By Danny Coleman
originally published: 07/09/2015
"I owe it all to an old fashioned judge back in England," says Simon Kirke, former Free and original/current drummer of the legendary classic rock band Bad Co. as he elaborated on his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist. "My older brother was a musician and being competitive I wanted to be one too; so I started playing the drums. I'd practice every day after school and we lived in a small house with close by neighbors. I practiced so much that eventually the neighbors complained and we wound up in court. The judge ordered my father to allow me to go to school, do homework and limit my practice time to a half an hour a day. I couldn't let my brother outdo me so I started to teach myself how to play guitar because that could be practiced without the neighbors hearing!"
Simon and his assembled band will be doing one date in the U.S.; that of July 18 at the Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA. beginning at 7:30 p.m. "This is going to be a leap of faith," laughed Kirke as he elaborated on the players who will be accompanying him on stage. "You know, I've never played with them in person. Thanks to technology such as Skype and the internet; we've been able to go over the music and practice a bit. I've never met them but I've read their resumes and they're very good and come highly recommended. My music is not that complex, it's pretty straight forward so I anticipate it will be just fine."
An incredibly engaging man, Kirke is seemingly very content with his role in Bad Co. and says he does his solo material "For fun." The man who has authored perhaps two of the more famous drum tracks in rock history, Free's "All Right Now" and Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough" never expects anything other than said fun and a therapeutic release. "I have two solo albums and have been doing my own solo tours for ten years now," said Kirke matter of factually. "For me, quite honestly, this is like an exorcism. I have been writing for a long time. Sometimes the material just comes pouring out of me and when it does I usually record an album; as you can see, it doesn't happen that often!"
As his laughter died down, Kirke continued, "I'm not looking to be a solo artist. I realize that a solo career is not happening. I spend more time with Bad Co. than anything else but when we take time off I do this for fun; that's really all it is to me is fun. I mean, we are all in our sixties now so we don't have as hectic a touring schedule as we did when we were younger, much younger (laughs) but we are planning a big tour of the U.S. and Europe in 2016."
Naming the likes of Buddy Rich, Levon Helm and his "Number one influence," Al Jackson as his inspirations for studying the drums; Kirke admits that Ringo Starr got it all started. "Ringo was my first influence," he explained. "He is such a simple player yet so in tune with the material he performs. Listening and watching how Ringo just stays within the songs and is always so steady really made me want to play the drums."
Along the lines of simple players and steady drummers; Kirke's opinion varies when it comes to today's music and the methods used to record it. "Music today is so different than it was when I first got into the game. Years ago all I had to deal with in the studio was the click track; I'd keep it on for the first sixteen bars then turn it off because I can't stand playing along to them; I like to be expressive and not so rigid. Today's music, the ogre in the room is the computer; it is a double edge sword. Gone are the days of the four track recorder but the internet opens up so many more possibilities than one could have ever imagined years ago. The computer blows me away with what can be done; you don't even have to be in the same country to write and record now. The bad part is that you lose the human interaction, you sacrifice intimacy for convenience, to me face to face; that's music. Every generation tends to rebel; new generations of musicians rebel and this generation seems to just have many more bells and whistles than we did in the past."
Kirke also feels that today's music is not only different but seems to lack an element of guidance; not that it is inferior but that it is still trying to find it's way. "I look at Bad Co. and I am blown away by how good the band sounded on our last tour; our songs were greeted with a lot of affection. I believe that speaks a lot for the actual music. That decade from 1964 to 1974 or '75 was so fruitful; there will never be another like it. I'm not sure why so many big bands came out of that time period but there were so many and they flourished. We had some great influences though that helped us and I just don't see it as strong in today's music. We had black music, soul music, blues, an entire mix of every type of music we could all possibly listen to. Now I have friends whose thirteen year old son has a band and I was informed that they perform three Bad Co. songs. I am still humbled by it, by the entire experience and I just don't feel that yet in today's music."
The Sellersville Theater is located at 24 W. Temple Avenue in Sellersville, PA and Kirke says that we should be ready to rock when attending. "This show, I'll be able to flex some musical muscle and I'll be playing both drums and guitar. I do a lot of Bad Co. songs and some of my own but not many really; come on, who wants to hear my songs (laughs)? It's going to be a lot of fun, I've been doing this for years and this one off show will rock; it has too it's the only shot I get at it!"
