This month's interview is with none other than Jon Bartley - the Mustangs' dynamic tub-thumper who has played in bands with Adam for more than 20 years.

Q: Hi Jon. Thanks for your time... you've been drumming with The Band for 18 months now - looking back what have been the highs for you in that time?

A: The real high for me has been to see the venues that The Band plays in get bigger and bigger - and in such a relatively short space of time. It has been fantastic to play in front of crowds of thousands rather than just hundreds. I have also been surprised by the significant change for the band that such a move brings. It sn't just a matter of playing on bigger stages, with louder PAs and more applause. There is a different dynamic that the band has needed to grasp, and a maturity and presence it requires to play in these kinds of contexts. I think we are slowly developing these qualities and skills, and as we do, the highs get even higher!

Q: You and Ben are fast developing a reputation as one of the tightest rhythm sections on the circuit... can you explain what this means and why it's so important?

A: I have no explanation! Can't understand it myself... Seriously though, I can only speak from my perspective and say that Ben is a really easy bassist to play with. We seem to lock in really well. We keep it simple. New equipment has helped as well; in terms of the new drums and bass amp which we recently purchased. I had been playing the same kit for 20 years, and frankly it was time for a change. The new gear has given us a much more powerful sound which really drives the band and provides a solidity which underpins Derek's harp and Ad's guitar.

Q: How did you get into drumming and who were your early inspirations? What inspires you now?

A: I got into drumming because I wanted to give up the piano when I was 10 years old. I struck a deal with my parents, who really wanted me to learn an instrument - that if I practiced and had drum lessons for a year (and proved I could stick at something) they would let me give up the piano. Of course I regret giving up the piano now, but have never regretted learning the drums (except of course at 3.30am in the morning when I am returning home from a gig 100 miles away and realise that I still have to unload them all from the car on my own). I have always been drawn to Keith Moon from The Who. I am not a particularly tight drummer, and believe that you can lose a lot of the power, spontaneity, feel and dynamic when you focus too much on tightness. I like to keep it loose, and Keith Moon I think is a good example of how you can do that - well. More recent influences have included bands such as Portishead, and others who have combined a classic drum machine sound/feel with guitars over top. I love that mix and like to try and explore it in my playing, but with a live sound of course. I try and employ similar rhythms and feels under some of the slower bluesy numbers that we play, and it works quite well.

Q: The band's live show is full of energy and you seem to drive that on with your drumming, but don't you ever want to get up out front and claim a higher stage profile? Are you a frustrated front man?

A: I am a frustrated front man, but at the same time I like the safety of hiding behind a drum kit. I think you have to be a bit of an exhibitionist to be a good front man - which I am not really. We could always do with moving my drums closer to the front of the stage though...

Q: You and Adam have been together a long time and been in many bands together. How is the Mustangs different to other bands you have been in together?

A: We know how to play our instruments now :) It's true that we have been in loads of bands together. We were at school together and have been playing in bands for as long as I can remember. I think its 20 years now. But I think that we realise that the blues is what we are best at, and perhaps what we were always supposed to be playing. But until now we had been playing music which didn't really fit comfortably with our styles. It's a bit like we have come home with The Mustangs.

Q: What is the secret to putting up with Adam for so long?

A: Don't take him too seriously.

Q: You've been drumming professionally for more than 20 years but you're still fairly young. How has gigging and music changed for you over that time?

A: Having a family (3 kids) has made it harder just to take off in a van, tour the country whenever the opportunity arises. Being woken up by kids at 6.00am after getting to bed at 4.00am also puts a slightly different perspective on things. Technology has moved on, and drums have got lighter in that time, which is a bonus!

Q: What factors set The Band apart from others on the UK blues scene?

A: I think our youth is a major "unique selling point" for The Mustangs - particularly when combined with quite a bit of experience which stretches back decades, despite the fact that three of us are in our early to mid thirties. Adam and I were gigging and recording together when we were 14 in Central London venues, which means we bring experiences and a relationship which bands with members of similar ages to ourselves, just don't have. I think that the powerful sound is also an important distinguisher. It is our live performance which makes The Band so attractive. We are still struggling a bit to capture it on our albums, and that is a big challenge for the next CD. But the difference becomes really clear when we play alongside other blues bands. The way our own material comes across, as well as the covers we re-interpret, sets us apart quite obviously in terms of the heavier and harder sound and the energy - particularly from Adam's stage presence.

Q: What are your personal plans and aims for The Band over the next 12 months?

A: I would like to see us consolidate our new position, playing the venues and festivals to thousands rather than hundreds. We have reached a new level, which we need to adjust to, but also learn how to play and explore together (It's a musical journey... now that sounds like a song title doesn't it?).

Q: As yet, you haven't written anything for The Band - might this change with the next CD?

A: The Band keep pressing me to write, but I have actually never written a song in my life. This is somewhat ironic as writing is quite a big part of my life. I have written two books, and write regularly for a number of magazines and newspapers. We'll have to see...

Q: You have a fairly high profile outside of The Band - doing television and radio, writing for newspapers. Tell us about your work away from The Mustangs and how you manage to combine the two demanding jobs.

A: I run a thinktank which means I do quite a bit of public speaking, and I am asked to comment by press, radio and TV on a whole range of issues - which is stuff that I really like. My background is politics - I actually worked for one Prime Minister (I won't say which one) for a while. By if the truth be known, I really don't like party politics at all. Tony Benn said something quite profound when he retired; "I am leaving the House of Commons to concentrate on politics". That I think sums it up for me. I think that movements change the important things, not politicians, and that's why I do what I do. The Mustangs, for me, provide a really important contrast to my other work. Along with playing golf, playing gigs are times I can get away from it all and focus on something completely different. The Mustangs keep me sane!

Thanks Jon.