The Man at the Back Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mick Tucker

The classic Sweet line-up from the early-mid 1970s was the Glaswegian lead vocalist Brian Connolly, a Welshman from Wrexham, Andy Scott, on lead guitar, and a pair of Londoners, bassist Steve Priest and drummer Mick Tucker. This was the period when Sweet produced six singles that reached the top two in the UK chart, although only "Blockbuster", in 1973, made it to the top spot.

Answer: Don Powell

Founded in Birmingham in 1969, lead vocalist Noddy Holder MBE (real first name Neville) is the face that most people remember from this classic glam rock band. Holder and bass player Jimmy Lea, who wrote most of the band's hit songs, both departed in 1992. The two remaining original members, both still playing and touring with the band, are Devon-born guitarist Dave Hill and drummer Don Powell.

Of the alternatives, the late Dave Mount was the drummer for glam rock band Mud; Canadian Warren Cann was the drummer and electronic percussionist with new wave band Ultravox; and Dale "Buffin" Griffin (real first name Terence) was the drummer for the 70s rock band Mott the Hoople.

By the way, do you know what you call someone who hangs out with musicians?

No, it's not a groupie ... it's a drummer. :)

Answer: The Darkness

The original 2000 line-up of The Darkness featured brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins on vocals and guitar, bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Ed Graham plus second guitarist Chris McDougal (who left shorty afterwards). Taylor joined the other three original members who are still recording and touring with the group.

Of the alternatives, Dominic Howard has been the drummer with Muse since they were founded in Devon in 1994; lead vocalist Bobby Gillespie doubled as the percussionist for Glasgow-based rock band Primal Scream since they were founded in 1982 until specialist drummer Darrin Mooney joined in 1997; whilst drummer Derrick McKenzie and percussionist Sola Akingbola have combined for acid jazz band Jamiroquai since shortly after they were founded in London in 1992.

Answer: Grateful Dead

Remarkably perhaps, the Grateful Dead line-up retained its essential backbone throughout the group's 30-year career, with four of the five original members ever present. Those four are vocalist/lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, vocalist/rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, vocalist/bassist Phil Lesh and drummer Bill Kreutzmann. The fifth original 1965 member, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (keyboards and percussion) left in 1972, whilst Brooklyn-native Mickey Hart joined in 1967 as the second drummer. Hart took a sabbatical from the band between 1971 and 1974 but thereafter remained until the group's dissolution following Jerry Garcia's death in 1995.

Of the alternatives, psychedelic rock group Jefferson Airplane were also founded in 1965 in California, in San Francisco. In their eight years together, they used five different drummers, Jerry Peloquin, Skip Spence, Spencer Dryden (later of New Riders of the Purple Sage), Joey Covington and John Barbata (later of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young). The latter two continued with the group when they morphed into Jefferson Starship in the mid-1970s.

The Beach Boys were founded in Hawthorne, California in 1961. Middle brother Dennis Wilson was the band's drummer until his drowning death at the age of just 39 in 1983.

The Velvet Underground were founded in New York City in 1964. Behind. Fronted by Lou Reed, the experimental avant-garde ensemble was briefly managed by Andy Warhol. Original drummer Angus MacLise was replaced in 1965 by Maureen Tucker, who remained with the group until their break-up in 1973 and then through their various reunions in the 1990s.

Answer: John Densmore

Los Angeles-born 20-year old John Paul Densmore was the drummer for The Doors when they were founded in 1965. Following the death of lead vocalist Jim Morrison in 1971 and the subsequent break-up of The Doors in 1973, Densmore formed the short-lived 'Butts Band' with Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. Award-winning actor Kevin Dillion (best known for "Platoon") portrayed Densmore in the 1991 Oliver Stone biopic "The Doors".

The remaining members of The Doors have gathered together periodically since the group's official demise, recording an album ("An American Prayer") in 1978, and playing live in 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2011. The death of keyboard player Ray Manzarek in 2013, though, makes further reunions unlikely.

The story of John Lennon's response to a reporter's question is probably apocryphal: Lennon, asked if Ringo Starr was the best drummer in the world, apparently responded that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in The Beatles.

Answer: The Smiths

Founded in the Manchester area in 1982, The Smiths comprised four Lancashire natives, vocalist Morrissey (full name Steven Patrick Morrissey), guitarist Johnny Marr (real name John Martin Maher), bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. Following the demise of The Smiths in 1987, Rourke and Joyce joined the band behind controversial Irish vocalist Sinead O'Connor.

Of the alternatives, founded in 1991, Oasis used three drummers during the band's 30-year existence: Tony McCarroll, the stickman on the band's first two albums, was replaced in 1995 by Alan White (not the 'Yes' drummer of the same name) who, in turn, gave way in 2004 to Zak Starkey, former drummer with The Who and son of The Beatles' Ringo Starr.

The stickman for Joy Division, who performed together from 1976 until 1980, was Stephen Morris, who was later the drummer for another Manchester-based rock band, New Order.

The Mindbenders were founded in 1963 as the backing band for vocalist Wayne Fontana. Their original drummer was local lad Ric Rodwell (from nearby Stockport), although he was replaced in 1967, just a year before the group disbanded, by Brummie Paul Hancox. The demise of The Mindbenders is perhaps most significant, though, for releasing guitarist Eric Stewart and bass player
Graham Gouldman who went on to form a new band called 'Hotlegs', who soon changed their name to 10cc.

