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 on April 29, 1979, is a talented British musician. He is famous for being the drummer of the band Bloc Party from 2002 to 2013. Since 2015, he has been a member of the band Algiers.
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Early Life and Background
Matt Tong was born in Bournemouth, England. His mother is British, and his father is Malaysian-Chinese. He grew up supporting his local football team, AFC Bournemouth.
Music Career Highlights
Matt Tong joined Bloc Party in 2002. He was the ninth drummer to play with the band.
In November 2006, Matt had a health issue while on tour. He had a collapsed lung and needed to go to the hospital. This meant Bloc Party had to miss a few shows.
Matt left Bloc Party during their summer tour in 2013. He had recorded four albums with the band. The band's lead singer, Kele Okereke, mentioned that there were disagreements and tensions within the band. In 2022, Okereke said he didn't want Tong or bassist Gordon Moakes in his life anymore. Moakes also left Bloc Party in 2015. In 2024, Matt Tong said he and Okereke had not spoken since he left the band. He confirmed he left Bloc Party by email due to disagreements.
Other Music Projects
After leaving Bloc Party, Matt Tong continued to play music.
- He played drums on No Devotion's first album, Permanence, in 2015. He helped finish the last four songs on the album.
- He also played drums in a new band called L'Amour Bleu. He used the name "She-Tong" for this project.
- Matt also formed a band called Red Love with producer Alex Newport. Their first album came out in 2017.
In 2015, Matt Tong joined the band Algiers. He started as a touring drummer and later became a permanent member of the band.
In 2022, Matt played drums on the song "Frankenstein." This song is from Rina Sawayama's second album, Hold the Girl. Sawayama asked producer Paul Epworth to get Matt to play on the song. Epworth had produced some of Bloc Party's albums. Rina Sawayama said Matt was an inspiration to her as another Asian artist in music. Matt played with such energy that his hands were very tired after the recording.
Matt Tong's Drumming Style
Matt Tong has described his drumming as sometimes "sloppy" with keeping time. He designed the drum parts on Bloc Party's album Silent Alarm to switch between high and low energy. This helped him take breaks during performances. He mentioned that he wasn't very athletic, so drumming at high speeds could be challenging. When playing live, he often changes his drumming speed based on how the crowd reacts.
Nick Reilly from NME magazine praised Silent Alarm. He said that Kele Okereke's singing was perfectly supported by Matt Tong's powerful drumming.
Personal Life
Since 2010, Matt Tong has lived in New York City.
In 2006, Matt married Brooke Vermillion. She was a touring DJ for the musician Kindness.
