Paul Tomson-Gap Rating 4/10

He is the drummer of Glaswegian band Franz Ferdinand.

Thomson has always been interested in music, able to play various instuments such as guitar, keyboard and bass guitar.

During the early '90s he was drummer of The Yummy Fur and was at one point part of The Purple Bajengas and Pro Forma. It was in The Yummy Fur Thomson would meet Alex Kapranos Huntley. When The Yummy Fur broke up, Thomson had various odd jobs, DJ-ing, working as a nude model at the Glasgow School of Art, and had once become so desperate for money he sold fat from his buttocks for £250 in order to pay his rent.

In 2001 Thomson joined Franz Ferdinand, orginally playing guitar until he was switched to drums (only on the condition that he wouldn't be hidden by his drumkit) and also does backing vocals.

Thomson currently resides in London with his wife Esther (lead singer of Cash Machine and DJ). Together they DJ as Polyester.

His record label NEW! (which started in 2005), only releases material on 7" vinyl singles.

As a drummer, Paul would at first be viewed (at first glance) as a simple drummer with the goal of keeping 4/4 time with his (one could say, his trademark beat) basic beat of alternation between Hi-hat and Snare with a pounding bass drum. This is not correct for the following 3 reasons (each being a paragraph). It is extremely easy to believe, but on studying Pauls drumming slightly more intrensically one will notice that every "trademark beat" is slightly varied (never the same). Eg 40", Outsiders, Do You Want To and Take Me Out are all simular beats, but certainly not the same (eg extra hi-hat taps and bass drum hits, varied dynamics and dramatised accents, tambourine replacement, rim shots, etc). This technique is quite special for a drummer, and is particularly noticeable at live performences, making such songs more unique, defined and more exciting with little recognition (as they are generally slight changes).

Though also not realised, Paul is very successful in making the most out of his drums, getting several distinct sounds out of just one drum. More noticeable in live performences, paul performs this technique (almost becoming one with his drums) successfully on cymbals and drums in Thisd Fire (mainly when live), on the floor tom in Shopping For Blood and Love And Destroy, and the rack tom in Outsiders. On CD, this is more noticeable on the album You Could Have It So Much Better, on the track What You Meant. This skill would possibly have been vital for Paul previous to the end of 2005, when Paul did not use rack toms so he would not be hidden (thus needing to make the most out of only 3 drums).

Finally, Paul has a strong right hand in drumming. This is not noticeable on recording, and one would assume Paul is simple using both hands in drumming when doing fast fills, etc. But in live performences his actual drumming techniques are revealed. Eg A section with a fast snare riff in Jacqueline is actually played with only the right hand (this cannot be interpreted from recordings). Outsiders, Auf Achse, and Shopping For Blood also demonstrate a particularly strong right hand in drumming.