The demonic grin beaming through those flashing cymbals and thunderous drums. The thrashing bass drum tearing wallpaper from the walls, and causing glass in windows to uncommonly ‘bulge’.

With influences coming firmly from the rock world, there’s no doubting what this guy has fun playing!!

Having started with music at early secondary school, following brief flirtations with brass instruments and choirs (scary thought I know), one day at the age of 14 this fantastic thing arrived, a real drum kit!! With it came the opportunity to start lessons, with swift progression via the tutelage of Brian Stone, he quickly progressed initially via the school concert band and soon after into the Shropshire Youth Concert Band and Orchestra, this led to various tours across Europe.

At the age of 16 now having reached Grade 8 on drum kit and having been asked to become an inaugural member of the Shropshire Schools Percussion Ensemble (now known as ‘Brian Stone’s Percussion Unlimited’), David was now performing or rehearsing nearly every day of the week. The pinnacle of this period was a 3 week tour of Australia with the persussion ensemble kicked off with a highlight performance in the Sydney Opera House.

David continued with this busy period adding the Abraham Darby band to the list until leaving to pursue a course at London College of Music. Music college did not work out successfully and after attending a further course at University College Salford, David gave up on the prospect of drumming for a living and stepped out into the mainstream employment world.

 He never completely lost sight of drumming and in 1996 he joined Telford Rock band ‘Syre’ this showed him that he really hadn’t lost his abilities, the band faded out in 1998 due to lots of enthusiasm but little understanding of how to progress, there were brief flirtations with other outfits until the skins once more fell silent. Then, in early 2003 David saw an advert for a drummer and decided to go for it once more.

The first time the other members of The Timedivers saw him play they snapped him up. Helping the band take on new life they became possibly the most popular band in Shropshire. Following nearly 5 years and countless pub gigs, weddings and parties, the Timedivers drew to a natural conclusion opening the doors for the new improved JCB where we are now!

David’s kit;

David uses a Premier APK 6-piece drum kit (one of the proper ones, it still sounds great) mounted on a Gibraltar rack. There are various cymbals from Sabian, Meinl, Bosphorus and Instanbul, he prefers to get the sound he wants rather than try and promote a particular brand.

A new Premier Moderm Classic 14X7″ maple snare has just been acquired so that his old work horse can now be retired following an escape attempt from it’s case that damaged one of the lugs, ironically, that bare wooden snare drum he bought for £70 from Brian Stone and has been used at every gig for the last 19 years, turned out to be a Slingerland Radio King, best current age estimate puts it between 1935 and 1940!! (always known the brand and model but not the age)

Most people say he hit it too hard, he says ‘Nah! not hard enough!’

That must be why his friends call him “Animal”. We just call him ‘Sir’, cos he’s a lot bigger than the rest of us!