Hugh Whitaker is the former drummer

Drummer

A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

 for the British

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 indie rock

Indie rock

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 band The Housemartins

The Housemartins

The Housemartins were an English indie pop band that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxist politics and Christianity, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time .-Formation:The band was formed in late 1983 by Paul Heaton and...

. He replaced original drummer Chris Lang

Chris Lang

Chris Lang is a writer, actor, and producer for British television.He has written for British television shows including 'Alas Smith and Jones, The Bill, Casualty, Soldier Soldier, The Knock, Reach for the Moon, The Glass, Sirens, Unconditional Love, P.O.W., Amnesia, Lawless,The Palace, 'Primeval...

 and drummed for the band's first album, London 0 Hull 4

London 0 Hull 4

London 0 Hull 4 is a 1986 album by The Housemartins. It was their first album and contains the singles "Flag Day" , "Sheep" , "Happy Hour" and "Think for a Minute" ....

, and its attendant single releases. He left the band before the recording of their second album, The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death

The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death

The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death was the second and last studio album by The Housemartins. It was released in 1987. The songs "Five Get Over Excited", "Me and the Farmer" and "Build" were released as singles...

. Whitaker left the band on amicable terms and even participated in the piss-taking video for the band's first single without him, "Five Get Over Excited

Five Get Over Excited

Five Get Over Excited is a song by The Housemartins released as a single from their album The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death.The followup to their #1 UK hit "Caravan of Love" , it peaked at #11 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1987.Although it was the first single without drummer Hugh...

", wherein he was kidnapped by his replacement, Dave Hemingway

Dave Hemingway

Dave Hemingway , is a British musician and songwriter, and was a lead vocalist for the Hull-based band The Beautiful South until they disbanded in 2007...

, and locked in a hessian sack.

Hugh Whitaker went on to play drums in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

-based indie

Indie rock

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 band The Servants

The Servants

The Servants was an indie band formed in 1985 in Hayes, Middlesex, England by singer and songwriter David Westlake. The Servants were on 1986’s NME-associated C86 compilation, and the greatly expanded 48-song reissue version in 2006. The Servants was the original home of Luke Haines...

, and then in several Hull

Kingston upon Hull

Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...

 rock bands, including The Penny Candles, The Juniper Chute, The Fabulous Ducks, and The Gargoyles.

In 1993, Whitaker was convicted of assault

Assault

In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...

 after attacking his former business partner James Hewitt with an axe, and firebombing his house after Hewitt had seemingly cheated him. He served 5 years in prison. After his release, he moved to Leeds

Leeds

Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

. In 2004, he was playing drums with a local band called Percy.