ROMEK Parol went to school with The Who, supported ZZ Top — and when he was down on his luck, the veteran drummer drove a London taxi to earn a few bob.

Now he is hitching a fresh ride on the rock and roll express with hard-edged R&B outfit The Spellkasters.

“My mum was an opera singer and I chose rock and roll — I’m still enjoying it as much as the first day I whacked a drum kit when I was a kid,” said Parol, whose band will be one of the main attractions at next month's Blackburn Blues, Rhythm and Rock Festival.

“I think she rather hoped that nothing would come of it, that I’d become an accountant or a solicitor, but I couldn’t live life without my drums — that's when I come alive.

“One day mum turned up to see me play with my old band The Pirates at a tiny, smoke-filled club and she said, ‘That’s rather good, Romek.’ I was really proud, you know.”

The Pirates were co-founded by Mick Green, who worked with Van Morrison and Paul McCartney when he wasn't fronting his raucous three-piece.

But when the well known singer died in 2010, the rhythm section of the band, Parol and bass man BJ Anders, were not sure whether they could carry on with their leader gone.

"The time I spent with Mick Green was the best five years of my musical life,” added Romek. “And the stuff we are doing now is three-chord, blues and rock — I know Mick would have enjoyed it.

“Like our old band, The Spellkasters are fuelled on raw energy.

“We are a gritty R&B band and that's how I like my music.

“I needed to carry on because drumming is all I know”

Parol rates the late Led Zeppelin drummer Jon Bonham as probably the greatest rock sticks man.

“I got to see Led Zep many moons ago and he was out of this world,” he recalled.

“There are so many drummers that influence your style — Cozy Powell, Ginger Baker, and Charlie Watts — they are all brilliant.

“People say what did Charlie Watts do in The Rolling Stones?

“He was a master of keeping the beat of the band turned down — he kept everybody in check.

“On the flip side, Keith Moon (The Who) was horribly good.

“Moon did things that most drummers were frightened of doing with a kit.”

Parol, who has also worked on and off with Thin Lizzy’s guitar slinger Eric Bell, added: “I went to school in Ealing and Roger Daltrey. Pete Townshend and John Entwistle were a few years above me. I used to see them kicking about at school and many years later, when I was driving a taxi, I picked Townshend up in London and we had a great chat about the old days.”

Parol lives in a tiny village in Ireland, a world away from the fast and furious onslaught of rock.

But don’t be fooled into thinking this is just a tired old tribute band.

While there will be a healthy mix of covers and originals, there will be some serious musical talent on show when they take to the stage on Sunday week.

“In all the years together with the Pirates we never played a gig in Britain — and I don’t know why that was.

“We did scare the rest of Europe, though. One day, were working in a studio in Sweden, and we got a call out of the blue wanting to know if we’d support ZZ Top on their tour of Europe.

“I thought it was a wind-up, so I said, ‘How much?

“The guy said, 'Expenses only.’ “I put the telephone down and when I told BJ (bassist) he fell off his chair in shock.

“To cut a long story short, a few weeks later we were on stage opening up for ZZ Top in front of 50,000 fans.

“ZZ Top loved us, and wanted The Pirates to come on their world tour.

“We had too many commitments, though, recording and touring, but looking back we should have done it.”

  • The Spellkasters, Blackburn Blues, Rhythm and Rock Festival, Blackburn King George’s Hall, October 5.