A CLOSE friend of drumming legend Keith Moon will be at the next Palace Drum Clinic to talk about his experiences with rock band The Who.
Peter Butler, who goes by his middle name ‘Dougal’, says he is looking forward to sharing behind the scenes tales about Keith’s life.
“I will answer anything people want to know,” said Dougal who will be at Redditch Palace Theatre on June 20, “And believe me, there’s lots to tell.”
Keith Moon had a unique drumming style, which Dougal describes as though he was ‘playing in an orchestra’.
And the wild man of The Who continues to be praised as one of the best to ever by critics and musicians – much like Redditch’s John Bonham – despite his death more than 40 years ago.
Dougal himself began life as a roadie on The Who’s 1967 tour, before eventually becoming Moon’s personal assistant.
“He was a really nice guy and we had many wild nights together,” he said, “visiting the Playboy Mansion a few times.”
Their first visit came after The Who finished a tour in Canada.
Keith turned to Dougal and asked if he would like to go for a drink at Hugh Hefner’s home.
Dougal said: “Hugh came out to greet us in his famous red dressing gown. It was a crazy time in our lives.”
However their friendship began to deteriorate because of Keith’s hard drug use.
“He was using all the time and I told him I couldn’t keep up with his lifestyle anymore. I was in my late twenties and wanted a change.”
Dougal quit, telling Keith’s management the drummer would be dead ‘within a year’ if he didn’t get help.
Nine months later Keith Moon was found dead from an overdose.
Founder of Palace Drum Clinic, Matt Green, said: “It will be great to have someone of Dougal’s calibre to come and speak to us.
“He will be bringing photos and stories with him, not just of Moonie but also other drummers and people he met along the way.”
Tickets are £10 from the palacedrumclinic.com, on 01527 65203 or from the Palace Theatre website.
