Alan John Wren born on 10 April 1964, in Manchester, England better known as Reni, was the drummer of the ever influential rock band The Stone Roses from 1984 to 1995.
Reni is considered by many to be one of the best drummers of his generation, and quite possibly the “single most important drummer in UK indie circles” according to Rhythm magazine in 2004, he is also credited as being a “genius drummer” on John Squire’s official Web site, and according to former Hacienda General Manager Howard Jones he, “played the drums like Hendrix played the guitar.” His laid-back style of off-beat rhythms was influential in bringing about the blend of indie and dance music that formed much of the Manchester or Madchester (as it would become known) sound of the day.
Reni is credited with having taught himself how to play drums in his youth due to his family situation, where he was always around a fostering musical environment. When Pete Townshend of “The Who” witnessed an early gig by a young Stone Roses, he commented that Reni was the most naturally gifted drummer he had seen since Keith Moon. This unusual encounter concluded with The Who star asking the band whether he could use their drummer, which led to performances of Pictures of Lily amongst others, with the 20 year old.
Reni joined The Stone Roses in May 1984 after reading an advertisement which the band had placed in Manchester’s A1 Music store, now known as the Academy of Sound. Going so far as to rip the advertisement 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.
A rehearsal studio which 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, the then band’s bassist, 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 effing amazing! What a drummer…”.
Reni’s playing style was characterized by his use of a 3-piece kit. However, his use of a smaller kit did not limit the range of sounds he could produce. This was most obvious in the live performances that The Stone Roses gave where he was able to show his full range of abilities. Rhythm Magazine commented that he was, “funkier and more subtle than any drummer in the indie genre had ever been”, and that he was, “economical, soulful and inventive”. Indeed, Rhythm Magazine went on to name him as a drummer hero stating, “you know him best by his ability to always play it cooler than cool”. Many fans also found that his harmonic backing vocals were an integral part to the band’s music, particularly during live performances.
Described in John Robb’s biography of The Stone Roses as “the voice of an angel”, listening to their debut album, and live shows such as The Blackpool Empress Ballroom in 1989, and Glasgow Green in 1990, and also Reni’s final gig with the band, overtly display his true abilities as a drummer.
Reni was the first member of the “classic” Stone Roses line-up to leave in March 1995, with much mystery surrounding his exit. Rumours of heroin addiction and fall outs with both Ian Brown and John Squire (depending on which of the two was commenting) are unproven. Arguably it should be noted that, it was the five year hiatus between albums that caused Reni to lose interest in The Stone Roses, and in drumming. His initial frustration manifested itself into him getting into trouble with the law, as in 1991 he was twice fined for obstructive parking in Manchester, and for disorderly behaviour, although Reni believed he had been treated unfairly by the police. As the years of inactivity progressed, he, as well as other members in the band, began to develop lives away from making music, with a wife and child to be a part of. His departure was perhaps the first nail in the coffin of The Stone Roses. The band continued with Robbie Maddix as drummer, but then broke up in 1996.
Little was heard of Reni in the years after he left the Roses. His drumming was apparently sampled on the Ian Brown track “Can’t See Me”, and recently he formed The Rub with Casey Longdon on rhythm guitar, Neil Nisbet on bass, and Mick Grant on drums. Reni himself sings and plays lead guitar in the band. Also, Reni gave his first broadcast interview in 10 years to BBC GMR, along with ex-Roses bassist Mani, on the Manchester Music Show whilst attending a concert by The Coral. Reni announced that he was writing material for himself and Mani to perform and that he would be willing to reform the Roses, however nothing has come from either statement since then. It was widely rumoured in early 2007 that he was asked to join the Fun Lovin Criminals as a drummer. This would have been joy for fans who have not seen him play drums live since 1990 however he ignored the press reports.
