About Nick Baker
I am 72 years old and according to my Mother, as a child I would take her pastry brushes and a biscuit tin and mimic the big band, jazz and swing drummers that appeared on the television in the 1950’s. I had a very early passion for the drums, I can’t explain why, I just did, and I still do. With the advent of Rock and Pop and the emergence of the Beatles in the early 1960’s my passion for the Drums grew even stronger and at the age of 16 I got my first drum kit. I started playing in a band with some of my school mates & by sheer luck we got to know Mike Robbins who was Paul McCartney’s Uncle and was Apple Music’s North West Talent Scout. Paul asked us to collect an old shellac 78 record of the Fats Waller single “I Believe in Miracles” from his Fathers house on the Wirral and create an updated modern version. We failed miserably, but Mike took me to one side and told me he would get me into a working band; Which he did, and at 16 I was playing in Working Men’s Clubs, Catholic Clubs, Pubs & Clubs all over Liverpool and the Wirral. Thereafter, I played in a variety of Semi-Professional Rock and Pop covers bands. Jump to 1972, my father wanted me to join him in his Retail Optical business so I moved to London to study optics and had my first drum lessons with John Taylor at Footes Drum Store in Soho, played with a number of London musicians, appeared in a Music Show with Long John Baldry at an East London Theatre, auditioned for Paul McCartney’s Wings, needless to say I didn’t get the job. I returned to the Wirral in 1975 and joined a professional band called “Oasis” (Not the Manchester band that emerged almost 20 years later). Oasis became one of Liverpools popular bands and after many gigs, a launch at the Kirklands Wine Bar in Hardman Street and a failed recording deal with the Warner Bros. subsidiary Purple Music the band split up. Several of the original members including myself went on to become the backing band for a touring American vocal trio called “The Realistics” with whom I toured most of the U.K. and played some shows in Germany. Jump to 1979, moved back to London, married, mortgage, children planned, had to get a more secure job. Started a day job in the optical business, but continued to play in Semi-Professional bands. I was in a band called “Three Point Turn” and we supported an unknown band called “U2” at the Rock Garden in Covent Garden in December 1979 and played the Nashville Rooms at the 3 Kings in Fulham where I got my one and only mention in the Melody Maker, “A passable drum solo by Drummer Nick Baker”. Kept playing in a variety of Semi-Pro bands until 1995 when the Optical part of my existence took a tremendous leap forward & I moved to the Channel Islands after being appointed a main Board Director of Specsavers. Whilst living on Guernsey I joined one the islands top bands and we would play many of the Corporate gigs that the Financial Industry had to offer and I was asked by a number of parents if I would teach their children how to play drums. Finally my Passion for playing the Drums took over my life and I took early retirement at 55 (2005) and returned to the U.K. I knew that my chances of getting into a professional working band were slight, as I was not in any way connected to the U.K. music scene having lived in Guernsey for 10 years. So the plan I had was to become a Teacher. I already had 40 years of studying & playing drums, partly professionally but mostly semi-professionally. Over the years I had studied and practised all the different genres of playing and taught myself how to read & write Drum Notation. Upon my return to the U.K. I signed up for a Drumming Course at Drumtech in Fulham. I was probably one of the oldest students they had ever had, which was hilarious, but they taught me a massive amount and most of all I was studying very carefully how they “Taught”. Once I had completed the exams I got a job teaching at a small music school attached to a music shop in Cockfosters and I also started visiting private students & teaching them in their homes. When the music shop in Cockfosters closed I got the job of Drum Teacher at the Stableyard Music School at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire and continued to build up my roster of private students. In 2013 I converted my garage into a soundproofed studio with a recording facility and did all my teaching from the studio. I was able to teach my students how to practice and we would do recording sessions for them with a Sound Engineer colleague of mine. But, the only thing I couldn’t provide for them was the opportunity to play in front of a live audience. As a result my Wife and I established and organised the “YOUNG MUSICIANS WORKSHOP”, along with a number of Guitar, Keyboard, Bass Guitar and Vocal teachers. The Young Musicians Workshop was held at the upstairs bar of the ChickenShed Theatre in Cockfosters and at it’s zenith had an audience just short of 200 parents, friends & family of the young performers. We also held “The Big Gig” event in the actual theatre with a sold-out audience of over 300 and full stage lighting, P.A., sound mixing desk and the introduction and performance of our “one and only” patron, Chesney Hawkes. Based on parental feedback there is no doubt in my mind that giving these young students the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience not only gave them confidence as musicians it developed confidence in themselves and all aspects of their life. Then came Covid!! And that finished it off. Finally, I would like to thank those who taught, mentored and helped me achieve my new life goal of helping to develop the next generation of drummers. Namely, John Taylor, Darryn Farrugia, Erik Stams, Ralph Salmins, Pete Riley and Steve White.