A VALE drummer is powering his band towards success in the music scene in Dumbarton and the Vale and the surrounding area. Darren Spence, 18, from Rosshead, drums for Simple October a band formed by his friends Shane Ferguson and Calum Lamond.

The former Vale of Leven Academy pupil, joined the band in November of last year and says the band experience has helped him as a drummer.

He told the Reporter: "It's the first gigging band I've been in, within a few months of joining we'd already played some. I usually play more heavy metal style music whereas this band plays blues rock so it's helped my drumming grow.

"I've played drums for about five years, I had an interest in it and then we got the chance to play in school and I realised I was good at it." Since the band formed in 2012, the lads have played top city venues such as The Garage, Ivory Blacks, The Art School and the Classic Grand.

On Friday, the band played a gig at Alexandria's 321 club which saw their brand of vintage blues licks go down a storm.

Darren continued: "It's been quite surprising so far when we've been playing, a lot of people have came up at the end of our shows and said they'd come and see us again.

"Hopefully, in the next few months time we'll be able to move on further afield and play some gigs in different places in the country than what we're used to." Darren, who is going to study drumming at college next year, got into the band through Shane, a fellow pupil at Christie Park Primary School. Shane is one of Darren's musical inspirations, after he overcame a childhood hearing problem - Craniosynostosis - which has left him partially deaf in his left ear.

Darren added: "He inspires me to push myself further, it's just amazing what he's capable of, you would never be able to tell that he has the condition because he's such an amazing band member to play with." You can follow Simple October at www.facebook.com/simpleoctobermusic and on Twitter - www.twitter.com/SimpleOctober.