Monthly Archives: October 2022

October 31, 2022 · 2:44 pm

RIP DH Peligro

Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Dead Kennedys’ drummer DH Peligro has died at the age of 63. The musician, real name Darren Henley, suffered a head trauma after hitting his head in a fall at his home in Los Angeles and died shortly after on Friday, October 28th.

The drummer enjoyed a brief stint with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers in 1988, but was best known for being a member of The Dead Kennedys. Peligro replaced the original drummer of The Dead Kennedys in 1981 and stayed with the group until their break up in 1986. He then joined the rock band Red Hot Chilli Peppers in 1988 – taking over from drummer Jack Irons.

Due to his ongoing drug and alcohol issues, the band decided to fire Peligro in November of 1988. Chad Smith replaced him a few weeks later and has been with the band ever since. Anthony Kiedis said firing Peligro was one of the toughest things the band ever had to do, although he became a major part of Peligro’s road to sobriety.

A sober Peligro was the frontman for his own band called Peligro (Spanish for “Danger”) and released three albums: Peligro, Welcome to America and Sum of Our Surroundings, which won Rock Album of the Year from the American Independent Music Awards.

Never Quit

It can be easy sometimes to get frustrated with your instrument. We all want to be able to play what we want to play – when we want to play it. Unfortunately, this is sometimes not the case. Practice is essential. It takes time to learn things. Sometimes it takes a long time. Patience is required and not always available. I’ve spent plenty of time in the practice room cussing up a storm and throwing my sticks in the air. The key is to keep going.

Take a break, for both your mind and your body. If you find yourself getting frustrated, and you’re beginning to pound out notes, it’s time to move on. You can get a sip of water, close your eyes, stretch, just breathe.

Take a lesson. Find yourself an instructor and take a lesson or two. This will help you avoid developing poor habits. A good drum teacher should be able to clearly explain techniques and give you some pointers which will help you develop your skill and ability.

Set realistic and progressive goals for yourself. Set an obtainable goal and work towards that goal. Don’t move on until you’ve achieved it to your satisfaction. This will give you a sense of gratification and improve your attitude toward practicing.

Enjoy yourself and have fun. Never forget why you took up the instrument in the first place. If you’re not having fun you’ve lost your true motivation. Try taking a break from exercises and play along to songs you like. Make up your own exercises. You’re in charge of you.