Paul
Paul Almazan became interested in music it seems straight out of the womb. He started of trying to learn the banjo at the age of four but because of the long neck and a shortage of instructors he started piano lessons shortly after. He played piano for the next nine years before he purchased a drum set from his cousin for his thirteenth birthday. A year later he started to teach himself guitar from books, friends, and guitar tabs. At sixteen he started playing with his first band Ritual Obscenities, an Eagle Rock based punk and thrash band. The band introduced him to the Hollywood music scene playing such places as the Anti-Club and the Coconut Teaser. After the band broke up he was recruited to play drums for Fire Engine Red a punk band that already had a long history but found a new breath of life when they recruited like minded individuals such as Paul Almazan (drums) and Kevin Childress (bass). While still playing for Fire Engine Red he started playing with a group of friends.
Paul had been heavily influenced by East Bay band Operation Ivy and the new ska sounds coming out of Orange County California. As this new band formed the founding four members sought to emulate this sound and recruited four more members to form Sampo. Sampo gave Paul his first chance to write music for a band. He contributed not only chord structures and melodies but also lyrics and horn arrangement. In his studies Paul had switched from fine arts in college to music were he learned music history, composition, and became a vocal major. Sampo also gave Paul his first taste of success by getting air play on FM radio, headlining the Whiskey in Hollywood, opening for bands such as Reel Big Fish, Five Iron Frenzy, and POD. He also was given the opportunity to record in the legendary studio of Total Access where his musical heroes Sublime had once recorded.
After Sampo had defunct Paul spent a few years jumping in and out of projects. He played in a jazz combo, R&B with a singer songwriter, and even tried his luck at playing guitar but nothing seemed to have the right feel or success. In 2001 he answered an ad in Lake Ave. Church’s classifieds looking for a drummer where he joined up with Eddie Negrete. After a failed attempt with a band called One Less Hero they recruited Richard Pettys and Eric Glenn and formed Media Orphan. After a year or two with this line up bass player Eric Glenn was replaced with Dave Johansen to form the second incarnation of Media Orphan. After numerous other lineup changes including three lead singers you find the Media Orphan of today.
Paul plays on a mid 80’s Gretsch USA Custom drumset. 16x18 bass drum, 14x14 rack tom, 16x16 floor tom, 16x18 floor tom, 8x14 Gretsch snare. He occasionally will switch in a Pearl 5x14 Chad Smith Signature snare.
Paul plays on Zildjian Cymbals: 14” A custom high hats, 16” Z custom rock crash, 18” A custom Projection crash, and a 21” A series sweet ride. He uses a Tama Iron Cobra, a Tama straight stand and snare stand, Sound Percussion heavy duty boom stands and throne, and a Gretsch stand for his rack tom. SKB cases and Vic Firth 3A sticks.
