CLIVE DEAMER

The image above and some of the text below is reprinted from an excellent website http://www.laney.co.uk/images/artists/Clive_Deamer.png .

They say:

"An edgy, leaner Bonham for the 21st Century, Clive Deamer was at the backbone of two of the most influential British albums of the 90's, both winners of the Mercury music prize. Portishead's "Dummy" and Roni Size's "New Forms".
A devotee of Jazz and R&B drummers like Earl Palmer, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones, his Jazz aesthetic is coloured by sudden bursts of Rock aggression and tight but loose breakbeat feel. He is a member of the Ornette Coleman inspired trio The Blessing, whose free approach informs all of his playing, and he is constantly in demand as a recording drummer, for his taste and discipline. In hairier days he played with Hawkwind at Amsterdam�s infamous Melkweg. While more recently he has worked with Dr John, Jeff Beck, and new Irish band Hal. "

More importantly, to me anyway, has been his playing for much of this decade with Robert Plant in the most excellent band Strange Sensation. I'm really not partial to Portishead, although some of their tunes do groove me, but for the most part it's his playing with Plant that has been so interesting.

They have done two albums, the last, Mighty ReArranger, released in May, 2005. I remember well driving to the record store to buy it on it's release day, as I'd done with the predecessor album from this same outfit. I didn't like the second one as much as the first, but there were some killer tunes on the second album, whereas EVERY tune on the first album just rocked.

The first Strange Sensation album from 2002, Dreamland , featured Porl Thompson (most prominantly from The Cure) on lead guitar, and a host of other great musicians (see the wiki here Strange Sensation). As a drummer though, I can't help but focus in on a great drummer, and Clive Deamer certainly counts as a masterful drummer who can totally ROCK OUT when he wants to.

Here's a wiki clip about Clive:

Clive Deamer – drums, vocals – Deamer is a session musician, who has sessioned for the likes of Jeff Beck, Alison Moyet and Siouxsie Sioux. He is best known for his contributions to the Bristol based trip hop and drum and bass scenes, specifically Portishead and Roni Size and Reprazent, although he has also been a member of more conventional rock groups, such as Hawkwind and Robert Plant's Strange Sensation.[1]

I've seen several videos of Strange Sensation (or is it THE Strange Sensation?), and the Austin City Limits performance that just took Robert Plant fans by storm. As my good friend and great guitarist from Houston DOGMAN says, "I've generally liked all of Plant's post-Zeppelin work".

Not only is Clive a great drummer who channels Bonham in those Zeppelin songs covered live by Strange Sensation, he doesn't try to copy note for note but instead gives his own twist on it while still paying heavy tribute and respect to the parts of the late great John Henry Bonham.

It's gotta be big big big shoes to fill when taking a drumming gig with Plant. The late and great Michael Lee was one such drummer who worked well, and Clive has been another.

Really, I could wax on and on about Strange Sensation. The individual players are all longtime session and band pros, and are virtuoso's on their instruments with soloing abilities out of this world.

I even bought a Strange Sensation live DVD, Soundstage: Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation, at WalMart a few years ago for about $10. I was looking at the small music dvd section and there that rascal was. Great show. I've seen some other early Strage Sensation shows, one of which was a benefit in NYC, that folks had on dvd and they rocked out. I recommend you buy their first CD Dreamland and get the DVD of their live show. I've haven't checked in a while, so maybe there is more than one live show available commercially.

And watch Clive when you watch Strange Sensation on DVD. Watch Clive rock and bop. Tasteful and refined at times yet capable of explosive "head rocking" drumming at other times.