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Fred Hell
(September 2005 Issue)
Coming Back From Being Shot When drummer Fred
Hell was shot four times during a home invasion robbery, he was left
with a bullet lodged in
his skull. A member of LA-based psychobilly
trio Tiger Army, Fred faced a long recovery and the possibility he
might never
play drums again. "I lost all feeling in my left arm," the
drummer says. "I could barely use my hand, and I couldn't hold
sticks
or anything."
Beyond his physical limitations, Fred
discovered he'd lost his sense of rhythm. "When I
heard a song," he
says, "I couldn't keep a beat. It was very scary." Fred eventually
retrained his left arm to do
everything.
In fact, he relearned the drums as if he'd never played before. "My
sense of rhythm returned," Fred
says, "and when my left hand started
coming back, I knew I'd be able to play again no matter what."
Six
months after the March 2003 shooting, Fred joined Tiger Army on
tour. However, when the group entered the studio to record its
third
album, III: Ghost Tigers Rise,
it became apparent the drummer wasn't sufficiently rehabilitated. "We
were
doing twelve-hour days, but I was barely able to play for three
hours," the drummer admits. "My performance just wasn't up
to standard
for the record."
At that point, the band asked their friend,
drummer and tech Mike Fasano, to fill in.
While Fred couldn't record
the tracks for the record, his daily presence in the studio ensured his
imprint was captured on
the tracks. "Fred came in with a great
attitude," Fasano says. "He showed me stickings and helped me mentally
with
beats and parts. This would have been a challenging record even
for a true session guy, because this music is all about
imperfections
and movement. It was one of the best and most rewarding experiences
I've had playing on a record." Fred
adds, "Mike nailed everything and
had great input. His positive energy also really contributed to my
recovery."
With
Tiger Army back on tour, Fred feels he's
playing better than ever. "I'm definitely a stronger person because of
all
this," he says. "I also feel lucky to be playing again. And since
psychobilly music has a unique drumming style, I'm
motivated to show
what that kind of drumming is all about. I want to redefine it and
bring it to a new level."
Gail Worley
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