On Rick's return to the band:
"There was the bass drum, and the snare drum, and the high hat and...and a stool and he sat there working away for almost 15 minutes, and then he almost collapsed." - 1997
Once we were in the car, he became animated, telling me about his new ideas. As he told me about his plan, I had to hide my tears, sitting next to this young chap so soon after his awful experience. I took him to his room at the hotel and left him, so that I could carry out his request by getting some drums from the studio at Wisseloord in Hilversum; "Oh Mal, by the way..... I only need ONE drumstick," he called after me as I reluctantly left him alone. I arranged for a small meeting room to be opened for us and set up a kick drum and a snare drum with a blanket covering them to dampen the sound. He was exhausted before he started and he only lasted for about 15 minutes..... But in that short time, he had been able to put his theory into a simple and basic reality." - 2001
"I was in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK at that time enjoying our winter break from recording the "HYSTERIA" album, when Joe Elliott called me to tell me that he had some 'horrible news'. When he said the words 'Rick has lost his arm' I thought that I was dreaming. I tried to wake myself up.....but soon realised that I was not actually sleeping, and that Joe was telling me that Rick had lost his arm! 'Are you SURE Joe?? What exactly are you saying?' What the WHA??? He replied that he did not have all the details but would call me back later. My spine tingled and my brain went into some kind of spasm.
I had been with the band for a few years at that time, and had spent time with Rick as a house guest in his family home. Rick befriended me in the beginning and made me feel very much at home in and around Sheffield. After having toured as Steve's guitar tech for the 'PYROMANIA' shows and, subsequently, had started working in the studio, trying my best to get guitars and amps in order - plus ordering lunch and dinner for everyone - I felt that I was part of the Lep family. Rick was in a hospital in Sheffield but I had to be back in Holland to deal with work stuff. I had been told that Rick had announced, from his hospital bed, that nothing was to be put on hold and that everything should go ahead as planned. Having been assured by the rest of the band that he was 'still the drummer in this band,' he felt that he could follow up on an idea that he had circling in his befuddled brain. The idea to use his left foot to press pedals that would trigger drum sounds that were normally made by his left arm, came while Rick was still in hospital. Rick asked for a pad at the bottom of the bed and used his feet as much as he could, to 'practice'.
Six weeks later I was at Wisseloord Studios in Holland when I was told that Rick was flying in. At that time, at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, one could observe arriving passengers as they approached the baggage caroussels through the glass walls separating baggage claim and public side terminal. After 20 minutes of peering through the glass along with dozens of other people, I spotted Rick walking down along the baggage hall towards me -- he stood out because he was a different colour than everyone else. Yes, there were all kinds of different races in that big room, but he was a colour all of his own. He also looked like he was leaning to one side, yes definitely, leaning to his right side. It came to me very quickly that if you take the weight of an arm from one side of your body, then some adjustment would be needed. He did not see me as I watched him struggle to pick up his bag. I went to the door to relieve him of the weight as soon as I could. I had explained to security that the passenger I was waiting for had recently been in an awful accident and would need help but they declined to give me access to airside.
Malvin Mortimer, Tour Manager
