What encouraged you to get into drumming?
I’ve always enjoyed music. Growing up around my dad playing Phil Collins, The Pogues, that kind of music, so I was soaking that stuff up. Originally I wanted to play the piano. I don’t know why but I think it was because my friends were playing it so I thought it was cool. I quickly decided I didn’t like playing the piano but realised that the keyboard had a drum setting on it, so I started playing keyboard drums originally which is weird! That was about 25 years ago now.
I then built a kit out of flowerpots in my parents shed. I had a workbench and started hammering in some plant pots, then got a garden cane, sawed it in half and made two drumsticks out of it. For cymbals I had some shovels hanging off some nails and they made the ‘tinky tunky’ sort of noise that emulated a ride or hi hat. I was away on that, playing basic rhythms and I think my parents were like ‘lets just buy him a drumkit and see what happens’ and 25 years later there’s not been a day where I’ve thought about quitting. I’ve always played. I’ve played something every day since I started.