Hi guys, I’m Phil Giddings, I’ve been drumming seriously (Well on & off!!) since 1979, I started by managing an original band that were once labelled the new Floyd!

They had a great drummer, but everytime they wrote a new song he would ask me what he should play, Duhh, I didn’t even play at that time, but of course I still told him. He then became unreliable & stopped turning up for rehearsals, even though I had transported his kit for him (ungrateful sod) and so I sat behind the kit and the band preferred my style to his!! Whoopee!

However I parted company with them owing me considerable amounts of money, bought a Premier club kit in gold with a pair of Zyldjian 15” Heavy High hats & Paiste 2002 for the crash & rides.

I was then recruited into a covers band playing the local working mens clubs in Leicester, we went under the name of ‘Final Demand’, and I hated every minute!

Thankfully I was sacked. Sacked for turning up to a gig on time, when the rest of the band were two hours late?

Next I auditioned & got into a Blues band, initially called the ‘Forty Fours’, But went on to more success as ‘The Fashionable Fighters’ We had a lot of fun, Three of us also raced Motor bikes, well until the money ran out!!

Finally we were offered a European tour, but at this time I chickened out, I had two very young children, a regular job as a truck driver & I chose security, my wife however had encouraged me to go, my first regret. (or not, I do have two great kids)

I sold up all my gear & didn’t play, didn’t go to gigs. Then some years later I was told of a very cheap kit, that was sitting in someone’s loft. Fifteen quid later & I took home a very battered Olympic kit, of course it had the obligatory Zyn cymbals & fragile stands, I set it up in the garage with the hope of my kids playing, but they weren’t interested, so I found a recording of Final Demand & lo & behold I could still play!!!!

A trip down to my local music store brought back happy memories, it had been nearly fourteen years since I was last there, but they remembered my name, I’d gone looking for spares to get the kit back to it’s original standard, The parts were there but it was cheaper to purchase another kit.

I have to admit that by now I was thinking of gigging again but had not told my wife (oops) I put a deposit down on a secondhand Sonor, whilst looking at the ‘Drummers wanted ads’.

Thankfully my wife was happy for me to work with a band again, & maybe we’d play a gig every month if lucky, There was one ad in every shop that I went into, I rang & was offered an audition.

On the audition night my car broke down & I only had time to part run through a couple of numbers, I got the usual ‘We’ll let you know’ & I left. The next day, Friday I got a call to say they were interested & were playing on the following night with a stand in sticksman who had been filling in for them, but would I like to go along & hear the full set, I agreed. Then ten minutes later I got another call to ask if I could play, as the stand in had broken his wrist.

And so with no transport, I loaded my kit into a taxi, & played the whole gig (well it was blues & easy to busk), my proposed one gig a month never materialised as after this first gig we played a minimum of three nights a week for seven years, the Sonor gave way to a Chrome Remo, plus many toys.

This finally came to an end about four years ago when ironically I got loads of work at Leicesters main venue De Montfort Hall, my playing now is limited to the hall’s house band, though I am now in the position to start gigging again, and would welcome offers.

My role now is contracting artists & head Artist Liaison, (if anyone is looking for a gig either in the hall or at Summer Sundae Festival, please do not contact me, I already get two to three hundred hopefuls contacting me each year.

The pics show my first Premier club kit, a practice session with Four til’ late & a pic from the Stoney Stratford Jazz & Blues Festival, then some up to date pics with some of my favourite toys, an early 60’s pre international kit (Yeah I know the rack tom doesn’t match), an Ajax 1962 snare, as rescued from a farmyard bonfire, two Chinese toms, circa unknown, a 162(ish) floor tom from a console kit, the badge is a triangular Ajax though I doubt it’s authenticity, it has had a paint job done on it & the batter head has also been painted, the sound is awesome, Evelyn Glenny has also played it & fell in love with it (& she signed it for me) A Doumbek, a fiftieth birthday present from the guys at work & also my three Udu’s, one of which was smashed upon arrival But I’ve glued the pieces together & it again makes a sound, though is not giggable, then my lovely ‘Melanie drums’ very similar to Rototoms but without the twist ‘n’ tune, supposedly similar to a design used by Trilok Gurtu. Last but not least is my 13” approx snare, Vellum heads but in need of rims (I’m hoping that Bob can supply at some point).

Well that’s me & my toys, the glass is not, I repeat not loaded with JD, it’s just a nasty rumour.

Enjoy the pics, If you need an ageing rocker to hit things, please get in touch (ok, I’ll do anything for money.

Phil