This interview with Simon Wright is part of a lead-up to our Year Anniversary issue that will go live at the beginning of July. We will also be posting interviews with Robb Reiner of Anvil and Eric Moore of Suicidal Tendencies in the coming days.
The Year Anniversary issue will hold interviews, columns, reviews and lessons from: Dave Lombardo, Vinnie Paul, Pete Sandoval, Kai Hahto, Bobby Jarzombek, Mark Zonder, Simon Phillips, Devin Townsend, Jason Costa, Snowy Shaw, Mario Duplantier, Matt Greiner, RVP and much more…
Interview by: Noel Smart & Craig Sternberg
SDM: When you first joined Dio in 1990 you only stayed for one year, what was the reason for that decision.
Simon: Well it wasn’t really my decision, at that point Ronnie got the offer to rejoin Black Sabbath.
SDM: Do you try to keep the drum parts in Dio’s older material the same way Vinny Appice played the parts or do you add your own feel to them?
Simon: I feel there are certain parts/fills that are integral to those songs, so I try to reproduce what he played, but there is always room for my take on things, so I can sort of split the difference.
SDM: What’s it like to play in such a legendary band as “Dio” and then another legendary band “Ac/dc”? Whats the difference between the two drumming wise?
Simon: It’s a blast playing in Dio, and was a blast playing in DC, the difference in drum styles comes from the songwriting, Ronnie's songs leave room for more elaborate drum fills, where as ACDC,s material is less fill orientated, more four on the floor straightforward rock, both very enjoyable to play.
SDM: How was playing in the band UFO?
Simon: It was great playing in UFO, great songs, great people, and just the right amount of lunacy, hahaha.
SDM: Why did the band Tytan split after the album “Rough Justice”?
Simon: Well, there didn’t seem to be much interest going on ,we did one show that year of the album in Belgium, and that was it, I wasnt a member for very long. I did play 2 songs on the album which was fun to do, then the ACDC audition came along, so I’m not exactly sure why Tytan split.
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SDM: Why the split with A-ii-Z? Can you give us a little bit of history behind that band?
Simon: Well the band got dropped from Polydor records, I was in the band for about 2 years, they had done a live album,"The witch of berkley", which I didn't play on, and a 12-inch ep called "No fun after midnight. I joined around 1980 we recorded a single, "I,m the one who loves you" which was written by Russ Ballard and produced by Andy Scott from Sweet. It turned out great I thought, from there we went on the road throughout England supporting Girlschool. After we did that tour though, that's when the record deal fell through, so the band sort of fizzled out.
SDM: Tell us more about your early playing in the band Tora Tora?
Simon: Tora Tora was a good band, we were all schoolmates aged around 15 or 16, so everything was new and basically finding your feet, especially after 8 or 9 pints! (haha). We were a very tight band, bit like a gang and we did some great shows around the Manchester area and got great reviews. A single called "Red Sun Setting", was recorded on our label called Mancunian Metal records and stayed in the heavy metal charts in Sounds Magazine for about 6 months and we were very proud of that. I was working in construction as well and as usual… things just fell apart and I moved on to join AIIZ.
SDM: Can you tell us about another band of yours from the early 80’s “Aurora” and the single you released “I’ll be your fantasy”?
Simon: Aurora was a project I did with the singer from AIIZ Dave Owens, and a brilliant guitarist called Duncan Ferguson. We never played a gig, just recorded 2 songs and called it Aurora. We shopped it around with some interest for a deal, but nothing came of it, shame really would have been a great band.
SDM: Do you still have any connections or still stay in contact with any of your older bands?
Simon: I live in Los Angeles, but when I get back to England I see a couple of my mates from Tora and head to the pub. We're still good friends even though I dont see them a lot, which is great.
SDM: Tell us about your time with Rhino Bucket?
Simon: I met up with Rhino Bucket around the end of 92' through a friend who knew they were looking for a drummer. I had heard there cd,s and thought what a great sounding band. When I joined the band we recorded the cd 'Pain". It wasn't a pain, in fact it was fun! They're really down to earth good guys, unfortunatly though it kind of fell apart, but recently with the Dio band on hiatus while Ron Does work with Heaven and Hell. I have been helping them out and we have recorded the new Rhino Bucket cd "Hardest Town", which has turned out great.
SDM: What was it like working on John Norum’s (Europe fame) album “World’s away”?
Simon: Working with John was a pleasure, he’s a phenominal guitarist and a great bloke! Peter Baltes was great to work with too, great bass player with good ideas. Some interesting songs on that album, a bit different.
SDM: How did you contribute on the "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" song from the album Butchering the Beatles, tribute? How did you got about recording this?
Simon: Bob Kulick got in touch with me and asked if I’d be interested in participating in the project. There were many great players and singers involved, so of course I agreed to play on it. Bob and Brett Chaisson do a fantastic job on these tribute albums, I think because first they are musicians too.
SDM: What do you think of the new Ac/dc “Black Ice” album? Do you still have contact with any of the members in the band?
Simon: I went down to see the show at the forum here in LA. We met up after the show and it was great to see them again after all those years. We hung out and had a laugh, was great. Black Ice is great, sounds like a strong ACDC cd to me, hope keep em comin.
SDM: What do you think of Chris Slade taking over your drum throne in 1989 when you left Ac/dc? Was he a good replacement?
Simon: Chris was a great replacement I thought, he’s a good guy too. I think it’s great they have Phil back though he is the original drummer and the engine for DC.
SDM: Did you hear the Death metal Version of “Back in Black” by the Florida Death metal band “Six Feet Under”? What are your thoughts on that?
Simon: Sorry, haven’t heard that one.
SDM: Have you ever heard anything from the extreme metal genre or the drummers involved in that music style?
Simon: I enjoy Vinnie Paul, he ‘s a feckin animal, with great sound and power. There are sooo many great players out there, it’s frightening,we ROCK!.
SDM: How does it feel knowing that bands you’ve played in have influenced so many successful bands today?
Simon: If that be the case, then that's cool. I know when I started playing I had many Influences, I’m just very proud and lucky to have had the chance to play with these bands and musicians, and having met some great people along the way.
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