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Home , Andy Partridge, Ashley Hutchings, Colin Moulding, Dave Mattacks, Flowers in the Dirt, Jim Keltner

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When vor/ve had a career like his, even the biggest session can seem like another day by Patrick BerkerY at the office. But what a daY. ' '

John, song-supporting skills. The subur- the veteran , , Elton Fliscovering a shared love of has also helped he's played with ban-Boston home base is and Roger Daltrey. And Ll rockand folk drummer expand his role as an educator, as of great influence, like the aforemen- Mattacks the kind of thing that bonds hardcore music artists Fairport he teaches a regular summer course at pawing tioned English folk-rock institution fans. Strangers who meet while giving private lessons' pop perfectionists XTC, Berklee in addition to Convention vinyl in a record Convention and through Falrport Mattacks says his profile isn't something who along with the mythical folkie ' shop turn rnto fast friends; musicians too caught up in pondering; , and prog-rock he's ever gotten Mattacks'work on XTC's musical visionary geek out over he simply considers everything he progenitors Jethro Tull. instead Nonsuch are prompted to form a band' When body obscure labors does part of a continuing and fulfilling familiar with There have also been more you encounter someone who's in the vacuum of a twelve-piece of work. "When You're you've met someone who of love, like Feast of Fiddles, Mattacks'credits' you're not necessarily stopping to six electric violins that's an working, her drummers. band featuring knows his or this is good'or'This is ongoing project for Mattacks And living in reflect,'Oh, Over the course of his forty-six-year-ano- "Because tomorrow New England (the important,"' he says. career, Mattacks has compiled an singer-songwriter-rich counting there's a jingle, and next week there's this native relocated to the Boston area impressive resume (available for your backing many other thing. You're a working drummer' He's worked in 2000) keeps Mattacks busy perusal at dmattacks.co.uk) really sitting back as it's artists that call upon his ace You're not with legends such as Paul McCartney, regional

2016 44 | Modern Drummer I Febrlrary happening and taking stock. The back of your hand isn't against your forehead, going,'l'm not sure whether this is The Mattacks sufficiently artistic or high merit enough for Mix Unfamiliar with Dave Mattacks'playing? Start here. me to be involved,'or any bullshit like that. You just get on with it and make the best Nick Drake, "Hazey Jane l" music you can. lt's l've what always done." Mattacks employs just the right touch with mallets on this track As a teen, prior to becoming a profes- from Drake's 1971 , ,weaving around the string sional drummer, Mattacks worked in the swells and the singer's fragile voice with accented tom rolls and London store Drum City. Under the light cymbal strikes. "l was just trying to paint some colors,,, the drummer says. "You didn't need to state influence of drummers like Buddy Rich the time. Nick's time fon guitarl was so good." and Kenny Clare, and rockers like and , Mattacks learned to XTC, "My Bird Performs" lap calfskin heads on the job, while having This textbook XTC pop gem features a rhythmic variety show on the his mind blown whenever stars like Ringo, bottom as Mattacks anchors it with a four-on-the-floor kick while Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, or shuffling around the toms, dropping in four-stroke ruffs and sweet ghost strokes on the "This ,,On wouid visit the shop. His on-the-kit training snare. was my idea," Dave says. other things [on Nonsuch], or was enhanced by the store's manager, would make suggestions that l'd copy verbatim or put my own Johnnie Richardson, whom Mattacks recalls spin on." as "a great mentor." "l sat in with his jazz quintet once," George Harrison, "Blood From a Clone" Mattacks recalls. "l'd bugged him-'Let me Mattacks drops snares left, right, and center on Harrison's satirical take on the record biz, sit in!'This is me in my teens. I was looking flipping the beat partially in the verses while completely turning it on its ear in the solo. lt's at him at the end of the gig for some kind choppy, but it,s stilla great groove. "l think I was trying to do Jim Keltner," Mattacks of approval. And he said something along explains. "But if l'm honest, I think the execution is a little sloppy.,, the lines of,'Dave, you play really well, but stop trying to play everybody else's , "The Blacksmith" instrument.'That's a phrase that really The 1 isopen to interpretation on this cutfrom Steeleye Span,s resonated with me. What he was saying 1970 debut albu m, Hark!The Village Wait, as Mattacks alternates where he places the snare was, just because you can hear what the hits from measure to measure. The topsy-turvy feel doesn't disrupt the song's beautiful melooy, bass player is doing or the line the singer though. "l was really being conscious of the melody line-not just has sung in a certain rhythmic way, you plowing through it, but playing something around it.,, don't have to play it back at them. And that

