- Razzle
Nicholas Dingley, alias Razzle (
December 2 ,1960 –December 8 ,1984 ), was thedrummer ofHanoi Rocks from 1982 until his death.Biography
Born in
Royal Leamington Spa ,England , he wasadopted by Henry and Irene Dingley, growing up inCoventry and then inBinstead nearRyde on theIsle of Wight .Prior to joining Hanoi Rocks, Razzle had played in UK-based bands Marionette, The Fuck Pigs, Demon Preacher (Featurning Nik Fiend of later
Alien Sex Fiend fame), and The Dark.Dingley was notable for having 'Razzle' printed on his drum kit and not the name of the band he was in, unlike most drummers of the time. When asked about this, he said that he couldn't see that he would stay with Hanoi Rocks forever, instead setting his long term sights on playing for a stadium rock band such as Heart.
He was reputed for having a strong influence upon
Hanoi Rocks ' style. This move had them adopt a more overt glam theme once he had taken over the Rocks' drums from Gyp Casino.Razzle also took his turn on the mic. His encore rendition of
Blitzkrieg Bop by theRamones , as seen on "TNT The Nottingham Tapes", was a vision in sleaze as he sings cigarette-in-mouth, top-hatted and lycra'd to the max.Death
In late 1984
Hanoi Rocks was on their first American tour. FrontmanMichael Monroe fractured hisankle , so the band had to skip a few gigs and take a break. During that break Razzle decided to visit his friend,Mötley Crüe 's singerVince Neil , inCalifornia .On
December 8 , Razzle visited Neil's home and spent the day atRedondo Beach . The two decided to take a trip to a local liquor store in Neil'sDe Tomaso Pantera . Whilespeeding and driving drunk, Neil lost control of the car and hit an opposing vehicle. The two occupants of the other car were seriously injured but Razzle took the worst of it. He was taken toSouth Bay ER but was declared DOA8 December at 19:12 local time. (It was already9 December in Europe, which is considered his official time of death). He was buried at Holy Cross Church inBinstead near Ryde on theIsle of Wight in 1988. Vince dedicatedTheater of Pain to Razzle.Neil's account of this event is documented in Mötley Crüe's 2001 autobiography "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band".
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