Musicians - Gavan Whelan

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	Musicians - Gavan Whelan

Gavan Whelan was the original drummer for UK band James, and was a part of the 1980's 4 piece line-up that only die-hard James fans really know about.

Whelan was a huge fan of the prog rock movement with bands like Rush and Deep Purple among his favourites. These tastes in music conflicted straight away with Jim Glennie and Paul Gilbertsons tastes when he first joined James back in the very early 1980's. However, Glennie and Gilbertson weren't complaining too much, as it was clear that Whelan was the only one of the three who could actually really play at the time.

Whelan's drumming was both technically gifted and chaotic at the same time, in such a way that it played a big part in outlining what James would always be about in the many years to come. However confrontations were occurring far too often during band practices and sometimes at gigs. One dreadfull gig, in which many James fans were injured due to the crowd pushing forwards, saw a confrontation between Tim Booth and Gavan, which led to Whelan losing his temper and almost assaulting Booth. Gavan was renound among the band for having a very short fuse and a seriously wild temper, both of which hit a peak at this particular concert.

Both Glennie and Larry Gott, who had replaced Paul as their guitarist, were in agreement that Whelan was to be sacked.

Inspight of this Booth still gives the credit due, also saying that he was "an amazing drummer", as do the rest of the band members who knew him.

Whelan had a nervous breakdown after his sacking - "I wouldn't get out of bed for months...my life had gone. That had been my life for ten years". He appeared to still be bitter about the decision when the James biography was released in 2000.

Since James, Whelan is believed to have worked as a drum roadie for both Primal Scream and the Happy Mondays. He has also worked as a producer for a new band called Alive, playing drums on one of their songs.

He contributed heavily to James for almost a decade, through from before James had even adopted their name in 1982 to 1988. His drumming can be heard on both the Stutter and Stripmine studio albums, although One Man Clapping probably best showcased both he and the original 4 piece's real capabilities.

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