Back in 2016 I was approached to design the branding for a completely new music show in the UK. My client was looking to start, what is know as today, as The UK Drum Show. A huge event that started in Manchester but moved to Liverpool in 2022. It’s a 2 day packed event with drummers from all over the world coming to see their idols play and see all things new in the drum world.
Now I am going to level with you dear reader – I can’t play any musical instrument at all! I tried the violin, the recorder and the clarinet but I am far more useful with a pencil than a piccolo! However, I have come to see my outsider position on such a passionate and enthusiastic hobby to be my strength. I have worked in the musical instrument industry long enough to know what a whammy bar or wah-wah pedal is but I couldn’t play them well even if I tried! I am a non-participating enthusiast!
At this point in my career I had been designing logos for mostly dairy brands and distributors but this was a great opportunity to get stuck into something far more fun… and on a much bigger scale. I can’t really remember my process from 2016 but it was probably on bits of paper which have long since been lost. I use a sketchbook now precisely for this reason!
I used Affinity Designer to create the final logo which was used between 2017 – 2023 for the shows in Manchester and Liverpool. It was used on everything from the website to digital displays, banners to printed merchandise. I have visited the show 3 times and I never stop being in awe of seeing my designs on the drum stages and t-shirts people are wearing. I love it!
At the end of 2023’s show, the organiser wanted to revisit the logo and try something new. This was an opportunity to really get into the workings of the brand and the community. We spoke about why the show was created, who it was for and the generations it served. We spoke about the educational side of the business too, the passing down of knowledge to youngsters and their role within the industry. Some of this conversation was sparked by the idea to create a stage for under-18s to play on and thus the Main Stage Mini was born. At next year’s show (2024) there will be children playing the drums to the audience and from what I’ve seen so far – they are already incredibly talented!
One thing I noticed at 2023’s show was the connection between the artists and the visitors and the “rock on” hand symbol. A universal bond between musicians and very common in heavy metal bands. It influenced my design in the new logo which now features a more edgier look and the ‘W’ holding the stick like the hand symbol. I wanted to keep it subtle but fun. Keeping the drumstick was more important than the drum shape itself as people brought (or often bought) drumsticks at the show so that they could test out new kit.
I made 3 variations of the logo (primary, secondary, small scale plus a favicon) and some animated GIFs for social media use. I can’t wait to see it at 2024’s show! Tag me on social media if you see it in the wild! @nicolerugmandesigns