Simon Wright

born on 19/6/1963 in Manchester, North West England, United Kingdom

Simon Wright (musician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Simon Wright (musician)
Born June 19 1963
Oldham, Lancashire, England

Simon Wright (born in Oldham, Lancashire, June 19, 1963) is an English drummer best known for his stints with rock n' roll bands AC/DC and Dio. He first started playing drums at the age of 13[1] and cites Cozy Powell, Tommy Aldridge and John Bonham as his greatest influences. He is currently the drummer for the band Rhino Bucket.[2]

Career

Wright began his career with local band Tora Tora (not to be confused with the American glam metal group), before joining Manchester group A II Z, a New Wave of British Heavy Metal band founded in 1979 in Manchester, England by guitarist Gary Owens. The full line-up consisted of David Owens (vocals), Gary Owens (guitar), Gam Campbell (bass), Karl Reti (drums). They rapidly acquired a local following in Manchester, and were quickly snapped up by Polydor Records, eager to cash in on the exploding NWOBHM boom. A single live album, The Witch of Berkley, followed in 1980. Reti was subsequently replaced by Wright. The band then promptly disintegrated and Wright went on to perform in Tytan[3] and recorded on their full-length debut album Rough Justice,[4] however; that band also dissolved shortly before the release of the debut.

Wright joined AC/DC after their drummer, Phil Rudd, was fired in 1983 (reinstated in 1994). AC/DC recorded three albums with Wright in the mid-late 80s; Fly on the Wall, Who Made Who and Blow Up Your Video. Wright then left the group in 1989 to join Dio, and was replaced by Chris Slade. Simon Wright joined Rhino Bucket when he wasn't working with Dio to replace the departed Liam Jason for their third album, 1994's independently released Pain. In 2007, he reunited with the band and is featured on their latest album The Hardest Town.

Wright has had two stints with Dio, 199091 and 1998-2010. With the band he has recorded four studio albums (Lock up the Wolves, Magica, Killing the Dragon and Master of the Moon) and two live albums (Evil or Divine - Live In New York City and Holy Diver - Live).

His drumming can also be heard on albums by UFO, Michael Schenker Group and John Norum.

In 2005, Wright participated on a tribute album to Heavy metal icons Iron Maiden. It was his second time doing a tribute disc; the first experience being in 1998 on an AC/DC tribute album titled Thunderbolt.

In 2006 Wright is credited in the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" on the album Butchering the Beatles, a heavy metal tribute.

In August 2009, Wright teamed up with Joe Lynn Turner, Phil Soussan and Carlos Cavazo as part of the Big Noize project, playing shows in Iraq and Kuwait.[5]

Equipment

Drum kit

Simon is an endorser of DW drums. He uses the collectors maple series. His drum sizes are, 18x22 bass drums (x2) 10x12, 11x13, 13x15, 14x18 Tom-Toms 6.5x14 Edge Snare 6x14 Collector's Maple Snare 5.5x14 Solid Maple Snare

5000TD3 Delta3 Turbo Single Bass Drum Pedal (x2) 5500TD Delta Turbo Hi-Hat Stand 9300 Snare Drum Stand 9934 Double Tom/Cymbal Stand 9700 Straight/Boom Cymbal Stand (x5) 9100 Drum Throne 799 DogBone (x2)[6]

Drumheads

Simon also uses Evans Drum heads. Products Used: AF Patch Kevlar Single Pedal 13" Onyx 2-ply 15" G2 Coated 18" G2 Coated 14" Hazy 300 15" EC Resonant 18" EC Resonant 13" G1 Clear

Cymbals

Simon uses Sabian Cymbals as well. 14" AAX Metal Hats w/ Sizzle Bottom Hat 18" AA China 16" AA Metal Crash 18" AAX Metal Crash 19" AAX Metal Crash 22" AAX Heavy Ride 20" AA China 20" AA Rock Crash 20" AA Metal Crash w/ Sizzles

Sticks

Vic Firth. American Classic Metal Nylon (CMN)

Discography

With AC/DC

  • Fly on the Wall (1985)
  • Who Made Who (1986)
  • Blow Up Your Video (1988)

With Dio

  • Lock Up the Wolves (1990)
  • Magica (2000)
  • Killing the Dragon (2002)
  • Master of the Moon (2004)

With Rhino Bucket

  • PAIN (1994)
  • PAIN & Suffering (2007)
  • The Hardest Town (2009)

With John Norum

  • Worlds Away (1996)

With Tim "Ripper" Owens

  • Play My Game (2009)

With Mogg/Way

  • Chocolate Box (1999)

Instructional

  • Star Licks Productions (2000)

References

  1. http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/bio_simon.asp
  2. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rhino-Bucket/195473700009
  3. Encyclopaedia Metallum Tytan. Metal-archives.com. Retrieved on 29 May 2010.
  4. Encyclopaedia Metallum Tytan Rough Justice. Metal-archives.com. Retrieved on 29 May 2010.
  5. Joe Lynn Turner at. Deep-purple.net (2009-06-04). Retrieved on 2011-10-31.
  6. http://www.dwdrums.com/artists/setups.asp

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Simon Wright

AC/DC
Brian Johnson Cliff Williams Angus Young Malcolm Young Phil Rudd
Bon Scott Dave Evans Mark Evans Chris Slade Simon Wright
Albums and videos
Studio albums: High Voltage (Aus.) T.N.T. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Aus.) High Voltage Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Let There Be Rock (Aus.) Let There Be Rock Powerage Highway To Hell Back in Black For Those About to Rock Flick of the Switch '74 Jailbreak Fly on the Wall Who Made Who Blow Up Your Video The Razors Edge Ballbreaker Bonfire Volts Stiff Upper Lip
Live albums: If You Want Blood Live Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition Live from the Atlantic Studios Let There Be Rock: The Movie
Films and videos: AC/DC: Let There Be Rock Fly on the Wall Who Made Who AC/DC Clipped Live At Donington For Those About To Rock No Bull Stiff Upper Lip Live Live '77 Toronto Rocks Family Jewels
Production
Harry Vanda George Young Robert John "Mutt" Lange Bruce Fairbairn Rick Rubin
Related articles
Past members of AC/DC ACDC Lane AC/DC remasters List of rare AC/DC songs List of tributes to AC/DC in popular culture Bon Scott Rarities In the Beginning
This page was last modified 05.01.2012 04:25:37

This article uses material from the article Simon Wright (musician) from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.