Twenty years ago, when he walked away from the band that he helped create, drummer Terry Chambers didn’t see much future for Brit-pop innovators XTC. Leader Andy Partridge had pulled the plug on live performances, and he and bassist Colin Moulding had written a new batch of material generally unsuited to Chambers’ hard-hitting style.

After recording two songs for the follow-up to XTC’s seminal album English Settlement, Chambers moved to his wife’s native Australia and – except for a brief stint with Aussie band Dragon’turned his back on the music industry – and the drums.

Now, in a sense, Chambers is back on the drum throne. Still going strong, XTC has recently released a four-CD retrospective of its fifteen-year career with Virgin Records, titled A Coat Of Many Cupboards, which showcases his playing. And Chambers’ son, Kai, has become a well-known drummer in the Sydney/Newcastle area, most recently with power-pop trio Tone Orange. Advertisement

Now making his living as a construction foreman, Chambers turned his attention to the drums again about five years ago, when Kai asked for lessons. “I warned him about life as a musician, and figured he’d get it out of his system in six months. But it never happened,” Chambers says proudly. “I’m glad, because it’s created an interest for me.”