Pearl Percussion fibreglass congas and bongos; Pearl Percussion gong drum; Pearl hand percussion; home made shakers, coil chime, spring table; Leiva Percussion

How does working with a big artist differ from a band?

Lea: “George is a great singer but also a great musician. He knows exactly what he wants to hear. We change things and he knows it. He will turn around on ‘Wild Is The Wind’ and that’s cut with the first half being the Johnny Mathis version, which is brushes, and then it goes into the David Bowie version. Of course the Bowie version has no congas. We got into production rehearsals and we changed it up a little bit with me playing shakers and tambourines. George said, ‘I’d like to hear some congas on this, it’ll drive it forward.’

“He was totally right. That wasn’t something I would have done, but it was his idea and it worked. Mark is such a great brush player and sometimes [George] will feel that, he’ll express to mark that he wants to hear the brush. Just when you think he’s not thinking, he is.”

Mark: “He hears everything. Everyone on this show is a star in their own right. It’s pretty special. It’s his show, it’s like with anyone. If I’m working with a vocalist, I get it - my job is to support and add where I can. If there’s a chance to do something that stands out then that’s going to be even more of an event because you’re being musical about it.”