Rick Allen looks back on his dramatic post-accident return to the stage in one of the best rock star tweets of the week.
In a video message posted to Def Leppard‘s Twitter account, the drummer celebrated the 36th anniversary of the band’s Aug. 16, 1986 appearance at the Monsters of Rock festival. The show capped off Allen’s two-and-a-half year recovery from a 1984 New Year’s Eve car accident that resulted in his left arm being amputated.
“Me and [singer] Joe [Elliott] said before the show, ‘Let’s not say anything; let’s just play it like a normal show,'” Allen recalled. “But there was almost this wave of anticipation that Joe was going to say something to the audience about me being there.” When Elliott finally did briefly introduce Allen during the encore, the crowd erupted. “I just felt support, I felt overwhelming support from everyone there,” Allen said. “It was pretty awesome, one of the best days of my life.”
Elsewhere, the Doors shared a fan’s impressive recreation of the “Light My Fire,” a young ventriloquist takes on REO Speedwagon‘s “Roll With the Changes,” Jane’s Addiction hints at the return of a founding band member, and Joni Mitchell shares a close-up look at her own recent dramatic stage return.
You can see all those tweets, plus an aerial shot of the Beatles‘ Abbey Road cover art photo shoot and much more, below.
Def Leppard Albums Ranked
From their metal-edged debut to their pop breakthrough to the recent records, we rank every single LP.
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