took a couple of years to sink in. When I Jimmy Page, "City Sirens" listen to some of the early things I did, like Mattacks holds the distinction of being the first drummer to record with Jimmy Page ['s] Liege & Lief,there following the death of John Bonham. This track from the Deoth Wish // soundtrack finds Mattacks holding it down are parts where I can hear that it hasn't and nailing the funky breaks like his old friend Bonzo. ,,Zep would dawned on me yet." come see Fairport gigs," he says, "and we'd go see Zep gigs. Had Maybe it represents work in progress to some great times with John. his ears, but Mattacks plays like a seasoned pro on his 1969 Fairport debut. Having taken over for 's original drummer, , and began a longstanding necessarily think "drums" at the mention of Martin Lamble, who died in a tour bus association with Thompson, recording and those acoustic-based musicians, but the crash, Mattacks carefully picks his spots to touring with the legend into the spare rhythmic touches and full-fledged kit emphasize the rock in the band's folk-rock 2000s. His work on Thompson's classic 1982 playing Mattacks adds to Drake's delicate alchemy. The swinging shuffle he puts to album with the guitarist's soon-to-be-ex- Bryter Layter album and Martyn's esoteric "Come All Ye" whips unbridled joy into the wife, Linda, , features fit perfectly. Years later, both album-opening call to arms. And his work some of the drummer's most powerful records remain excellent examoles of on the traditional "Matty Groves" is a playing, though sonically the LP doesn't sit Mattacks' taste and creativity. powerful showcase; Mattacks drives the particularly wellwith Mattacks. "l think "The thing that was so illuminating song in the first hali and in second the that's a great, great record, but itjust about that era," Mattacks explains, "was plays off Richard Thompson's guitar sounds too '80s to me," he shares. "l can working with people like and fireworks as the time toggles between 4/4, hear the gates working on the drums. But Nick Drake. They weren't dyed-in-the-wool 6/4, and 3/4. that's something that as a musician for hire folkies like many of the other people l'd Liege and Lief simultaneously established you learn to step away from, because it's been working with at the time. I remember Fairport as the defining group of British the something that's not really important.'Big thinking, Oh, yeah, they're pretty good. And folk-rock movement and Mattacks as an deal, the drummer isn't crazy about the you look back now, and those people were in-demand drummer on the scene. As the drum sounds-get over it.'[aughs]" so ahead of the game. At the time you'd do group splintered during the early'70s, Dave In the early'70s Mattacks also worked a session and it was just a gig. But five or worked with bassist ' with two of the most influential artists to ten years removed from that period, I could subsequent band, Steeleye Span, played on emerge from that folk-rock scene, Nick step back from it and realize, Wow, these several solo from lead vocalist Drake and John Martyn. You don't people were really something."

February2016 | ModernDrummer 145 llaue ilattacl$ Growing restless with the folk scene as called me up and said,'Have you heard the Thompson. You sit down and they play you the'70s progressed, Mattacks looked to news? was shot last night.' the song. They either go,'Yup, that's cool,' branch out. He cites the sessions for Brian Like everyone else, I was taken aback. Then or 'Actually, it's a bit more like...' Most of it Eno's 1977 album , Ray called back and said the best thing was two or three takes. I don't remember which also features drums from George felt he could do lthat day], rather agonizing over anything." of Genesis, Jaki Liebezeit of Can, and Soft than sitting around thinking about it, Though he's extremely humble when Machine's Robert Wyatt, as a welcome would be to try to make some music, so we asked to analyze his impressive body of change of pace. "He had a different way of did. At one point we were having a meal work ("lf I have a strength, it's accompa- dealing with things and what he wanted," and discussing the gravity ofwhat had nying people and playing songs" is as Mattacks says of Eno. "His suggestions were happened, and George said so sincerely,'All boastful as the drummer gets), there's no the antithesis oi'That's not the most I ever wanted was to be in a band.'He was escaping the fact that Mattacks has appropriate place to put that microphone so unassuming, just an absolute enjoyed a pretty heady career. He on the snare,'or'Play that fill.'He just liked sweetheart." acknowledges that it's beyond anything he to get you out of your comfort zone." The other Fab Four association began could have imagined, but is quick to point By the beginning of the'80s Mattacks when Mattacks bumped into Mccartney at a out that it's certainly not something he had gone from being the guy known as the London music store and Beatle Paul casually could have planned. go-to folk drummer to the guy known for asked if the drummer might be interested in "There was never a master plan: 'Yes, l'm playing with two of : Paul doing some recording. Mattacks, who going to work with Paul McCartney.'l'm Mccartney and George Harrison. Both appears on McCartney's albumsTug of WaL always suspicious of these folks: 'l'm going high-profile gigs came up in a very casual , , and Run to go to Berklee, and then l'm going to go way, Mattacks says. Percussionist Ray Devil Run, says that tracking with such a play with Madonna and Chick Corea by the Cooper, a friend, was co-producing legend wasn't allthat different from much of time l'm thirty.'I don't know how you plan Harrison's 1981 album, Somewhere in the work he'd been doing. this stuff out. A career plan is for the

England, and brought Mattacks in on the "He hardly ever told me anything," Dave banking world. The only thing I knew I session-which fatefully began the day says. "lt was,'Here's the song. Let's have a wanted to do was to make music to the after John Lennon was murdered. go.'Working with him was not dissimilar to best of my ability and learn about it. lt's as "The morning we were due to work, Ray working with someone like Richard simple as that." *

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