Dave Rowntree

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Dave Rowntree is an English drummer, born in 1964 in Colchester. His mother played the viola and his father was a sound engineer at the BBC. At weekends he had percussion lessons at a music school, and with his father he played in a brass band. After school he studied computer science and worked as a programmer for Colchester council. In his youth he was already playing in bands with Graham Coxon.

Music and breakthrough

In 1989 Coxon introduced him to Damon Albarn, who was starting a band in London. Rowntree quit his job and moved to London. With the bassist Alex James joining, and after two changes of name, it became Blur. The band signed to Food Records and in the 1990s grew into one of the great Britpop groups, with albums such as Modern Life Is Rubbish and Parklife. Rowntree provided the tight, energetic drumming beneath Albarn's clever, ironic songs.

Influence

Besides Blur, Rowntree did a remarkable number of other things. With Alex James he supported the British Mars lander Beagle 2, which carried a Blur-composed call sign. He ran an animation company, became a criminal-law solicitor and was active for the Labour Party, including as a councillor in Norfolk. He also composed music for television, such as for the series The Capture, and presented radio. In 2023 his first solo album, Radio Songs, appeared.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 2020The Capture (Original Television Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
• 2023Radio Songs

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Mixtape 13: From Cassette to Cloud^NL Reader