(source:Motorhead Forever-The unofficial site) Mikkey Dee - Drumming influences

MS: Who has been the biggest influence to you as a drummer as a young man?

MD: My uncle and my cousin cause I'm from a drum family. My uncle from the drifters in Sweden. My cousin played in several big bands. Were four drummers as relatives, no guitar players, no singers, just drummers. So they were my biggest inspiration, they actually got me playing drums, I was so impressed by playing. Then of course Ian Paice from Deep Purple, I was seven years old when I saw Deep Purple in 1970, my cousin took me to that concert with my mom, I couldn't go alone and that was it. He was the biggest. Then of course Brian Downey from Thin Lizzy, Neil Peart, Journey when they came with Steve Smith, great drummer, but Ian Paice is number one.

MS: He's still very good.

MD: Oh, he's fantastic he's the roundest drummer that ever lived in hard rock man.

MS: Are they any other bands that influenced you besides Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy?

MD: Yeah, Rush, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath of course, I'm still a huge Blue Oyster Cult fan. Rainbow and of course the old '70s bands, I like a lot of bands. I listen to a lot of jazz.

MS: Gene Krupa?

MD: Buddy Rich more actually, Gene Krupa was a little older, incredible, but more Buddy Rich.


The full interview can be found here http://www.motorhead.ru/int39metalrules.htm