Topper Headon

Citizen Insane

Senior Member
Topper Headon from The Clash, I think this guy is absolutely fantastic. I mean, The Clash incorperated almost all genres of popular music, and Topper was able to play them all in a convincing fashion. A criminally under-rated drummer.
 
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yeah i think he is really underrated. most punk drummers are. paul cook from the sex pistols is also a great drummer
 
I think Topper had some various issues in his life too...remember reading a story [hopefully untrue] that Topper, Rick Buckler from The Jam and Gilson Lavis from Squeeze all drove taxis for the same cab company in London in the 90s at the same time....who'd be a successful drummer???
I grew up listening to Topper etc Great influences both rock and reggae wise...I hope Toppers happy and healthy somewhere....
 
Topper is one of my favs (I am a massive Clash fan)...and yes, he did drive taxis, busked in the London tube at a low point after the Clash during his addiction, and what not. He is recovered now and looks fantastic (thank god)! He is doing a bit of drumming again. I wish he would do more. I would love to meet him.

Some recent tube of you links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIJ5O1lQUPg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKEJTixhoEY

Seems a real humble chap, as well.
 
Wow, it's a shame that no one has posted for Topper since December 2009. And so few posts. Topper is my favourite drummer. The reason The Clash were able to try their hand at so many different styles of music was that Topper could play pretty much anything and play it well. He was the engine for "The Only Band That Matters". Here are The Clash live in 1980 on the show "Fridays", I believe. Check it out. And check out Topper's drumming on their album "London Calling", one of the greatest albums ever made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVYMppMiSmc
 
incredible punk drummer, one of the greatest. i wish my friends loved the clash as much as i did so we could jam their songs
 
thanks! kind of strange that he was never endorsed by anyone, that's almost unheard of these days for a successful bands drummer. people with half the talent of Topper are getting endorsed these days haha

Endorsements?? How UN-punk can you get?

A corporation comes up to a real punk rocker and asked them to represent the brand......they'd have been given a good old fashion English "F@%$ OFF!!!!....I ain't conformin' to no drum company man....you get out there and sell your own god damned drums!!" :)
 
Endorsements?? How UN-punk can you get?

A corporation comes up to a real punk rocker and asked them to represent the brand......they'd have been given a good old fashion English "F@%$ OFF!!!!....I ain't conformin' to no drum company man....you get out there and sell your own god damned drums!!" :)

i guess the day punk bands started getting endorsements was the day punk died eh? haha
 
- drug stabbing time
- four horsemen
- and every other clash song
- his roots are in the grateful dead but he gets in more hits than kreutzmann & mickey hart combined.
And what a lot of drummers would need a 20 minute drum solo to play - Headon could put into the middle of one song.
A no B.S. drummer in a no B.S. band. And for the last 30 years, American music has been mostly B.S.
 
There was a story that Topper was playing some Gene Krupa thing and Sandy Pearlman told him "that's great, now play it backwards" Topper then sat back for a few seconds and played it backwards
 
Joe Strummer said that a band is only as good as it's drummer.
Joes band, the Clash, were a fantastic band...imho.
Joe said that Topper could play anythying and the Clash were definitely influenced by many styles. i love the Clash. just a great great band.
Nicky "Topper" Headon...super drummer.
 
Certainly a cut above the average "punk" drummer of the times. Often forgotten, much like the rest of the band really. Strummer draws all the accolades and the others seems to remain forever in the shadows, which is a shame.
 
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