Gavin Harrison

A distinguished drummer who has provided his sticks to both King Crimson and Porcupine Tree, David Harrison has also collaborated with Kevin Ayers, Lisa Stansfield, and the great Iggy Pop.

After beginning to drum professionally at the close of the 1970s, Harrison toured with the band Renaissance in the early 80s before working through the next few decades as a session drummer. During this period, he would provide rhythmic support for names like Artful Dodger, Tom Robinson and Level 42, to name but a few.

In 2002, however, Harrison began his definitive eight-year stint in Steven Wilson’s Porcupine Tree. Replacing Chris Maitland, Harrison joined the band just in time for their chart-topping smash In Absentia. Reissued in 2004, Porcupine Tree then embarked on an extensive tour throughout Europe and North America, ending with a climactic homecoming performance at London’s Astoria.

From 2007, Harrison began an extended collaboration with the artist 05Ric on a trio of albums. Starting with that year’s Drop, next came Circles in 2009 and finally The Man Who Sold Himself in 2012. In tandem with this, Harrison joined the ranks of King Crimson that same year. Playing alongside their second drummer Pat Mastelotto in the experimental rock outfit, Harrison performed a series of US dates with the band during the summer of 2008.

Since January 2017, Harrison is now one of four drummers within King Crimson’s new eight-member line-up. What’s more, 2017 would also see Harrison support prog-rockers The Pineapple Thief for their Your Wilderness tour, the 2016 LP to which the drummer had also lent his masterful percussion.

Named by Modern Drummer as one of the ‘Top 50 Greatest Drummers of all Time’ and the third-best drummer in the past 25 years by Rolling Stone magazine, there is certainly no questioning the man’s impact. In whichever setting you witness Gavin Harrison, be it as a fully-fledged band member or on a BJ Cole record, he is sure to impress.