'I was the first exploding drummer': Herman’s Hermits' Barry Whitwam speaks ahead of 60s shows in Wolverhampton and Birmingham - including hilarious tales of touring with The Who, meeting Elvis and his mate Don Powell
He was 'the first exploding drummer' when The Who rigged his seat with gunpowder, helped save Keith Moon getting arrested for indecent exposure, met the Queen's Mother and came face-to-face with Elvis.
Herman's Hermits' Barry 'Bean' Whitwam has lived an exciting life during his 54 years in rock 'n' roll.
The Mancunian drummer was just 18 when his band reached number one with their debut single I'm Into Something Good, which saw the group soar to stardom. This also meant they were surrounded by crazed fans - some of whom would even run after the lads with scissors, hoping to get a lock of their hair, and hang on to the back of their limo as they left gigs.
See Herman's Hermits perform I'm Into Something Good here:
Barry, now aged 71, first learned to play drums at the age of 11 after convincing his mother to buy him a mismatched second-hand set for £40. He'd been influenced by the likes of Chuck Berry, Elvis and Ringo Starr, whose records he would buy and play alongside till he'd perfected their styles.
He left school at the age of 15 to become a ladies' hairdresser, as 'the guys in (his) class were going into engineering or working in garages'. But he soon left the salon to pursue a career in music once he'd begun playing regular shows with his band - not without bargaining with his father though, who insisted he must practise for eight hours every day, much to their neighbours' delight.
Barry said he had struggled to get on at first, adding he's not sure how he 'got away with' playing in front of audiences - until a remark from a friend saved him.
"One of my mates came up to me and said ‘I didn’t realise you were left-handed’. I said I’m not," laughed the father of two.
"He explained the way I had it set up was for left-handed players.
"I changed it all around and got on like a house on fire."
See the band play Something Is Happening in 1968 here:
After hitting the big-time with their first release, Herman's Hermits toured the US where Barry had to learn exit strategies in order to avoid crazed fans who would wait outside venues to mob the group as they left.
"We had a big limousine with a boomerang on the back and kids would run after it, jump and hang off the boomerang. I remember the driver trying to go as fast as possible, trying to get them off," Barry added wryly.
"The once I came off stage the wrong side and by the time I’d realised the car had left without me.
"I went out the back door and a load of kids came running after me, so as a guy in his car drove past I begged him to let me in.
"We got away and he asked me ‘where are you staying?’ to which I said ‘I don’t know, but I think I know what it looks like if I were to see it’.
"He drove me round for two hours before I found it."
This success also saw the group tour America alongside fellow 60s icons The Who - an experience which has left Barry with an array of hilarious tales to tell. One of these many adventures saw the Herman's Hermits drummer share a 21st birthday party with Keith Moon at which they 'decorated' the room with a huge cake fight, causing $25,000 worth of damage.
