Taking the Black

May 6th – Just have a think before you answer; which band, if you could have the choice, would you want to be a member of, in what capacity…and why? 

Not as easy as it sounds. I mean, do you go for longevity, popularity, out in a blaze of glory lifestyle, quality, the number of top-ten hits, the number of world tours, the number of lines of coke and groupies consumed…? OK, OK, skip that last…sexist, unnecessary and cheap (much like me)…sorry…but that sort of gives you an idea of the things to be considered. You thought of one yet? 

OK, to get you started, here’s mine and the reasons. 

I think I’d like to have had the opportunity to play drums in AC/DC. I thought, at first, it would have been The Who…still not 100% sure. I mean, I'd like to have Won't Get Fooled Again played at my funeral (and I'd also like to have the inscription ‘THERE WAS NO TALENT TO HIS END on my tombstone). I only have to watch or listen to Young Man Blues (I've put a link for you to see what I mean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EJdcFbTJUo if you don’t goose-bumps at least once in the video you’re probably dead; me? I watch it and I’m ‘in the band’). Their energy, showmanship, commitment...all reminds me very much of my time doing it; we were very much a full-on band too. The Who's musical cannon of a pop/heavy mix was sometimes bordering on the twee so not all of their stuff appeals but by and large their set was one that charged along, a challenge to both technique and stamina for any drummer. Could I have taken Moon’s place? In my prime, yup, no doubt about it…no competition ‘cos, as you all well know, the older I get the better I was.

However, AC/DC’s set is full-on, heads-down, take no prisoners rock ‘n’ roll with a bit of blues thrown in for good measure and, although The Who had the better bass player, IMHO, Angus Young is a better lead guitarist…no, not better, that’s unfair; he couldn't play what Mr. Townshend plays and vice versa, each lead guitarist suited the band they were/are in so… what I would say is that Mr. Townshend was a better showman but Young has better lead-break virtuosity…oh, WTF, it’s all semantics anyway.

Given that AC/DC is the band I’d probably WANT to be the drummer for, is there a band I wouldn't want to be drummer for? Well yes, and it’s got nothing to do with their musical ability, in fact I rate them very highly. It’s the other rate that bothers me; the rate they get through drummers – 8 up to the present time, although The Who made a start, so... Anyway that coupled with the number of band personnel who failed to make 60 years – 7 up to the present time – makes being drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd a truly short term contract; and yet… It might be worth the risk just to play Freebird with them… wouldn't it?