Antony Hodgkinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antony Hodgkinson
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Tony the Interpretative Dancer |
| Born | 1967/1968 (age 57–58) St Albans, England |
| Origin | Nottingham, England |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Associated acts | Nirvana, Bivouac, Julian Cope |
Antony Hodgkinson (born in 1967 or 1968), also known as Tony the Interpretative Dancer, is an English rock drummer. He has played drums for bands like Bivouac and with Julian Cope. He is most famous for his connection with the band Nirvana. He often danced on stage with them during their tours in Britain.
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Early Life and Music
Hodgkinson was born in St Albans, England, in 1967 or 1968. His birth mother was from the Lakota Sioux tribe. He was adopted and grew up in Derby.
In the 1970s, he enjoyed BMX riding. He would visit nearby Nottingham for this hobby. After some difficult times growing up, Hodgkinson started playing the drums.
Dancing with Nirvana
In 1989, after recovering from a period of not feeling well, Hodgkinson was asked to pick up the band Nirvana from the airport. A friend, Russell Warby, who booked music acts, made the request. Hodgkinson quickly became friends with the band members. He felt they accepted him even when he was feeling down.
Hodgkinson joined Nirvana on their 1990 UK tour. By this time, Dave Grohl had become their drummer. Hodgkinson later said he was especially good friends with Grohl.
First Dance Performance
Hodgkinson first danced on stage with Nirvana at a show in Leeds. The band dared him to go on stage wearing a dress belonging to Warby's girlfriend. Grohl later recalled, "He just wound up coming up on stage one night." He added, "Kurt loved him, we all loved him."
Hodgkinson remembered that first show was very energetic. He tried to avoid being hit by Krist Novoselic's bass guitar. He also made sure not to bump into frontman Kurt Cobain with his dance moves. Hodgkinson also danced with the band at the 1991 Reading Festival. He joined them about halfway through their performance.
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Hodgkinson is best remembered for his dancing at the 1992 Reading Festival. By then, he was also the drummer for the band Bivouac. For this famous performance, Hodgkinson wore baggy women's clothes, a tie, Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes, and clown face paint. He danced in a very energetic way, often pogoing (jumping up and down).
Hodgkinson mentioned that some of his dance moves were inspired by Native American dances. The band's performance was mostly unplanned. Hodgkinson recalled feeling "absolutely shattered" afterwards. He felt very tired and stiff from all the dancing.
Hodgkinson appears a lot on the band's Live at Reading DVD. He is featured in 12 of the 25 songs. After this big event, Hodgkinson stopped drumming for six years.
Life After Nirvana
Antony Hodgkinson later returned to drumming. He is now a semi-professional musician. He plays with bands like Dogntank, Island Apes, and Great Raven. He has also played drums for Punish the Atom and with Julian Cope. He worked on the music for Cope's first novel, One Three One.
Hodgkinson lives in Nottingham. He also works installing recording studios. Additionally, he is a tester in the software industry. Later in his life, he found out he had severe dyslexia. He no longer dances because of injuries he got while surfing. Hodgkinson was interviewed for the 2021 BBC documentary called When Nirvana Came to Britain.
See Also
