Sav's Words
Sav on Rick's audition for the band:
"We asked Rick if he knew Emerald by Thin Lizzy. We played that and suddenly the song sounded six times better than the way we usually played it. We were now in the company of a proper drummer. Even at fifteen, he was outstanding."
"You forget about him being a drummer, you forget about him being a band member, you're worried whether the guy's actually gonna live."
"There was never a question of the band folding up or Rick not being able to do it. Through Rick's attitude, we knew that he would pull through."
"The initial determination came completely from him. You know? We were there, we'd comfort him, we'd try and cajole him through situations and stuff, but the bottom line was what we did is less than one percent of the overall thing, because the rest of it just came from him." - 1992
"I can't even imagine Rick with two arms now, apart from looking at old photographs. I just always imagine him as he is now. He's dealt with it great. He's that kind of character. I certainly don't know if I could've done what he did. But Rick's very single-minded. He's redefined rock drumming." - 1992
On playing with Rick:
"There's something that's been built up over the 23 years, that becomes almost telepathic. We each know when one of is gonna do something slightly different, or even make a mistake, you can sense it. And I would know before he would, about HIM making a mistake, and he would know before me about ME making a mistake. You could always adapt, and I have played with other drummers in other projects, but it's doesn't have the same solidity, or the same rightness as it does when playing with Rick." - 2001
"With Rick, the initial reaction was obviously one of horror and immediately worrying about his health because it was possible that he was not going to survive. But once he got off the danger list, we came to terms with his accident; it served as a great inspiration for us. Joe said that sometimes we do not feel like going on stage, he may not have a voice, we may be tired, but Christ -- what do we have to complain about? I mean, this guy has come back from nearly dying and he is playing drums better than ever and he doesn't even have two arms. It puts things in perspective. It makes you a better musician and a better person, and it has been that way since the accident." - 2002
"We never considered replacing him. The only thing we did consider was maybe getting a drummer in with him to maybe help him out, but we didn't know how far Rick could push it, but it became apparent very quickly that Rick's going to be as good a drummer, if not better than he was before. You know, we had a lot of praise from people saying it was great that you stood by him and all that stuff...we had no decision to make because Rick made it for us." - 2003
NEW
Q: "Was there a point when Rick (Allen) lost his arm that you felt it was all over?"
A: "No. There was a serious point when you just felt for him as an individual. This is all he has ever known, this is what he is really good at, and how is he going to be able to carry on? It just didn’t seem logical for him to continue doing this, he had just lost a limb but he found a way. Fortunately we were still recording the Hysteria album, which took four years to complete and it was during that time, so he had time to rehabilitate himself and to relearn how to play the drums again with his left leg, hitting pedals that made sounds that his left arm would have done. It is inspirational." - 2013
Q: "Did the band ever consider replacing him (Rick)?"
A: "Rick is going to be the only person to put himself out of the band. We are like a family and if something bad happens to a family member you’re not going to disown them. He found a way to make it work." - 2013
Rick "Sav" Savage