To discover more about Simon Kirke, please visit www.officialsimonkirke.com. To order tickets directly from the Sellersville Theater, please go to www.st94.com.
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
THIS WEEKS CALENDAR LISTINGS
Alchemist & Barrister
28 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-5555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Arnie Baird
Sun. 9 p.m. Matt Roach
All shows 21+
29 Church St. Windsor
(609) 448-7144
Fri. 8 p.m. Larry D
Sat. 8 p.m. Meg Hanson Band feat. Billy Hill
Blend Bar & Bistro
911 Highway 33, Hamilton
(609) 245-8887
Tues. 8 p.m. Triviajam
The Backstage at Championship Bar
931 Chambers St. Trenton
Fri. 7 p.m. Counter-Earth, B1nary Cur1ous, The Mountain Chiefs, Ten Cent Days,Catching Wasps. All ages, $10
Sat. 5 p.m. "Scruff's Birthday Show" feat. Todd Killingz, Physical Thing, Sortuff, Welter, TheO>Matics,Steve Schwills, Devo Spice. All ages, $10
Sun. 5 p.m. Trphy Scars, Golden Age, Myheavyhearted, Mediseasin, Hot Gospel, Loaded For Bear, Cat In The Wall. All ages, $10/$12
Wed. 7 p.m. Resilience, Buried In the Walls, Mortanius, Beyond Black Skies. All ages, $10
Candlelight Lounge
24 Passaic St. Trenton
(609) 695-9612
Sat. 3 p.m. Bob Devos Jazz Guitar Quartet. (No cover-$10 minimum)
Chickie's & Pete's
183 US Highway 130 North Bordentown
(609) 298-9182
Tues. 8 p.m. Acoustic Music Night feat. The Dawgs
Wed. 9 p.m. Trivia Night
Dog & Bull Brew House
810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.
(215) 788-2855
Thurs. 8 p.m. Gypsy Mother
Fri. (4 p.m.) "Happy Hour Jam" feat. Visoon (9 p.m.) New Pony
Sat. (11 a.m.) "Saturday Brunch Jam" feat. Michael Leggerie (9 p.m.) Soul Custody Trio
Sun. (11 a.m.) "Sunday Brunch" feat. Keli Vale Jazz Duo (3 p.m.) Kevin Toft & The All Stars
Mon. 8 p.m. Dustin Beck
Tues. 8 p.m. Nytrous
Wed. 8 p.m. Brian Eastburn
Fran's Pub
116 S. Main St. New Hope, PA.
(215)862-5539
Thurs. 9 p.m. Curtain Call
Sat. 8 p.m. Honey Spot Blvd.
Mon. 8 p.m. Open Blues Jam
All shows 21+
Halo Pub
9 Hullfish Street Princeton
(609) 921-1710
Sat. 6 p.m. The Kim Yarson Band
Havana New Hope
105 S. Main Street. New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-9897
Thurs. 10 p.m. "Beat The Clock" College Night DJ Dance Party
Fri. 8 p.m. "Drum Wars" Carmine & Vinny Appice in Concert. Doors at 6 p.m., $35
Sat. 8 p.m. The Artimus Pyle Band. Ages 21+, Doors at 6 p.m., $30 (advance), General Admission
Sun. 3 p.m. John Eddie's Annual Birthday Bash. Doors at 2 p.m., $15 (adults), $10 (children under age 12)
Mon. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Ron
Tues. 8 p.m. Stu Hamm. Doors at 6 p.m., $25
Wed. 8 p.m. Pat Foran & Friends
Ivy Tavern
3108 S. Broad Street, Hamilton
(609) 888-1435
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
Fri. 10 p.m. El Ka Bong
Sat. 10 p.m. F2 & The Anchovy Brothers
All shows 21+
John & Peter's
96 S. Main St. New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-5981
Thurs. 9 p.m. Bambu Roots
Fri. 9 p.m. Human Adult Band / King Darves / Wild Rice / Dark Monks
Sat. 1 p.m. The Paper Jets / Jesse Elliot / The Low Doses / Wolfasaurus Rex
Sun. 3 p.m. Jamie Salvatore
Mon. 9 p.m. Open Mic. w/ Justin Pope
Wed. 9:30 p.m. The Invitational
All shows 21+
JoJo's Tavern
2677 Nottingham Way Hamilton
(609) 586-2678
Wed. 10 p.m. Karaoke
Palermo's Of Hamilton
310 Klockner Rd. Hamilton
(609) 838-7979
Thurs. 9 p.m. Karaoke
All shows 21+
Patriot's Crossing
1339 River Rd. Titusville
(609) 737-2780
Fri. 7:30 p.m. Steve Bross
Sat. 7:30 p.m. Kevin Toft & The All Stars
Pete's Steak House
523 Whitehorse Ave. Hamilton
(609) 585-8008
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Ernie White & Tom Reock
Sat. 9:30 p.m. The Polish Nannies
Randy Now's Man Cave
134 Farnsworth Avenue Bordentown
