RICK: I do as well y'know looking back on that whole period y'know? It doesn't seem like it happened to me, it just kind of seems like somebody else. I don't know. It just kinda seems very distant, but em, I grew up in many ways. I learned many things not only about myself, but about the people around me and eh there reaction to the whole thing and, y'know, human nature. I had a lot of determination to get back after that whole thing. I figured it was the only thing I could really do well and up to that point I started to neglect playing drums as it where. That was kinda secondary to my extra sorts curricular activities at the time. But, ironically, as soon as I lose my arm, the first thing I think about is wanting to play drums again and with my determination and them standing by me and ah just reassuring me that everything was going to be okay and there was plenty of time y'know we're going to be working on the album for a while and ah just do what you gotta do and ah y'know 'We'll be there when y'know you're ready' and ah it was extremely painful for everyone involved.
Question: How long did it take before you got that kit together and started?
RICK: I started thinking about... I don't know about a week after ah I came round in hospital and a friend of mine helped me develop the foot pedals and ah I actually came up with the idea and just tapping with my foot on this foam at the bottom of the bed, my brother brought my stereo system so I was actually listening to songs that I grew up with, y'know? Seeing if I could still play the basic rhythms and realized that I could and mentioned this to a friend of mine and he said 'Oh well, we'll see what we can come up with' some sort of pedal design and electronics. Then I showed the idea to Phil and Steve when they came to see me and ah y'know I think one of the first things they said to my Mum when they were, y'know, leaving was ah well 'He's so normal, he's like ah everything seems okay.' I guess...I guess I was putting on a bit of a brave face at the time 'cos ah I just wanted everyone to know I was okay. I didn't want there to be just doom and gloom surrounding the whole thing and so, ah I just made it my business to y'know just really get back to, to playing again and, to the point were I almost forgot about myself. I was trying to impress a lot of people around me, maybe more so than myself, but then again it was a grind thing. It kept my mind of the severity of the whole situation. I really should have y'know spent a bit more time, y'know in some sort of rehabilitation. Y'know, sort out my head, but em that came later, em. I think just building up to the tour, y'know just doing Monsters Of Rock and eh just the warmth, the incredible feeling I got from people around me and just fans and y'know band members alike it was just really, it was just really, it was a great thing, it was something I'd never experienced before and I had somewhat of a low self esteem and I never really saw myself as being anything really great em, but em, that whole experience just lifted me. It just gave me something to work towards and I still sort of, I still look back on that today and y'know I'm just, I don't think I would have necessarily survived the whole ordeal or being in a band had the accident not happened which is kind of ironic in a way.
