Danny Carey
“I t was Neal Peart who got me into drumming during the 70s. But when I heard Danny Carey I thought his polyrhythms were spectacular. I was slightly late to the Tool party – I never really heard them until about 1996 or 1997.
“Obviously every time I hear an album I listen out for what the drummer is doing. It’s not necessarily always the technical stuff that I’m listening out for, but I’m looking for musicality within anybody’s playing, and people who are always trying to move on drumming in their particular area of music.
“Some people may say that Tool aren’t particularly progressive, but they certainly touch on the prog/metal area.
“When I first heard Tool my jaw was on the ground. I was amazed by what was going on. There’s a Tool track on the AEnima album called Forty Six &2 which is incredible. Carey’s musicality and the way that he plays without overplaying is extraordinary. His feel for odd time signatures is incredible but he never takes over the music. I’ve been an avid Tool fan ever since, and recently got myself a VIP ticket to see them play in Zurich on their European tour. There are very few bands in the world that I’d do that for!
“I’ve never met him – I’m not really one of these people who will go and stand at the stage door, although I did do that with Neal Peart once. Rush were playing in Brighton in 1980 and I gave them a very early Marillion T-shirt – before Fish was in the band.
“My favourite Tool album is probably 10,000 Days. It’s got some fantastic stuff on it. Like Rush, Tool have always done things differently, purely on their merits and their own way. Also like Rush, the line-up almost never changes – they’ve had two bass players in the whole time they’ve been together. I find that really impressive.” NS