When a youngster, my Grandad Green spoke to me of the time he was working at the Coventry Theatre. Not sure what he said his job was at that time. Not highfalutin in uppity levels because he was a youngster. I don’t like to peg him down as a broom pusher at that moment in his youth. Or similar. But maybe it was his role. His way of getting some pocket money. Only guessing here, because I did similar. I used to clean windows, as a teenage school kid, on an estate in Bedworth, in order to get enough money to buy my desired Beatles and Tyrannosaurus Rex (early Marc Bolan) vinyl albums. Cycle for the 10 miles to and 10 miles back from those cleaning rounds every weekend. Saturday and Sunday full day rounds because myself and two of my school mates were decent window cleaners and the word spread. Tile Hill to Bedworth and back for a couple of years. Work ethic? If it’s in the genes! It exists. I believe, family wise, we were a hard working bunch overall. We all worked diligently for our living life ethically. On Mum’s side….Grandad Green alongside Grandma Green, and my Dad’s parents, Grancher and Grandma too, were all troopers. And that extended to my own parents. And, I believe, Ad Infinitum to the generations of our families that follow.

Anyways. Grandad Green was in determined and reflective mode. He told me that a ‘big band’ came to play at the Coventry Theatre back in his youth. He was stage present and, looking on, was fascinated with the drum playing. The drummer, noticing his interest, called him over. ‘You seem interested in the drums. Have a go young lad’ he said. Paraphrasing here…..but words to that effect. Grandad Green, after applying drum sticks to drum skins felt elated. He told me that the drummer told him that he was a natural. Asked him if he wanted to play drums he could accompany them on tour to develop skills. I believe my Granddad told him of his young age, the impossibility of the scenario….. and that was that. No drumming since that scenario. If a musician recognises ability? They do encourage and do not keep their mouth shut. Music playing is a gift. And, if recognised, is always encouraged.

He told me this story because I had told him that my brother Kev, I discovered, was a natural drummer. Grandad Green told me to encourage him. I am certain that he knew of his own dreams and wanted Kev to become the dream that he himself had not realised. I loved Grandad Green. On reflection? He was actually a very, very special man. And so….Kev played alongside me in a band called The XCerts. Kev? An amazing drummer. And for myself, a Bass Guitar player to play alongside a natural drummer……a brotherly dream duo.

I often wonder if he hadn’t died at such an early age of 21, if he would still be willing to play alongside me now and contribute to my songs. Now that I am writing and recording new songs, I need such influences. Because, I truly believe that he may also, even now, add ideas and lyrics and melodies of his own. He also had the songwriting capabilities too. We played and recorded his song contributions in the XCerts’ scenario.

Why wonder regards his early demise? Why would his originality make a difference? Because I bought an electronic Yamaha drum kit to play and add to my recordings. Playing the kit…..I fail. Miserably. I basically want to include originality. I certainly struggle through playing the 6 string guitar parts, but do get simple and adequate results. The keyboard melodies are simple melodic single notes, but add to each song, again, adequately. I also still feel comfortable playing and adding Bass still. Even though revisiting Bass nearly fifty years later. But drums! I do not have Grandad Green’s genes. Kev took the lot. Kev, aka Zero Summers, was a left handed guy who just picked up drum sticks and played amazingly from the word go. Simply put, and as I keep saying…a natural.

Why write this? Because I am tired of using the GarageBand library drums to give me the only source to allow the drums’ additions for my songs. I want change. So. I bought the Yamaha DD65 kit in order to give me the chance to give my songs some originality drum wise.

Trouble is…….I ain’t Kev. But. I can try and bring down his energy from the heavens above and channel the results. Or. Another Kev may come into the equation and hauntingly push my songs in to better places. Fingers crossed.

I can maybe now do this? Yes. But the Natural? It may be weaker than the GarageBand techno perfection. But. Hands playing their own heart felt rhythms? Far better than the unnatural sterility of modern easy land.