Former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright has detailed the circumstances surrounding his 1989 departure from the band.
Wright held the sticks in the iconic Aussie band’s lineup from 1983 until 1989, a tenure of just six years. He was replaced by Chris Slade and then Phil Rudd, who remains the drummer currently.
In a new interview with VW Music, Wright discussed the reason for his departure. “I just wanted to play more,” he explained. “It’s a kind of a regimented style of playing with them. I found myself playing more when I was at home. I had a kid at home, and I’m just banging away to anything, and it really started to eat me. I mean, I knew I could…I’m not saying I could play better. I just wanted to play more, you know?”
Wright ended up playing on three AC/DC albums: 1985’s Fly on the Wall, 1986’s Who Made Who, and 1988’s Blow Up Your Video. The “regimented” style didn’t offer him enough leeway though.
“I wanted more fills, so it started to eat away at me,” he continued. “I love drumming, and it wasn’t the money or anything like that, I was doing okay with the money. I didn’t care about the money. I just needed to get away.”
There was never any trouble with the rest of the band luckily. “It was a creative thing,” Wright explained. “With AC/DC, it was restricted. I have total respect for Phil (Rudd), and the band, and everything they do. It’s got nothing to do with the music side of it. It’s just me personally. It sounds crazy, but, I just needed to get away, and do something else.”
After AC/DC, Wright linked up with heavy metal outfit Dio, ultimately handling the drums on several of their albums: 1990’s Lock Up the Wolves, 2000’s Magica, 2002’s Killing the Dragon, and 2004’s Master of the Moon.
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Check out ‘Danger’ by AC/DC:
