“I’m not an alcoholic, I am freedom fighter against the teetotal taliban.”

Things inspiring me – good melody, a great bass line, a fabulous voice… by which I mean someone who sounds great, rather than does pyrotechnics… and people playing really musically.

Our cheeky sidekick. We’re like a motorcycle and sidecar.

It’s a weight problem isn’t it; you can’t wait for lunch.

The thing that interests me far more than anything is creating music, songwriting and arranging, and in that context drumming itself is a means to an end.

The harder you work, the luckier you get” is true in all things.

The American dream? We don’t have a dream in Britain because we’re bloody awake!

When I showed an interest in drumming, he showed me how to mummy-daddy roll and that set me up for a bit.

I love playing. In lots of ways, I think having been able to carry on playing purely out of love rather than having to do it for a living means I still love the drums.

You can leave a kid alone and it will learn to fend for itself, how to work the remote, a tin opener, and the microwave.

We need a war every 10 years, so we can stay match fit in case the Germans try again.

In the world of comedy, there’s this: “If it’s going badly, get off. If it’s going well, get off”. You can’t argue with that either.

I’m a natural born show off. I love performing, and at school we had a really good music scene and an even better drama scene.

When I got to university, I played in bands and did sketch stuff and it was always about coming up with material, which is why I never really practised and have no chops!!

I see the holidays as a chance for kids to learn self-sufficiency.

And to be honest, it’s all about the sound, the noise, the rattle and hum. Who wouldn’t want to make a fantastic noise with drums and cymbals?!

I think it’s really easy to forget that – I’d sooner play something musical than flash, and as I can’t play anything flash.

The streets was basically my parents.

I’ve got a history of frustrating guys and making them angry.

There’s no great person that lived that didn’t go through scrutiny or ridicule and prosecution in all types of ways, to be who they are in history.

I function better when my back is to the wall.

As a fighter, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to get the big fights.

I got knocked down. Anybody could be knocked down, anybody can be knocked out, but it’s not what happened, but what happens next.

Did you hear what this idiot just said!? He said it’s not about the W…It’s everything about the W with me!

You look at someone like Gandhi, and he glowed. Martin Luther King glowed. Muhammad Ali glows. I think that’s from being bright all the time, and trying to be brighter.