Bob Richards drummer for AC/DC in the two rock videos Play Ball and Rock or Bust. Made part of progressive rock bands ASIA and Dave Edmunds. Also drummer for Man and Son Of MAN. In this interview we talk about his time with AC/DC, the future of music and more.
Bob Richards Interview
– What’s new in the world of Bob Richards in 2015?
Well, the latest was the AC/DC video shoot!! That came like a bolt out of the blue!! Other plans include finishing the Son of Man album which we started a few years ago but as we’re all pretty busy it’s taking time to complete. Start writing new material with Celtic Pride for another album and also hoping to start on the debut Buck And Evans album.
– What is your music background?
I first picked up the sticks when I was 3 years old, played in local clubs in my younger years which gave me good grounding. Did my first album at 20 with a band called Shogun, first big break was when I got the gig in Adrian Smiths band (The Untouchables) we shot a video (City of Dreams, which is on YouTube) and did an album which still has yet to see the light of day!
Late 90s I joined Welsh psychedelic band MAN, did several studio and live albums and many tours, other gigs includes Dave Edmunds, ASIA, Andy Fairweather low, Paul “Tonka “Chapman (UFO), last year I was fortunate to do a tour with one of my favourite vocalists Graham Bonnet!
I saw Rainbow at the first Monsters of Rock, Castle Donington in 1980 and having been influenced by Cozy Powell, the chance to play on Cozy’s chrome Yamaha which I now own on stage with Graham playing the classic Rainbow songs was incredible.
– How have things changed for you as a musician since your video shoots with AC/DC?
Ha!! I’m recognized a lot more at gigs now, also Facebook and Twitter went a bit mental.
– How important are promo videos today? Play Ball and Rock or Bust are two very different, but effective, styles of music videos. What personal insight can you share with fans about the creation of these?
Play Ball was a green screen production but at the time I had no idea what was going to be overlaid in the final cut.
Rock or Bust was in the round with 500 AC/DC fans present which obviously gave it a live gig feel!
– Could you describe some of your earliest influences in life and in music?
I remember my mother playing Deep Purple’s Black Knight when I was very young and I though wow, what’s this!! With the wailing guitars and vocals, I hadn’t heard anything like it before, she also bought Cozy Powell’s Dance with the Devil which sounded amazing to me at the time and still does!!
– What would we be surprised to find in your music collection at home?
I like lots of different styles of music so I have anything from Mozart to Motorhead, Buddy Rich Big band Jazz, classic Rock, anything that gets the foot tapping !!
– How much practice do you put in on the drums to keep up to date with your techniques?
I’m afraid to say none really, if I’m honest, I’m not into working on complicated patterns or exercises, I enjoy playing for the song and 90% of the songs I play with bands do not require these patterns, also to put these into songs for the sake of it will kill the song in my opinion.
– Do you see a biography being written someday about the experiences you acquired or will acquire in your life?
Ha! There are far more interesting people out there!!
– What goals as a musician have you yet to achieve?
Not sure really, I play a lot of different styles with different musicians but being part of AC/DC all be it for the weekend was something I never expected to happen and I doubt if anything will top that experience to be honest.
– Where do you see music in general going in 100 years from now?
Good question! Whatever form it takes musically, it will probably be stored on a crystal that will hold all the music in recorded history, but unfortunately that will also include a lot of bad music !!
Check out Bob Richards Bands Online.
Buck and Evans and Son of MAN on Facebook