FEATURE:
The Digital Mixtape
Matt Helders at Forty
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ONE of the best drummers…
alive today turns forty on 7th May. Matt Helders is the drummer with Arctic Monkeys. So many of their songs defined by the percussion. Helders is the one who provides that heartbeat and rush. Not only a powerful drummer, he has such nuance and technical ability. He has also released a studio album, and collaborated with artists such as Dean Fertita, Josh Homme and Iggy Pop. To mark his upcoming fortieth birthday, I am going to end with a selection of his drumming work with Arctic Monkeys. Prior to that, it is worth bringing in some biography:
“Helders has said that he ended up playing drums as "that was the only thing left. When we started the band none of us played anything. We just put it together. They all had guitars and I bought a drum kit after a bit." However, Helders has mentioned the influence rap music has had on the band, saying "We were rap fans at school more than now ... it still influences us in some ways; like for me, it's the drummin'. The groove element, like foon-keh music." In addition, Helders cites seeing Queens of the Stone Age as the biggest influence on his development as a drummer, saying "the one thing that changed me the most was seeing Queens of the Stone Age live at a festival ... as soon as they came off I was like – 'Fuck, I need to start hitting harder.'" Helders also explained the band's insistence on singing in their native Sheffield accent, saying, "when you talk between the songs at a gig and you're speakin' English in our normal accent, it seems a bit strange when you burst into song like you're from California or something ... it looks a bit daft."
In a similar fashion to other members of the band, Helders has remained true to his hometown roots, suggesting that seeing places all over the world makes him more appreciative of Sheffield, which still provides the basis for the band's lyrics. "And all around you, there's still plenty of things to write about. Touring lets you see a lot of places that you realise you wouldn't want to live in ... and when you come home, it's pretty easy to slip into your old ways, to all the places you've always gone." Helders also points out that despite the fame of the band, he can still avoid being mobbed in the street – "If we all go out together at night clubbing, it's difficult, but alone you don't get recognised much." In ode to his Sheffield roots, Helders can sometimes be seen with the numbers "0114" on the front of his drum kit, which is the dialing code of his native Sheffield”.
I am not sure whether Arctic Monkeys will release any more music. They contributed to the Help(2) album recently with the song, Opening Night. You feel like they will perform together again but, in terms of albums, 2022’s The Car was their finale. Though you never know. However, Matt Hedlers will definitely continue to play and drum either on his own records or with other acts. Not only one of the best drummers of modern times, Helders surely sits alongside the all-time greatest. Such is his impact and talent, he is key to Arctic Monkeys’ sound and endurance, I feel. Even if Alex Turner’s lyrics and vocals are genius, there is something about Helders’s beats and incredible drumming that elevates the songs. As he turns forty on 7th May, I wanted to show my respect for…
A king of the kit.