14th April 1955 was a good day for all citizens of Boomtown. Simon Crowe was born. The backbone to The Boomtown Rats, his signature drumming is key and the band wouldn't be the same without him.

As a founder member, he is an extremely important part of the band. For me personally, it was him who introduced me to them, that Thursday night in 1977 when I first heard them on the run down of the charts and what was coming up that evening on TOTPs, for it is his drumming that is the intro to Looking After No 1.

You should never underestimate the energy required to play the drums and just imagine the pace at which The Boomtown Rats play how much strength is needed. Much respect to Simon for this. As we know his talents are not confined to drumming, he is one of the main backing singers for the songs and his name is also credited to the co-writing of Like Clockwork. He has a voice like an angel, as we get to hear on Fall Down, where he is the solo vocalist.

Such are his drumming talents, while still a member of The Boomtown Rats first time round, he was loaned out to Thin Lizzy on a couple of occasions. He also jointly wrote together with Pete and Kirsty MacColl, You Caught Me Out which was originally recorded in 1979.

After the Rats split up in 1986 he went on to work on his own projects which included The Velcro Flies, jiggery Pippery and Gung Ho, some of which were collaborations with Garry, with whom had been close friends since their early teens, and Johnnie.

Simon also collaborated with Garry on another version of the Boomtown Rats after the split. They did various gigs around the country, and I was lucky enough to see them a few times. They remade some of the songs because the band was a basic four piece with no keyboardist, for example I don't like Mondays had a guitar intro.

Interviews with Simon are few and far between as he is a quieter member who doesn't generally seek publicity. His quieter considered intelligence is always welcome when he does partake in an interview, but he is certainly not without humour. In one chat he described how Bob had gone to see him and Garry play in their version of The Rats and believed it was seeing them again that put a seed in his mind for reRatting in future. He also talked about Bob's reaction to seeing them play the old songs. Bob had found it very strange to watch and not be involved himself

At 67 his energy is as strong as ever and he continues to drum for The Boomtown Rats.

I hope you will join me in wishing him a very Happy Birthday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C58tywmN0Oo