Answer: The Hollies

Burnley-born Bobby Elliot, described as "one of the very finest drummers in all of pop/rock", joined The Hollies at a 21-year old in 1963. Lead guitarist Tony Hicks, who replaced original Vic Steele at the same time. Original rhythm guitarist Graham Nash left The Hollies in 1969 to form supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Original bassist Eric Haydock left in 1966, replaced by Bernie Calvert, who stayed with the band until 1981. Original vocalist Allan Clark retired in 1999, leaving Hicks and Elliot as the group's longest serving members.

Of the alternatives, Mick Avory was the original drummer with The Kinks when they were founded in 1964. He remained with the group until replaced by Bob Henrot in 1985. Drummer Kenney Jones is one of only two members of The Faces (along with vocalist Ronnie Wood), who have played throughout both incarnations of the group, from 1969-75 and then again since they reformed in 2009. Larry "Legs" Smith has been the drummer for the Neil Innes-led Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band since their formation in 1962 through various records, TV series, live shows and reunions culminating in the successful 2006 UK tour. In 2012, the 68-year old Smith toured with a group calling themselves "Almost the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band".

Answer: The Clash

The two members of The Clash who were original members and remained with the group until their dissolution in 1986 were vocalist and guitarist the late, great Joe Strummer and bass player Paul Simonon. Original guitarist Mick Jones left in 1983, missing the group's final album, "Cut the Crap", released in 1985.

London-born drummer Terry Chimes was the original stickman with the Clash. He later joined Generation X and toured with Billy Idol in the early 1980s and he joined Black Sabbath at the beginning of the Tony Martin era for their 1987-88 "Eternal Idol" tour. Since 1994, he has been a practicing chiropractor in Essex. Kent-native Nicholas "Topper" Headon's impeccable timing led to him being described by one record producer as "the human drum machine".

Of the alternatives, Rick Buckler was the drummer for The Jam throughout their original existence (1973-83) and then again the early part of the their resurrection, from 2006 until his departure in 2010. Sham 69 went through three drummers in their first incarnation between 1975 and 1981, Billy Bostik, Marc Cain and Ricky Goldstein. When they reformed in 1987, Ian Whitewood was their 'man at the back' until replaced in 2012. Rat Scabies (real name Christopher John Millar) was the drummer for The Damned from their formation in 1976 until 1997. Former Culture Club drummer Jon Moss filled in briefly before Andrew Pinching aka "Pinch" joined as the group's permanent drummer in 1999.

Answer: Sid Vicious

Born John Simon Ritchie in southeast London in 1957, he later took his step-father's surname and was known as John Beverley. Nicknamed "Spikey John" and "The Prince of Punk", to the world at large he will always be remembered as Sid Vicious, punk rocker extraordinaire and an accused murderer who died of a heroin overdose before he could be formally charged.

We know that Vicious was not much of a bass player, even though that is the role he was nominally hired to perform with the Sex Pistols when he joined them to replace Glen Matlock in 1977. Few people realize that he was also the original drummer of goth-rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The "100 Club Punk Special" was a two-day event featuring eight bands: Subway Sect, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Clash and the Sex Pistols on the first day, and Stinky Toys, Chris Spedding & The Vibrators, The Damned and the Buzzcocks on the second. It was while The Damned were performing that violence erupted, after a glass (seen to be thrown by Vicious) shattered against a pillar, blinding a young girl in one eye.

Drummers have a reputation for being more than a little crazy (Keith Moon, need I say more?), so hearing that Vicious was perhaps a drummer should come as no surprise. Our final little aside could have been a Monty Python sketch... a man walks into a shop: "I'd like to buy a guitar, please", he says. "Oh yes..." replies the shopkeeper, "and what sort of guitar would you like?" The man thinks for a while, "One of those that plays those riff things.... and I want one of those big boxes that you plug it into, with the flashing lights on it". The shopkeeper scratches his head, "You're a drummer, aren't you?" he asks eventually. "Wow, how did you know that?" asks the man. The shopkeeper shakes his head: "it's obvious... this is a fish and chip shop". (with apologies to Michael Palin and John Cleese)

Answer: Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd, founded in Jacksonville, Florida in 1965, are perhaps as famous for the number of deceased former members that they have than anything else. Original drummer Bob Burns unfortunately became the latest on that long casualty list when the 64-year old died in a car crash in 2015. Burns and Artimus Pyle, the other drummer from the pre-1977 plane crash incarnation of the group, both joined other former members and the current group at the 2006 "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" induction ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio.

Following Pyle's departure in 1991, Kurt Custer, Owen Hale, Jeff McAllister and Kenny Aronoff all took a turn in the drummer's seat at the back of the stage while the guitarists blasted out "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama". Michael Cartellone arrived in 1999 and has now become the longest-serving drummer in the group's history.

Of the alternatives, Butch Trucks (real first name Claude) and Jai Johanny Johanson (known as Jaimoe) were the two original drummers when the Allman Brothers were formed in 1969. They have both remained through various incarnations over the last 40+ years and, in 1991, the group added a third percussionist, Marc Quiñones. Alabama went through a series of drummers in the early years, Jackie Owen (1970-72), Bennett Vartanian (1972-74) and Rick Scott (1974-79) before Mark Herndon (1979-2004) claimed a permanent spot at the back of the stage. Dave Heck was the drummer with Georgia-based Stillwater from their formation in 1973 until 1982. He was also the driving force behind the group's reformation in 1996.