‘To drum or not to drum? That was the question’: David Campbell’s awkward family dilemma

TV host David Campbell faced a tricky situation when his son decided he wanted to be the ‘next Dave Grohl’. Here’s what happened.

William Shakespeare wrote: If music be the food of love, play on. Gee whiz, he had a way with the words, old Will, didn’t he?

Judging by this famous line, though, none of the Bard’s children asked for a drum kit. I reckon he might have quilled a cheeky rewrite on that Twelfth Night line if one of his daughters started to bangeth on the drums.

This was the dilemma that struck our household recently. To drum or not to drum? That was the question my wife and I had been debating for about 10 months, since our youngest son decided to come home from music classes with a desire to be the next Dave Grohl.

But all I could picture was Bamm-Bamm Rubble from The Flintstones crushing any goodwill in our neighbourhood.

It seemed somewhat cruel, since we had just come out of the recorder phase that – for some reason – involved an instrument with practise sessions that only ever existed in the back of our car.

‘All we could hear was the light tap-tapping of drumsticks on plastic.’ David Campbell is drumming up controversy. Picture: Getty Images

You’d never expect it, either; changing lanes, reverse parking or slowing down for a pedestrian crossing.

The sound of the recorder was brittle and put you immediately on edge – akin to chewing foil like it’s gum and never knowing when it will hit the filling. Quite a thrill.

So, like most good parents, we hedged and delayed, hoping the passion would die down. It did not. Fidgeting became tapping. Tapping became more rhythmic.

God forbid we went to a restaurant with chopsticks – it would be like having dinner with Ringo Starr.

I’m so grateful to have music in my life. It has taken me around the world on many adventures.

It has filled my soul and helped me to be an artist. It gifted me a career, one that I’m constantly falling back in love with. Plus, I’m just a fanboy deep down.

I love going to concerts with my children and introducing them to music I love and grew up with.

Read David Campbell’s full column inside Stellar. Picture: Sam Bisso for Stellar

It’s also a massive privilege that my eldest still connects and now talks to me through music he discovers, sending me playlists or songs he’s found on YouTube and TikTok.

I really do believe all children benefit from learning music and playing instruments. But I was hoping for something a little more … gentle.

The other problem with being a musician is that my inner circle is really just more musos – wonderful people who also love to help children achieve their dreams.

So when my best mate, who is an incredible drummer, heard my Billy was drum-curious, he didn’t hesitate to offer up a spare set.

We had nowhere to go. Our eight-year-old had backed us into a parental corner.

We were just going to ride it out. My nerves started to pack their bags quietly in my head.

When the day arrived, we discovered something that truly made me love these modern times we live in: my buddy’s spare set was electronic, which means a set of headphones was going to catch all of the beats.

All we could hear was the light tap-tapping of drumsticks on plastic. Our little drummer boy, pa rum pum pum pum-ming us all hours of the day. And if there had been electronic drum kits back in 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon, I think even old mate Will would have said, “Play on.”

David Campbell co-hosts Today Extra, 9am weekdays, on the Nine Network.

Originally published as ‘To drum or not to drum? That was the question’: David Campbell’s awkward family dilemma