“I developed a passion for American blues music, and I'd buy albums fro...” — David Essex Quote

I developed a passion for American blues music, and I'd buy albums from a record shop in Soho, which I played on my Dansette record player. My favourites were blues legends Memphis Slim, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters.

I started in blues bands when I was 15.

You don't have to spend a fortune to have a good holiday.

I'm sad to say that I've never really kept in touch with my Scottish roots. We never went up there when I was a child, but I have visited a lot and had the best New Year's Eve of my life in Edinburgh. It was spectacular.

I was the drummer hiding behind the cymbals. By the time fame came along, I'd worked in the business for a decade, then suddenly, I was being mobbed.

I didn't grow up working on 24-track - the first two Taste albums were eight-track and we always had tracks left over - we couldn't believe it, either!

One thing I always hated with CDs is when people started putting 65 to 75 minutes on their albums.

I think that I've got some pretty bad reviews on albums or songs that later proved themselves.

It's almost like a theater, where I can play a character in every song, 'cause Kamelot songs are very... There's always a narrative going on. There's a story within albums and in songs, so I get to play a character and sing it in a different way than people might recognize coming from me.