Matt Tong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matt Tong
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Tong in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Matthew Chee Hung Tong |
| Born | 29 April 1979 |
| Origin | Bournemouth, Dorset, England |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
Matthew Chee Hung Tong (born April 29, 1979) is a musician from England. He is famous for being the drummer of the band Bloc Party for many years, from 2002 to 2013. Since 2015, he has also been a member of the band Algiers.
Early Life
Matt Tong was born in Bournemouth, England. His mother is British, and his father is Malaysian. He loves football and supports the Bournemouth F.C. team.
Music Career
Matt Tong joined the band Bloc Party in 2002. He was the ninth drummer to play with the group.
In 2006, Matt had a collapsed lung and had to go to the hospital. Because of this, Bloc Party missed some concerts. In 2009, Matt mentioned he might want to try something new, as the future of Bloc Party was uncertain.
Matt left Bloc Party in 2013, after recording four albums with them. The band's lead singer, Kele Okereke, later said there were some problems between them. Matt confirmed he left the band because of a disagreement.
Other Music Projects
After leaving Bloc Party, Matt Tong worked on other music projects. In 2015, he played drums on the album Permanence for the band No Devotion. He also formed a band called L'Amour Bleu, using the name "She-Tong." He then started another band called Red Love with producer Alex Newport, and their first album came out in 2017.
In 2015, Matt joined the band Algiers. He started as a touring drummer and then became a full-time member of the band.
In 2022, Matt played drums on the song "Frankenstein" for Rina Sawayama's album Hold the Girl. Rina asked producer Paul Epworth to help get Matt to play on the song. Rina Sawayama said Matt was an inspiration to her as another Asian artist in music.
Drumming Style
Matt Tong has described his drumming as sometimes "sloppy" with keeping time. He designed the drum parts for Bloc Party's album Silent Alarm to switch between fast and slow parts. This helped him get a physical break during performances. Matt said he wasn't very athletic, so drumming could be very demanding for him. When playing live, he often changes his drumming speed based on how the crowd reacts.
Personal Life
Matt Tong has lived in New York City since 2010.
He married Brooke Vermillion in 2006. She was a DJ who toured with the musician Kindness.
