Drinking A Proper Cup Of Tea With Def Leppard’s Rick Allen

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 16: Rick Allen of Def Leppard performs onstage during The Stadium Tour at ... [+] Truist Park on June 16, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)

Few rock musicians are better qualified to talk about the intersection of music and healing than Rick Allen, drummer of Def Leppard. The band’s album ‘Pyromania’ was selling millions of copies in the U.S. and their videos were all over MTV when in 1984 he lost his left arm in a car crash. His bandmates famously stood by him and he remained in the group — retraining himself with new techniques and a customized electronic drum kit. Allen’s Raven Drum Foundation now helps other survivors of trauma. I spoke with Allen about the power of drum circles, drinking tea with AC/DC’s Bon Scott and the music he is most proud of making.

What is the healing power in drumming?

It’s something that the ancients knew, something that's in every culture. I didn't get the true healing power of drumming until after my accident. Especially in a drum circle where you have intention behind each of the rhythms. It's that empathy. There are other people in the circle that have been through the same hardships — or the same joys — that you have. And it becomes this wonderful shared experience where it's not a secret anymore. You're like ‘man, you suffered with that also.’ And then it kind of softens everything. It makes it so powerful.

Fifty guitarists playing together is a mess. Why are drum circles better at bringing everyone in sync?

Most drummers that I know — they're very good listeners. They have the idea of gluing the whole musical experience together and being the backbone. Part of that is listening to where you fit in. What is the syncopation? Am I complimenting the vocal or am I stepping all over it? Am I creating a rhythm that works with the other instruments or is it just me dominating everything? In a drum circle you’re putting out at the same time you’re receiving. Everybody listens to everybody else.

Rick Allen leads a drum circle with Raven Drum Foundation

What led to creating the Raven Drum Foundation?

My wife, Lauren Monroe, has been in the healing arts since before we even met. We had a shared experience of going through trauma and after we got together we started working with incarcerated kids, people in halfway houses, women who were going through domestic abuse. And we realized that drumming was a fantastic way to change the vibration in the room and create a focal point for intention. How can we calm people down? How can we help to reset that nervous system when you know they've been through a traumatic experience?

And your next big event is coming up.

Yes, it’s in Jackson Hole, Wyoming from September 21-23. We’ve brought all these world class drummers together — and that makes my job a lot easier in terms of creating a meaningful rhythm. It’s taking place on the private estate of Glenn and Mindy Stearns, who’ve been very generous with their time and support.

Many of the participants are veterans and first responders.

Yes. We’ve found in the culture of first responders there’s a tendency to be like I’m ok, there’s nothing to see here. When in actual fact the amount of trauma and PTSD is off the charts. So this is a great opportunity for us to give back and create a safe space where people can meet one another. Particularly putting our veterans and our first responders together — we felt that is a winning combination.

Rick Allen and wife singer/songwriter Lauren Monroe

Sonoma’s Chateau Diana is also putting out a special line of wines to benefit the foundation.

Todd Sucherman (drummer of Styx) introduced us to the owners Corey Manning and his sister Dawn Manning and they’ve been through their own share of trauma, including losing their brother and then years later losing their family home in the Tubbs Fire of 2017. So it seemed like the perfect partnership to get involved with this family. They graciously offered to create these wines and actually use my and my wife’s artwork for the labels. And the names come from songs my wife’s written.

But you are no longer drinking wine or alcohol?

I'm not. I started to find that wines and spirits — I don't know whether it was a result of my PTSD — hit my nervous system in a very strong way. Right now I just feel I need the clarity and to have my wits about me. I have many things that I'm doing and a lot of responsibility. Right now it is a good time for me to be where I am.

What beverage gives you pleasure now?

(Laughs) Tea! It’s such an English thing. And it's so interesting — not everybody in America knows how to make tea. It’s always frustrating when a pot of hot water comes and it actually smells like coffee because they've used it so many times for coffee. They're like ‘you know, it's the same.’ Well it doesn't work like that! To make a really good cup of black tea I'll warm up the cup, pour the boiling water and then get a really good steep. More often than not I'll put some sort of cream in there. That's kind of the English way.

Have you ever had tea with one of your idols?

I remember sharing a cup of tea with Bon Scott. We opened for AC/DC on their ‘Highway To Hell’ tour at three or four venues. And it just so happened that on my 16th birthday at the Hammersmith Odeon, Bon Scott came up and gave me a bowl of Smarties and wished me a ‘Happy Birthday’ and we had a cup of tea together.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 29: (L-R) Inductees Rick Allen, Phil Collen, Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, ... [+] Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard speak at the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony - Show at Barclays Center on March 29, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Kane/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

Was he as fun a person as he seemed?

Lovely, very unassuming. He didn't strike me as being a wild man. What a huge loss. I remember watching the opening night of that tour. They came on stage and played ‘Live Wire’ and they were one of the most powerful bands I’d ever experienced at that point. Hard rock and roll, well-executed and well-crafted songs. Great musicianship, great singing. Everything a rock band to my mind needed to be.

What’s next for Def Leppard?

We’re heading off to Japan and Australia towards the end of October. I always look forward to that.

Is there a song or album with Def Leppard where you’re most proud of your drum work?

I have different favorites that come up but I was particularly proud of the song ‘Hysteria’ and the album ‘Hysteria.’ I was going through the transition from playing with two arms and then all of a sudden I had to recreate the way that I played — and probably became more deliberate. The old saying is drummers are always too busy. Well after my accident it was the opposite. I had to try and busy things up a little more.