Dave Rowntree

Blur Drummer a Candidate in UK Election

Lots of musicians are happy to express their political views in their lyrics, but few go the extra mile to encourage change when their musical careers fade out. Bob Geldof became an anti-poverty activist, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic campaigns for electoral reform, and now Blur drummer Dave Rowntree is standing as a candidate to become a member of the UK parliament at the next general election. “The biggest issue in Westminster is housing” he told the BBC, referring to the central London area he wants to represent. “If there is bad housing then you will also get drug problems, mental health problems, unemployment, crime and anti-social behavior.” But while Blur’s singer Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon are well-known figures, as with most bands, few notice the man sitting behind the drum-kit. “Though I am in a famous band I have not got a particularly famous face so there are no distractions on the doorstep,” he said. “It is not glamorous, nobody cheers or claps after you've done it, but it is necessary if you want to improve the lot of people in your neighborhood.”