Doc MacNab

Doc MacNab is a Greensboro, NC-based reliable, flexible and personable drummer. With many modern rhythms and classic styles, Doc brings a youthful exuberance to today’s music. Inspired by drummers like Jeff Porcaro (Steely Dan) to Omar Hakim (Sting), Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews) to Paul Leim (Shania Twain), Doc also adds his personal touch to lay a solid foundation to any song. Doc is a touring and sub drummer supporting country artist, Ryan Daniel. Doc MacNab delivers a polished and efficient experience to the music and can be relied on to energize the band and the audience. Doc delivers what’s called for: whether it’s being on time for a show (yes, some drummers can be on time) or being prepared for the studio, Doc’s overall professionalism, proficiency and musicality makes him an asset to many projects. Hungry for new and different experiences in music, Doc is willing to work with almost any budget to fulfill the dream of playing and recording full-time. Doc MacNab received the nickname, "Doc" while serving the nation as a medic in the Army. MacNab spent a total of 9 years, under 4 US presidents, earning many awards and respect for his actions and knowledge. Beginning his career, Doc was one of the first paratroopers to jump with the 37th Airborne Engineers. As part of his airborne duty, Doc worked with the JFK Special Warfare School in the SERE division and deployed to hot spots in the Western Hemisphere during the Cold War with special forces, the engineers, artillery and infantry. MacNab was the 2nd Infantry Division commander's personal medic at Camp Red Cloud, Korea and even rejoined the Army in 2004 after being out over 10 years. Doc never was in the Army band, but he performed in Korea with Broken Wings, a DoD MWR-sponsored band who played festivals all over the Southeast Asian theater. To the troops, though, MacNab was always "Doc": quick with a joke, precise with needles and always there to lend comfort and preserve the fighting strength. Doc lives the Special Forces medic's creed to this day: "First I will do no harm."

International touring artist.

Doc MacNab, like most modern players, owes a lot to the people who came before him. Being a fanatic music lover, Doc loves "anything that doesn't suck." His varied playing style borrows not only from other drummers, but also other instrumentalists and vocalists as well as producers, albums and even books. This list is not only a list of Doc's favorite to listen to, but stylistic influences on Doc's drumming. Here is a short list of Doc's Top Tens: Top 10 Drummer Influences and Inspirations Vinnie Colaiuta, Teddy Campbell, Bun E. Carlos, Steve Gadd, Omar Hakim, Manu Katche, Jim Keltner, Stanton Moore, Jeff Porcaro, Bernard Purdie Top 10 Bassist Influences and Inspirations Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Geddy Lee, Tony Levin, Christian McBride, John Myung, John Patitucci, Chuck Rainey, Sting Top 10 Guitarist Influences and Inspirations Ace Frehley, Bill Frisell, David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Howe, Denny Jiosa, Alex Lifeson, Steve Lukather, Rick Nielson, Steven Rothery Top 10 Keyboardist Influences and Inspirations Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Donald Fagan, Darryl Hall, Kenny Kirkland, Trent Reznor, Jordan Rudess, David Sancious, Rick Wakeman, Richard Wright Top 10 Producer Influences and Inspirations Terry Brown, T-Bone Burnett, Trevor Horn, Rboert "Mutt" Lange, Daniel Lanois, Steve Lillywhite, George Martin, Eddie Offord, Hugh Padgham, Rick Rubin Top 10 Male Vocalist Influences and Inspirations David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Johnny Hartman, Terry Kath, Brendan Perry, Robert Lamm, Frank Sinatra, Sting, Joe Strummer, Rachid Taha Top 10 Female Vocalist Influences and Inspirations Lisa Gerrard, Lady Gaga, Debbie Harry, Billy Holiday, Chrissie Hynde, Annie Lennox, Aimee Mann, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Nicks, Bonny Raitt, Ann Wilson Top 10 Percussionist Influences and Inspirations Alex Acuna, Mino Cinelu, Luis Conte, Pete Escovedo, Evelyn Glennie, Trilok Gurtu, Jamey Haddad, Giovannia Hildalgo, Pete Lockett, Airto Moreira, Tito Puente, Paul Wertico Top 10 Band Influences and Inspirations Chicago, Dead Can Dance, Ned's Atmoic Dustbin, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Propaganda, Rush, Simple Minds, Steely Dan, Toto, Yes Top 10 Songwriter Influences and Inspirations Jackson Browne, Leonard Cohen, Kris Kristofferson, John Mellencamp, Seth Peagler, Gordon Peterson, Robbie Robertson, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Hans Zimmer Top 10 Recorded Albums Influences and Inspirations 3D (Jing Chi), Aja (Steely Dan), Big Harvest (Indio), John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman), Octavarium (Dream Theater), Robbie Roberston (Robbie Robertson), Signals (Rush), Ten Summoner's Tales (Sting), Toward the Within (Dead Can Dance), Us (Peter Gabriel) Top 10 Author Influences and Inspirations Ken Follet, Frederick Forsythe, Thomas Friedman, William Gibson, HP Lovecraft, Tim O'Brien, Rainer Maria Rilke, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, JRR Tolkein, Alan Watts

