracy."^[11] But Nikki M. Mascali of The Weekender wrote of the same performance "Though an interesting concept, it was an unnecessary lull in the show."^[12]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} "Neil Sanderson: Biography". SABIAN Ltd.. 2008. http://www.sabian.com/EN/artists/Neil_Sanderson.cfm. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
2. ^ "Thousand Foot Krutch: Biography". Last.FM. 16 Sep 2009. http://www.last.fm/music/Thousand+Foot+Krutch/+wiki. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
3. ^ Malachowski, David (February 4, 2010). "Three Days Grace keep fame in perspective". Times Union (Albany, NY: Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation). http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=896570&category=ARTS&TextPage=1. Retrieved 26 February 2010. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Jordan, Mark (February 22, 2008). "Small-town angst fuels Three Days Grace's lyrics". DeSoto Appeal. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/Feb/22/small-town-angst-fuels-three-days-graces-lyrics/. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Mascali, Nikki M. (February 2, 2010‎). "Three Days Grace Goes Raw". Times Leader -- Weekender (Pennsylvania). http://www.theweekender.com/music/Three_Days_Grace_goes_raw_02-02-2010.html. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Franklin, Kelly-Ann (‎February 11, 2010‎). "Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace and FlyLeaf to bring their alternative sounds to the Sun". Norwich Bulletin (Norwich, CT: GateHouse Media). http://www.norwichbulletin.com/entertainment/x228082039/Breaking-Benjamin-Three-Days-Grace-and-FlyLeaf-to-bring-their-alternative-sounds-to-the-Sun. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Tuni, Walter (January 31, 2010‎). "Three Days Grace has a more upbeat outlook these days". Lexington Herald-Leader (LexGo online supplement). http://www.kentucky.com/2010/01/31/1118601/on-a-higher-note.html. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
8. ^ Sculley, Alan (March 13, 2008). "Musical grace period: Bands on the rise after rocky beginning". Evansville Courier & Press (Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group). http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/mar/13/musical-grace-period/. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
9. ^ ^{a b c} "Three Days Grace bounds towards bigger venues". The Flint Journal. March 20, 2008. http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/flint/index.ssf/2008/03/three_days_grace_bounds_toward.html. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
10. ^ Lucas, Sin (February 24, 2010). "Live Show Review: Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and FlyLeaf at James Brown Arena". The Silver Tongue. http://thesilvertongueonline.com/?p=9888. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
11. ^ Ear Full (11 February 2010). "A Graceful Evening". Electric City (Scranton, PA: Times-Shamrock Communications). http://www.ecweekend.com/arts/story.asp?id=50407. Retrieved 26 February 2010. "drummer Neil Sanderson had the stage and the audience to himself for a five-minute solo which started with a keyboard/sampler segment followed by an intense drum solo on a riser which turned 360 degrees displaying Sanderson’s impressive chops and accuracy." ^{[dead link]}
12. ^ Mascali, Nikki M. (February 8, 2010‎). "Three Days Grace's night of highs and lows". Times Leader -- Weekender. http://www.theweekender.com/music/REVIEW__Three_Days_Grace_rsquo_s_night_of_highs_and_lows_02-08-2010.html. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 

Persondata
Name	Sanderson, Neil
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 17, 1978
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death