The Journey Begins
Bid’s musical path started at age 4, when he received a drum kit for his birthday. As the youngest of four brothers, most of what he owned were hand‑me‑downs — but this kit was his, and his alone. His brothers weren’t interested in playing it… and, truth be told, neither was Bid at first. He was far more entertained spinning the cymbal on his finger, pretending it was a UFO.
At 6, he began piano lessons, learning the basics of chords and melody. By 9, he had a “real” drum kit — a modest three‑piece with one cymbal. Kick, snare, hi‑hat, and a ride — and that was enough. For the next five years, he jammed along to his brothers’ record collection: Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Toyah Wilcox.
Bands formed with school friends, until older kids in the village asked if he’d join theirs. Celestial Skies was born and then Cu. The kit got bigger, the gigs got better, and Bid knew he’d found his calling.
At 17, he auditioned for Edwin Starr’s band The Team. Within 32 bars of their first jam — “25 Miles” — Edwin stopped the music, looked at Bid, and said:
“Shit man, that’s how it’s supposed to be played… you’re hired!”
Two days later, his drums were on the bus, and he was on tour.
During this time he had his own band “The Big” where he wrote and produced the majority of the music with his school friend Pete Lawrence and it was during these early days he got involved in electronic drums using a Simmons SD9 on a few tracks.
London
By 1997, Bid had moved to London to study at Drumtech. There, he auditioned for Arkarna — a young electronic band signed to Warner Brothers, with their first releases just around the corner. He got the gig not only as drummer, allowing him to continue his journey with electronic drums, but also contributing to writing.
Their debut album Fresh Meat went Platinum in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, and the follow‑up The Family Album earned Gold.
Back in 1990, Edwin arranged a BBQ at his home in Polesworth for the band as well as Stevie Wonder and his band while they were over for shows. During that visit Bid struck up a friendship with Dennis Davis – Stevie’s drummer who invited him to the soundcheck at the NEC. Once there Dennis got Bid up on stage to check out his kit that included a DDRUM3. Not only did he have a play but he also had a jam with Stevie and the rest of the band when he sat behind the piano!
So when the Arkarna budget allowed, Bid made sure a DDRUM3 was top of his list – and he still has it!
It was during this period that Bid first met Leftfield, who were based in the same studio.
“They were the old boys downstairs,” Bid recalls. “We’d go down and ask them for a smoke if we ran out, or catch them in the kitchen for a chat. I remember sometimes they’d crank up the big system in their studio and the whole building would shake!”
Back home
Life in London continued until 2007 when things turned. His relationship at the time broke down as did the Dirty Geezer and eventually Bid did too! It was time to head home. Drowning in debt from bad decisions, Bid needed the support of family and friends to get himself back on track and it worked. In 2010, Bid’s career took several pivotal turns. He joined Leftfield as their drummer replacing co-founder Paul Daley, now in his 16th year with the band and described as an integral part of the live show.
That same year, he began working with the enigmatic Sixto Rodriguez, initially playing to intimate crowds of 30 people around the UK until the release of the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man in 2012 that changed everything. The film, which chronicled Rodriguez’s remarkable story, catapulted the once-obscure singer-songwriter to international recognition. Bid remained Rodriguez’s drummer for nine years until 2018, touring the world and performing at prestigious venues including multiple appearances at the Royal Albert Hall — a venue he first experienced at age 22 while playing with Edwin Starr.
He also stepped into the world of Above & Beyond as assistant musical director, performing on both their Acoustic I and Acoustic II world tours. These shows brought Bid into more iconic venues including the Hollywood Bowl, Sydney Opera House, and once again, the Royal Albert Hall — experiences that cemented his reputation as a dynamic and adaptable performer across diverse musical landscapes.
Birmingham
Away from the big stages, Bid continued experimenting with technology and electronic drums at his Birmingham studio, DGHQ. One early project, BTLGR, saw him remix a cappella vocals from well‑known songs over his own live‑triggered backing tracks and synchronised video. A crowd‑pleaser in every sense — but impossible to commercially release due to copyright restrictions.
Instead, Bid focused on creating original music with the same energy and live‑triggered concept, combining his drumming skills, electronic production, and visual creativity. Made in Birmingham was born.
It was during this time that Bid documented everything he was doing and in 2016 was invited to Hatch in Montana as a maverick — a recognised groundbreaker in his field. Hatch is an exclusive gathering that counts Hollywood actor Michael Keaton among its distinguished alumni. That year, Bid joined fellow attendees including NASA astronaut Cathy Coleman and Thomas Gruber, co-founder of Siri. It was here that he met Will Travis, founder of Elevation Barn, who went on to mentor Bid in putting together The Art of eDrumming — the first book ever written that combines the two worlds of drumming and technology. The book has since reached 6 continents and sold in over 25 countries
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