Robert Grey (born 21 April 1951) is an English

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

best known as the drummer for

Wire Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm A wire is a flexible strand of metal. Wire is c ...

. He is sometimes credited as Robert Gotobed.

Career

In 1973, Grey joined his first band, an R&B group called the Snakes, as vocalist. The Snakes released one single, "Teenage Head". After the group folded, Grey began teaching himself to drum. He has been

's regular drummer since their start in 1976; at first he used the stage name 'Robert Gotobed'. Grey left the band in 1990, after the release of the album ''

Manscape ''Manscape'' is the seventh studio album by the British post-punk group Wire, released in May 1990 by Mute Records. It was produced by David M. Allen, mostly recorded and mixed at RAK Studios, engineered by Roy Spong, and published by Dying Ar ...

'', because of Wire's increasing use of sequencers, computers, and drum machines. He began to feel uncomfortable as the band moved further into a computer-based environment. After his departure, the band dropped one letter from its name, becoming "Wir". Grey started exploring African drumming and devoted his time to organic agriculture, running a small farm in

The Midlands, England The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...

. He rejoined Wire in 2000, dropping his Robert Gotobed alias and using his birthname Robert Grey. He has recorded and toured with the band since.

References

1951 births English punk rock drummers Living people Wire (band) members People from Harborough District {{Drummer-stub