Rick Allen on his favourite drummers of all time
What Rick Allen achieved with Def Leppard is the kind of comeback story that most artists can only dream of. After losing one of his arms in a horrific car accident, his ability to get back up and perform for the rest of the group’s career has earned him one of the highest pedigrees that any percussionist can hope for. Although Allen has made waves as one of the biggest inspirations for modern drummers, he has been indebted to the many who have come before him.
When looking at Def Leppard’s pedigree, though, it’s easy to see where they got most of their musical cues. Throughout their first handful of albums, the riffs seemed to be reminiscent of artists like Led Zeppelin and Humble Pie, taking the core ethos of rock and roll and taking it into even heavier places. In terms of melody, the band were still indebted to British pop from the 1970s, whether it was T. Rex or David Bowie.
As Allen was first starting to come up as a drummer, though, the likes of Keith Moon and John Bonham had already laid down the groundwork for rock percussion. Coming from an animalistic perspective, both drummers knew the perfect way to serve the song outside of the usual formula, taking bits and pieces from other genres to create a cacophony of noise whenever they took a drum solo.
When considering Allen’s role in Def Leppard’s music, his tastes gravitated towards artists like AC/DC. Although the band has been known for having one of the most solid rhythmic foundations in rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, Allen was more interested in what Phil Rudd was doing behind the kit. Looking back on his role in the group, Allen would call Rudd one of his biggest inspirations, saying, “Def Leppard opened for AC/DC on the Highway To Hell tour in 1979. Phil Rudd is a man of few words, but he’s a powerhouse of a drummer. AC/DC’s live shows were second to none.”
While Rudd may have taught Allen how to lay down a thick backbeat behind punishing riffs, Tommy Aldridge helped him understand the use of power behind the kit. Working with Pat Travers Band, Aldridge was an absolute monster behind the kit, possessing a healthy amount of swing in his beats while also hitting with the might of Thor whenever the time called for it.
Even though Aldridge would eventually move on to working with Whitesnake later on, Allen’s clearest memory was of Aldridge helping him during his formative years, explaining, “It’s only a few hours before Def Leppard are s’posed to go on stage. I’m suuuper nervous, to say the least. It’s our first show on American soil opening up for Pat Travers. Out comes Tommy Aldridge to save the day. He helps me unbox, set up and tune the drums just in time for Def Leppard to go on stage.”
While Aldridge may have been known for his power behind the kit, Allen prefers to learn from the help he got from the drumming icon. Rather than being considered a formidable character, Allen could see the natural person hidden behind those drums, teaching him to be down-to-earth while living a life with one’s head in the clouds.
