the other dave

"Dave Rowntree was happy being the drummer in one of Britain's top bands. Then he had a mid-life crisis and joined the Labour party".

Blimey, couldn't you just have bought a plane or something, Dave!?

"I just woke up and thought, 'Fucking hell, where am I?' I was living in a big house in Hampstead with two cars and an aeroplane"

Oh, right.

It's quite interesting, this - Dave Rowntree, drummer for the lovely Blur, and friend of the anti-war crusader and 'blackest man in West London', Damon Albarn, is standing as a Labour candidate in the local elections in Westminster. Unlike Albarn, he's more of a political pragmatist than an idealist, but I'm pretty certain he's a good chap with his heart in the right place. In today's Guardian Patrick Barkham writes:

The contrast with Albarn is fascinating and, at first glance, bodes ill for anyone hopeful that Blur will ever share a recording studio again. But Rowntree says Albarn is enthusiastic. "He's very excited. He's a political activist. He loves to see other people getting stuck in," says Rowntree. "Damon is a pacifist. He has very deeply held views. His politics flow from that and you've got to respect him for that." The drummer doesn't want to talk about whether he agrees with Albarn on Iraq because he's standing in a local election. He sounds, for the first time, a bit like a politician. Then he changes his mind. "I want to give you an answer. I'm not a pacifist. I do think some things are worth fighting for."

Interesting stuff - it's a shame that he'll struggle to get elected in a safe Tory council.