Pearl drum sets, Ludwig Black Beauty, Tama and Longo custom snares, Paiste and Zildjian cymbals, Roc n Soc seats, SKB cases, LP percussion, Remo heads, Vic Firth sticks, Audix microphones

What It Meant to be a Soldier; What It Means to be a Veteran Doc served as a soldier medic in the US Army twice, from June 1986 to October 1993 and again from December 2003 to August 2004. He served under 4 US presidents, operated in 4 countries overseas and got to help a lot of people. That was his job as a medic: supporting the main mission. It still is, as a drummer: supporting people. Doc got to do a lot of cool stuff, from an operational and medical standpoint: he jumped out of airplanes into foreign countries, rappelled, fired weapons, operated heavy construction equipment and walked... a lot! Medically, he set up small attachment medical treatment facilities, made water drinkable, treated medical emergencies like burns, wounds and set broken bones and above all, helped save some lives. The medics' creed was "To Conserve the Fighting Strength." The combat medic's job was to treat soldiers' wounds (physical, emotional and even spiritual) and return them to duty. It was nearly always successful to do so. By nature of their training, soldiers, sailors and Marines are toughened from day one, and their job is to wage war first and hlep friendly populations second. So-called "peacetime" missions existed during the Cold War, where the US military aided third-world countries in the creation of roads, airports, schools and community centers. Doc was part of this mission to bolster and create infrastructure. Being a medic to a small community of farmers went a ling way toward building bridges to mutual cooperation and respect. Doc earned his nickname by being the medic, first for a group of builders called airborne engineers, then later: for Special Forces, the field artillery, and the infantry. Medics have been called "doc" since their inclusion in regular fighting units for nearly a century. The doc is responsible for wound treatment, physical care in hostile climates, emotional care under the stresses of combat and survival and as a morale boost; soldiers always know they are going to be safe if they have a doc they can trust. Trust is earned and it is a sentiment Doc MacNab has earned with every group of men he has served with. From the easy tasks of handing out cold medicine or malaria pills, to administering the immunizations needed to deploy overseas, to holding a critically-wounded soldier's head in his hands until the morphine took over, each of these tasks not only come with the job, but take a special breed of man to pull off genuinely and without a desire for reward. As a veteran, Doc MacNab is involved in giving back by volunteering with veterans' groups, teaching at-risk youth remedial reading and math skills, as well as serving as an officer with the Percussive Arts Society. Doc MacNab's chosen charity is VH1's Save The Music Foundation because, not only was Doc a beneficiary of a public music education, he also knows that the arts are facing funding cuts on a terrible scale. Since art and creativity cannot often be measured in points on a test, school and government administrations often devalue their inclusion in school curriculae as unmeasurable and unimportant. Doc is also involved in helping the Veterans' Administration hospital systems improve their quality of care and addressing many of its antiquated and ineffective systems in providing even basic care to vets. Doc wants to also advocate for vets in music, asking the musicians out there to be proud of their service. Doc often wears shirts bearing military patches: most often ones that he has worn himself and also ones he wears in honor of others as long as the nation is engaged in conflict. There is an old saying that people at home will burn a candle in the window until their soldier comes home. Doc's wearing of patches on his shirts on stage and in photos is to honor the courage of the men and women of all nations engaged in conflict around the world. Support of the USO is important to Doc as well. As a soldier, he had spent many days and nights in USO clubs around the world, as well as attending USO-provided entertainment shows. Doc likes to work with the USO by going on tour with bands to rear and forward US and NATO bases, providing entertainment to the men and women in uniform, currently serving abroad.