Alan Wren
| Reni | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alan John Wren |
| Also known as | Reni |
| Born |
10 April 1964 Manchester, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock, Madchester |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Drums, percussion, vocals, guitar, bass, piano |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels | Silvertone, Geffen |
| Associated acts | The Stone Roses, The Rub |
Alan John "Reni" Wren (born 10 April 1964 in Manchester) is an English rock drummer and member of The Stone Roses.
His laid-back style of complex, off-beat rhythms was influential in bringing about the blend of indie and dance music which formed much of the Manchester (or Madchester) sound of the day. He is considered by many industry insiders to be the best drummer of his generation.
During The Stone Roses, he could be easily identified by the now iconic bucket hat. Following his departure from the band in 1995, he fronted the Rub in 2001, who played several low-key shows but split without releasing any material. He re-emerged on the music scene after the Stone Roses reformed in October 2011.
Reni taught himself drums in his youth as, due to his family situation, he was nearly always around musical instruments in a pub environment. A naturally gifted musician, he was equally adept at playing guitar, bass, and piano. John Robb, in his 1997 book, The Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop, notes that Reni could "play guitar almost as well as he plays drums," and Mani, speaking on a BBC Radio One documentary, mentioned that Reni could play better bass than he could, quoting that he could "piss all over me on bass." However, it was his drumming abilities which made him stand out. Whilst growing up in the Manchester suburb of Gorton, "the local kids thought Reni was a freak because he was such an amazing drummer, a total natural. Reni didn't care. He was already jamming along to anything and anybody."
Already in two bands before he joined The Stone Roses, it was perhaps friend Simon Wright's successful audition for AC/DC in 1984 which prompted him towards more serious ambitions.
Reni joined The Stone Roses in May 1984 after reading an advertisement the band had placed in Manchester's A1 Music store, now Soundcontrol music venue on New Wakefield Street. He ripped it off the wall in order to make sure only he would get an audition which occurred in what was at the time Decibel Studios to the north of the city centre. This was a rehearsal studio and required the band to carry Reni's drum kit up three flights of stairs, before running through early songs "Nowhere Fast", "All Stitched Up" and "Mission Impossible". Andy Couzens, then the band's second guitarist, recalls these first few minutes with their new-found 20-year-old drummer, noting, "We never discussed it, we knew he was in! He was fucking amazing! What a drummer.".
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