Rick Allen Quotations

I was happy in Dublin because it is very cosmopolitan.

Before my accident I was a little too... selfish and self-absorbed and for me, to now be at the place where I can kinda give back and inspire people. I'm blessed. I'm really blessed.

Chasing the sensation. Whether it was drugs or sex or whatever. Those things had become my main focus in life.

Thinking about what songs are coming next instead of just relaxing, breathing and playing from my heart. Sometimes it can get to be almost like the enemy.

Some people say that practice makes perfect but I just feel that the repetition works against me and I start thinking too far ahead during a show.

My situation should have been a lot worse. By rights I shouldn't have survived the crash.

Just the same way I'd say a prayer before going onstage, taking that even further and using the drum to inspire people. And using that as a vehicle for the intention.

I prefer the rather old and battered, things with character, to the brand new.

America feels like home as much as it does here. Although it's a strange situation as I feel almost like I'm in no-man's land some of the time, because although I'm a resident, I still can't vote so I don't really have a say in what goes on where I live.

And more importantly, I wouldn't be the person I am today, I wouldn't be where I am now and I may not even have been here if it wasn't for the accident.

But the irony is that because the band isn't the focus any more, it allows me the chance to enjoy being a member of Def Leppard much more.

I have never been one for the over-the-top.

Yes, of course that's true but you know, the irony of all that is that before the accident, I'd pretty much lost interest in playing drums.

But it's funny that now I'm in such a happy situation, I look more objectively at my own past and see what others have seen for a long time and I'm just so glad I've been able to get to this point.

I think all of those things, but certainly the booze really brought out the really unreasonable side of me, and I just didn't want to revisit that place again.

I think at that time I obviously wasn't aware of what I really needed. But conversely, my wanting to prove something to everyone was beneficial 'cause if I hadn't done it then, maybe I'd never have done it.

I think my perception of my own life is different and the fact that Lauren and myself are together. I've never felt this free or happy and so that permeates onto my onstage persona and to my working environment.

We're probably doing better business than we thought we would do especially considering the disappointing way the record company has handled the album.

But I think that the most important thing was to really stop drinking.

But unfortunately, in my unrelenting drive to get back on that drum stool, the major casualty in all of it was that I really forgot about me.

I really don't feel any strong allegiance to any country.

I wanted to be as far away from everybody as I could be. I found it difficult to be close to anybody, not just the guys in the band.

At the end of the day, they're happy if you do the obvious songs towards the end of the set and you've got to try and make yourself happy by doing certain songs at the front end of the set.

If we had loads of money as a family, things would be different and they'd come to visit more and I'd get to spend more time here. But I'm laying down roots in America so when I'm there, just being at home, it's harder to break away from that.

People want to be entertained again. Our music is like 'Star Wars' for the ears. The production, the music -- it's all about entertainment.

There is no evidence that I have been aware of, or anybody has made me aware of. I mean, we had Glendon here for two-and-a-half, three years and he's just not a real credible source for information, based on our experience.

I think he brings enthusiasm and love for the game. He seems to get the best out of a kid and is a good role model for the kids. He is a nice fit for us. We are excited to have the opportunity to have him here hopefully for a long time.

That was incredible. I really couldn't say no.

We had an excellent effort tonight. We lost facing one of the top pitchers in the area. We made a lot of contact, but we just couldn't get hits when we needed them. We did a good job defensively. If we keep that kind of effort we will win some games.

We actually really like each other and that's the biggest reason why. Every person has talked about leaving at one time or another, but we never did because we couldn't think of anything else we'd like to do. And besides, it would be like leaving your family.

We do appreciate this kind of success, and it means more to us than a Grammy or an MTV Award. It means the people who buy your records have given (the award) to you. Though it's nice to be recognized with industry awards, the fact that people are buying the albums still means so much.

We knew that Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan did it last summer with great success,

We've proven that we can go out on tour and play a hits package for years to come. But we don't want to become an oldies act, not that there's anything wrong with it. We've still got the desire to write and record new music, too.

So, we decided, if you can't beat 'em, just join 'em.

No matter how many times we play these songs live, we don't tire of them. We love that some of them have become a soundtrack to people's lives - that people remember where they were when that song became important to them. Hey, that's the way we feel when we hear an old David Bowie or T.Rex song.

It's what the citizens give from their hearts. They just keep donating here at HEB and we have 12 to 15 pallets right now, and they're still coming in,

I'm hoping that the city understands what the marine industry is all about by coming to the show.

The key is that we're music fans, too,

The emphasis is back on really good songs. And it's nice to return to our larger than life sound.

And more importantly, I wouldnt be the person I am today, I wouldnt be where I am now and I may not even have been here if it wasnt for the accident.

If I couldn't play drums it would have destroyed me. If you're thrown in the deep end you swim, and that's basically what I did. I had to do it and with the rest of the band behind me and the encouragement I got from people from all over the world, I knew that I was going to play