The drummer Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders said was “hard to beat”
Since Arctic Monkeys entered the music scene in the mid-2000s, captivating the British public with their debut single, ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’, they’ve solidified their position as one of the biggest bands of the 21st century.
Upon the release of the band’s first record, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, in 2006, it earned the title of the fastest-selling debut album in the United Kingdom. The record also featured hits such as ‘When the Sun Goes Down’ and ‘The View from the Afternoon’, gaining popularity due to lead vocalist Alex Turner’s clever lyrical observations about British nightlife and youth culture.
However, alongside Turner’s wise-beyond-his-years penmanship, the band have also attracted masses of fans due to their musical ability, blending an eclectic range of influences, from fast-paced punk to hip-hop, into their sound. While each member has proved to be a vital cog in the machine, Matt Helders’ impeccable drumming skills are essential to the band’s success. In fact, Helders is easily one of the most underrated drummers of the past few decades.
His ability to play incredibly upbeat, pummelling drum patterns, best demonstrated in songs like ‘Pretty Visitors’, alongside restrained, mellow beats, is often overlooked. Yet, Helders’ impressive stamina drives every track forward, elevating them to even greater heights.
The musician has taken inspiration from a variety of iconic drummers to hone his sound, citing people from John Bonham to Questlove as some of his favourites. However, there’s one drummer that Helders once dubbed “hard to beat”.
While picking out essential albums for Music Radar, Helders selected Queens of the Stone Age’s 2002 album Songs for the Deaf, which features ex-Nirvana member Dave Grohl on drums. He explained his love for the Foo Fighters frontman, stating, “It’s hard to beat Dave Grohl, isn’t it? He played on this record, and as usual, he’s just incredible.”
He added: “The relationship that he has with Josh [Homme] is pretty important – they’ve done a lot of things together and know how to play off each other well. I mean, I know a lot of it is Josh – from working with him myself, I know that it’s his ideas – but Dave interprets the stuff and does his thing.”
Helders further praised Grohl, continuing: “Dave is a great drummer to listen to. He plays with a lot of taste and creativity, and even though he does so many records and projects, he’s always got a new fill that makes you go, ‘Oh, well, I haven’t thought of that.’ He does sort of a mini solo on ‘Song For The Dead’ that’s just fantastic. But you know, whatever he tries to do, he pulls it off beautifully.”
Luckily for Helders, Grohl loves Arctic Monkeys, telling The Sun in 2014, “They are fucking awesome. They’re taking over America. The American audiences fucking love them. Alex Turner, fuck yeah, he’s a rock star.”