(609) 424-3766
Check web site for upcoming shows
RHO Waterfront
50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Fri. (4 p.m.) Happy Hour Buffet. $10 (8:30 p.m.) Xclusive
Sat. 10 p.m. "House Music Party" w/ DJs Eddie Boom, Don Juan. Benefiting 4th Annual Trenton House Music Festival. $15 (advance) $20 (day of show)
All Shows 21+
Tavern On The Lake101 Main St. Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Wed. 8 p.m. Karaoke Night
The HOB Tavern
146 Second Street
(609) 291-7020
Sat. 9 p.m. Karaoke
The Ivy Inn
248 Nassau St. Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Ron
Fri. 10 p.m. Rainbow Fresh
Sat. 10 p.m. Mad Notes
Tues. 8 p.m. Quizzo w/ Bob E Luv
Wed. (8:30 p.m.) Tune Trivia (10:30 p.m.) DJ Rockn Ron
The Sticky Wicket
2465 South Broad St. Hamilton
(609) 439-0007
Fri. 9 p.m. Alright Alright
Sat. 9 p.m. No Way Out
The Sun National Bank Center
81 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 656-3200
Check web site for upcoming events
Tir Na Nog
1324 Hamilton Ave. Trenton
(609) 392-2554
Fri. 9 p.m. Chay & Taylor
Sat. 9 p.m. Mike Nabinger
Tues. 9 p.m. Open Mic. w/ Taylor Reed
Wed. 9 p.m. Paul Wiese
All shows 21+
Trenton Buzz702 Pine St. Trenton
(609) 392-6000
Thurs. 8 p.m. Open Mic. w/ Hek Cat
Trenton Social
449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Cinema Thursday Presents: (TBA)
Fri. 7 p.m. First Friday
Mon. 10 p.m. Service Industry Night w/ DJ-Jay Kountree
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic.
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Fri. 10 p.m. The Rooks. ($5 cover charge)
Sat. 10 p.m. The Boiled Owls. ($5 cover charge)
Sun. 7 p.m. Open Jam Night
All shows 21+
Wildflowers Inn
2572 Pennington Rd. Pennington
Sat. 9 p.m. Acoustic Rock
All shows 21+
Don Mclean & Lee Greenwood
Sunday, November 15, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJTwo iconic singers perform their hits and celebrate America’s 250 birthday! Singer/songwriter Don McLean is best known for the classic hit “American Pie,” as well as “Vincent” and “Castles in the Air.” Country superstar Lee Greenwood has seven top charting singles, including “I.O.U,” “It Turns Me Inside Out,” and the patriotic favorite, “God Bless the U.S.A.”
Song Of The Meadowlark
Sunday, November 15, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Highland Design Farm
159 Van Dyke Road, Hopewell, NJA meditative rock odyssey weaving reimagined contemporary songs, stream-of-consciousness poetry and live painting.
The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling
Wednesday, November 16, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJBlues guitar virtuoso Nick Moss and harmonica wizard Dennis Gruenling have been on a winning streak since they first joined forces in 2016. With relentless nonstop touring and the release of their Alligator Records debut, The High Cost Of Low Living, in 2018, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling has been playing for wildly enthusiastic fans and winning over critics and radio programmers worldwide.
Michael Mcdermott
Thursday, November 19, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJMichael McDermott’s brand of rock n’ roll brims with the kind of well-honed style and wisdom that can only come from a career on the road and a pedigree in the studio. Effortlessly blending natural folk sensibility, pop hooks, and honest rock, McDermott’s music is as much for the outcast as the congregation. It’s an exploration of the dark corners of life’s journey and it resonates middle class truths through the passionate filter of a kid that grew up on Chicago’s Irish South Side.
10,000 Maniacs
Thursday, November 19, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ10,000 Maniacs – 45 Years of Timeless Music
