The one at the back bangs his drum

Drummer with the band Dodgy and music business manager Mathew Priest defends the noble art of drumming in his Edinburgh Fringe show.

" At last year's Edinburgh Festival a bass player did a show based about his time in the music business.

I thought: "if a bass player can do it, then so can we".

So in February we set about preparing a show.

The format started off a bit apologetically, similar to an AA meeting, except this was like Drummers Anonymous.

We might have been limiting our audience somewhat.

All this changed however a couple of weeks ago, when scientists reported the findings of something called The Clem Burke Project.

After studying the Blondie drummer for eight years they concluded that, in fact, rock drummers could be the equivalent to world class athletes or Premiership footballers.

Meaning that, without a hint of irony, we might be able to claim that Maurice (Bacon from The Love Affair) and I could become the Beckham and Ronaldo of this year's Fringe.

We always had the idea that guests would make up a strong component of the show and set about making a list of the most likely and best drummers we could think of, such as Ringo, Charlie Watts and Phil Collins.

They were on our list along with 'hobby' drummers such as Jeremy Clarkson and Jamie Oliver.

In February I spent two very cold days in Berlin, trying to track down Charlie Watts at the World Premiere of Martin Scorsese's 'Shine A Light' concert film of The Rolling Stones.

I wasn't having much luck but finally after four hours on the edge of the red carpet managed to hand Charlie's invite to Mick Jagger.

I guess the moral of that is: "if you want something doing, don't ask a singer, especially Mick Jagger" - because we haven't heard from Charlie yet.

However, amazingly I did get a phone call from Phil Collins a couple of days ago, we had been swapping e-mails and then he called me out of the blue.

What a lovely fella.

He is usually occupied in August following his interest in The Alamo but he is totally with us in the drummer cause and who knows, he might yet possibly make it to Edinburgh.

Like us, he knows that if you think back to man' first steps, there was someone with a stick, banging a rock.

There wasn't a bloke with a pony tail and a fretless bass.

We continue to promote the cause, each day at the Bongo Club in Edinburgh and then beyond. "

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Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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