mostly david ephgrave

My anxiety's been through the roof lately, though I've been trying to rein it in with my usual coping techniques - meditation being the main one - but interestingly, I've found drumming particularly beneficial too. I ordered an electric kit at the start of lockdown - although it only arrived at the beginning of May - firmly intending to work on an aspect of my musicality for the first time in God knows how long. I'm a lazy musician who only practises when I'm working, which is shocking really. And drumming's something I've never spent much time on, though I've always been very comfortable with percussion, so it's not too big a stretch. Ordering the kit ticked a lot of boxes in the current circumstances, offering the opportunity for exercise that I was sure would be good for my mental health. And the latter's already evident. It's fair to say I'm going through a rough patch with my depression and anxiety that's been aggravated...

This poll is rigged. At least, I think it is. It’s hard to work out. Would a vote for Ringo be a vote for Ringo, or a block vote for the rest? If so, that's not democracy. It’s like a magician misdirecting you into thinking you’ve chosen a card of your own free will. It’s a ballot worthy of Machiavelli himself. (How’s that for a reference?) I feel sorry for Ringo to a point. He gets stick for his drumming (unintentional pun) for no reason. It’s a cliché in and of itself, hence the poll. People tend to criticise his ability out of context. They forget that when it comes to their live work, he couldn’t hear the rest of the band for the fans’ screaming. His playing, like the other Beatles’, matured at an alarming rate. Pick a track from each year of their career at random and you’ll hear it. As Lennon, McCartney and Harrison’s writing became deeper and more soulful, so did Starr’s drum-work. Listen to his fills on A Day in the Life and ...