How much does your background in jazz and playing theatrical gigs impact on how you approach the music in Kasabian?

"Massively, in fact I think this is why I slotted straight in with Kasabian, because the boys have got such a wide influential scope. These boys have been listening to hip-hop since they were kids.

"The hip-hop genre itself is an amalgamation of funk and jazz, samples are taken from classic Blue Note and Motown records. To be an effective hip-hop drummer you are going to have to have the touch and the feel and the independence that comes with training in, listening to and playing jazz and soul.

"The theatrical stuff was so important with my head being bent left and right over the years since I was a kid, playing in rock bands, playing the backbeat, playing jazz and big band music. All these styles have gone into my head and made it easier for me to be able to play with Kasabian.

"Kasabian has much more than just two and four going on. There are tunes on West Ryder that are blatantly very orchestral-feeling, almost like a pit drummer. I grew up playing social clubs with my dad who was an organist. I’ve taken something from those days and plonked it straight in the middle of a modern, 21st Century, futuristic, psychedelic rock’n’roll album.

"I feel very lucky that I’ve had those experiences."