Empty Vessels......?

Having raised the topic of "drummahs" I thought I would run this one past you as "footie" drew a blank!

At the tender age of about ten Mr.D, my bruv borrowed a drum kit from a bloke across the road and set it up in our parents bedroom. I can still remember it was a red sparkly kit, old and battered. I fell in love for the first time!

Having a bruv seven years older than yourself has its advantages and disadvantages.

The biggest disadvantage was that it wasn`t until I was about 16 that we realised we were the best of friends - because the age difference didn`t align unil then.

The biggest advantage was that musically he introduced me to bands that were way above my age/peers so instead of being into bands like Status Quo, I was listening to Cream!

As such my interest in music (which was already quite well developed due to the sixties and having the benefit of the older sibling,) suddendly went into warp factor 3.

I could list endlessly the great amount of "drummahs" I like but have decided to limit it to 5 - and I will age myself by doing this.

In decending order but with no disrespect:-

Bonzo Bonham - Led Zeppelin - simply the best bass drum you will ever hear.
Carl Palmer - Emerson Lake & Palmer - technically and creatively unsurpassed - so fast, so tight
Topper Headon - Clash - maybe not the best drummah in the world, but the drummah of the best live band I ever saw.
Ginger Baker - Cream - technically superb, unbelievable coordination and so much soul. He was the first beatmeister I ever proprley listened to and was fortunate to see him perform live (when overly indulgent drum solos were cool!)

And the King!

Moonie!

God, if I can come back to this world at a later stage please give me this talent.

I conviced my poor parents that this was a serious hobby and as such they bought me a battered old kit! - I can still remember dragging my dad out into the countryside on a Friday night (which meant he sacraficed a few beers with his mates,) to buy this thing. It was awful - but I loved it.

I therefore locked myself away for the next four years and listened to Moonie and taught myself how to play. Quadrophenia is the only album to learn the drums to, and it still gives me a buzz now!

I "met" the man only once, when the Who made "Tommy" the film in the mid Seventies. ( I will tell more on another blog entitled "my claim to fame")

Many scenes were recorded in and around Portsmouth and one of the scenes, where Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton, cross guitars, admitting disabled people onto an altar which has a panoramic picture of Marilyn Monroe behind it, was shot 50 yards from our house in the disused Marine barracks church.

I bunked off school and spent the day watching the Who, Clapton etc filming. I sat on a church pugh talking to Townshend, who was brilliant, and he let me strum his guitar.

But Moonie and Clapton were "out of it" - and to a 15 year old he was too scary to approach - so I missed my chance to speak to my idol!

It doesn`t matter. He inspired me so much through his playing and that was enough.

I believe no-one has or ever will better his playing, - so much energy, so much emotion, so much talent!

Thanks Bruv for borrowing that kit!