Paul | Gareth | Kate | Jon Drums Paul’s dad, Charles, used to be a pro drummer, but at first Paul didn’t want to follow in his footsteps. He finally succumbed at the age of 19 when, after years of finger-tapping everything in sight, he realised he’d inherited his old man’s gift. Paul quickly dived into the local music scene, playing with bands including Alighting and The Gecko Incident. But now he reckons he’s found his ‘band for life’. 2003 is also the year Paul passed his driving test. Quite how, we still don’t know! When he’s not busy inventing cool beats, Paul works as a map illustrator. Full name: Paul Simon Richards Age: 23 Lives: St Ives, Cambridgeshire Marital status: Single Favourite drummers: Gilson Lavis (Jools Holland), Buddy Rich (solo), Stewart Copeland (The Police), Steve White (Paul Weller), Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Attractions) Equipment: Tama Starclassic drums, Yamaha/Slingerland/Ludwig snares, Paiste (2002/Dimensions/Alpha) cymbals, Meinl Cowbell, Remo Heads, Vic Firth sticks, various hardware Playing style: Intricate but effective Desert island discs: Imperial Bedroom, Elvis Costello; Night and Day, Joe Jackson; Whatever and Ever Amen, Ben Folds Five; Different Class, Pulp; The sound of, McAlmont & Butler Top gig: Elvis Costello – London Royal Festival Hall, 1999 Top drink: Red Bull Top food: Bacon roll Future wife: A quiet library assistant Football team: Tottenham Hotspur Did you know? Paul probably holds the world record for TV script rejections – 131 in total (sitcoms and dramas). All together now… aaaaaah! However, he is also a published poet, with his poems featuring in American books, ‘Eternal Portraits’, ‘The Best Poems and Poets of 2003’ and ‘Who’s Who in Poetry’.