Patrick Seacor – aka (Paddy Boom Boom) – original Scissor Sisters’ drummer and currently singer/songwriter for “Manitou” his new project featuring an all-star line-up with members of Bowie, Byrne and Brand New Heavies.

…she was right there with it… and she was”. Those were the words coming through the wall as I waited backstage at The Jools Holland Show at BBC Studios in London last Tuesday. Accompanied by a Brazilian drummer, hand claps and that most distinguishable of voices, it was indeed David Byrne doing a bare-bones rehearsal next door. Scissor Sisters were there playing ‘Later with Jools Holland’ along with Basement Jaxx, Norah Jones, Howard Tate and David Byrne. Everything is sort of surreal these days as there is a melding of childhood fantasies into an almost absurd reality. All the bands were there (yes I met Mr.Big Suit himself) sound checking and lounging a bit in the off time before the show started.  I knew the percussion player from David Byrne’s band from NYC as we both have played drums for Brazilian dance classes downtown.  David & co.  were also in the rehearsal studio next to us in NYC just prior the tour. Small world indeed.

At showtime, the crowd of 150 or so people enters the studio, followed by all the bands, then Jools Holland himself enters and chats up the crowd a bit. Jools Holland (formerly of Squeeze and a zillion session recordings) hosts the best weekly music show on the BBC. He has 4 bands do 2-3 songs each, interspersed with interviews and chatter and everyone’s performance is taped live. We are directly facing Basement Jaxx about 50 yards away and to our left is Norah Jones who is facing David Byrne. Anyway, I had a feeling of suspense mixed with awe watching the others perform their musical offerings. I kept freaking out thinking of how many gigs David Byrne has done in his life and yet there he was just a few yards away. He did 2 new songs and an orchestral, string-soaked version of my fave ‘Naïve melody/This must be the place’. When asked during his interview what he is listening to on his I-pod, David Byrne points towards us and says “those guys”. Wwwhhhaaa wwhhhaa whhaaa  what?!!!!!!!!!!!!!