Doug

Doug Ashcraft seems to be the only normal member of this band, sporting two actual names that he claims are his own. He started playing with Goztnotes for a month or two but got a little too busy playing three set gigs with several other Bay Area bands for actual money. When Gozstnotes changed magically into Groove Alchemy, Doug was the first drummer who came to mind as he was already deep into our catalog, knew most of what we were playing and we needed someone to help keep our feet firmly tapping a pulse on the dance floor.

Doug brings deep New Orleans grooves into the Funk side of our material from his time playing with Swamp Voodoo and everything from Surf with the Gnarly Men, rock with Not the Hoople and other bands such as Chris James & the Showdowns, Damn Liars, Little Buffalo and Blind to Reason. He is also not afraid of diving into Afro Cuban (from his time sitting in playing congas) and killing it with John Bonham’s double-kick rhythms.

Once he learned Groove Alchemy’s arrangements and the band began moved into the serious collective improvisation sections of the material (technically called “Making Things Up”) Doug seemed to prefer keeping a sane, supportive groove going, as someone needed to stay on the Dance Planet to keep things from going “a bit too far” but as time went on he now joyfully engages in the same explorations the rest of the band seems to continue to make, keeping the performances fresh and yet not losing that essential beat driven groove so the dancers “just won’t hide.”