Self-taught and inspired by The Who's Keith Moon,[1] Brett "Buddy" Ascott began his musical career playing drums with South East London punk band, The Meat[2][3] at the age of eighteen in 1977.

Coming to prominence as part of the Mod revival[8] later that year, The Chords signed briefly to Jimmy Pursey's JP Records and then to Polydor.

A long-term deal with Virgin Records' Ten label fell through at the last minute, and in late 1984 he began a two-year stint as drummer for The Rage,[13] whom Sounds' Garry Bushell christened the first Mod supergroup.

[14] Ascott was selected as drummer for the "Spectrum[15]" Mod Aid charity project in 1985, recording a Kenny Lynch-produced version of All Or Nothing with Steve Marriott, Chris Farlowe, PP Arnold and many others.

Ascott left the UK in 1992 to travel, eventually remarrying and settling in Japan, where he formed a group with former-Chords' singer Billy Hassett, Red Away Tops.

Another Mod Aid single, 2005's Whatcha Gonna Do About It,[22] was recorded with Ron Wood, Steve Craddock and Reg Presley.

[23] This session led directly to the formation of Speakeasy, containing Mike "Ace" Evans of The Action, Fay Hallam of Makin' Time, Simon Stebbing of Purple Hearts and Mark Le Gallez of The Risk.

[29] Garage/punk group The Fallen Leaves invited Ascott to join in 2016, and he became their longest serving drummer, playing 111 shows over seven years.

For reasons still unexplained, Ascott was ousted from The Fallen Leaves in late 2023, just before the launch of the album "Simple Songs For Complex People".

[33] In 2017, as a trustee of the charity Roll Out The Barrel,[34] Ascott and Rick Buckler led a group of 40 drummers to the top of London's O2 to play a snare drum.

In 2019 Ascott booked London's 100 Club[38] to celebrate his 60th birthday, and performed sets with six previous and existing groups in a charity concert.