Matt Brann

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Matt Brann

Matt Brann was born on 14th November, 1980 and hails from Ajax, Ontario. He was past Avril Lavigne's drummer and previously held position of drummer of high school bands Second Opinion and Norman.

He started playing drums when he was 12, but it wasn't until when he attended Exeter High School that he started to play in a band called Second Opinion along with a few school friends (including Jason "Cone" McCaslin from Sum 41) at the age of 14. They played together for about 5 years around their local town and outside of Toronto. When he was about 19 he joined another band from Toronto called Norman, but unfortunately, Matt quit after about a year as they never really got along.

Then luck struck at 2002 when a friend of his who was on the same management as Avril Lavigne had gotten signed and needed to put a band together. Matt called Lavigne's management Nettwerk and they flew him to New York to meet her. He auditioned for the role of the drummer and successfully became part of Lavigne's band.

As Avril Lavigne's drummer, he performed at many different venues, including London Astoria and attended numerous award shows. But when asked what his most memorable moment of his career was so far, he said it was having the honour of playing "Fuel" at the MTV Icon Metallica Tribute. Brann grew up listening to and playing Metallica so the honour of having Metallica sitting in the crowd while he and the rest of Lavigne's band played their song was, in his own words, "wow".[1] As well as a being a drummer, he is also a song writer. He, along with now ex-bandmate Evan Taubenfeld, co-wrote "Freak Out" with Lavigne in her second album "Under My Skin".

After being in the eighteen-month Bonez world tour with Lavigne, which started in September 2004, he, along with the rest of the band, took a well-earned break while Lavigne pursued an acting career. During this time, Matt went back to the studio and worked with various Canadian bands such as The Operation and The New Cities with their albums.

[edit] Charity Organisations

Matt has been known to be involved in several organisations, most notably for his support for Autism Ontario - Durham Region. During the Toronto concert on 15th July 2005, , he displayed the Autism Ontario - Durham Region logo on his bass drum to raise more awareness about the charity. He is also a supporter of animal-rights organisation PETA. In 2005, he donated autographed drumsticks to benefit PETA’s “Kentucky Fried Cruelty” Campaign. The donated drumsticks were up for auction with proceeds helping PETA make Kentucky Fried Chicken face the music and eliminate the worst abuses that chickens endure on factory farms.[2]

[edit] Trivia

He plays with custom DW Drums and Zildjian cymbals and uses Vic Firth drumsticks.
He is the only member of Lavigne's current band that was in the original line-up.
He went to high school with Deryck Whibley and Cone from Sum 41 and is very close friends with them presently.
He appeared in the video of "Makes No Difference" by Sum 41.
He has been previously romantically linked to heiress Nicky Hilton, and singer Michelle Branch
He was a snowboarding instructor before joining Avril's band
He was thanked in the albums Detox by Treble Charger and Chuck by Sum 41
As well as being a drummer, he also plays guitar and bass guitar
He is a vegetarian.
He is known for wearing only boxers while drumming during Avril Lavigne's "Try To Shut Me Up" tour.