Matt Helders is drummer in Sheffield, England based outfit The Arctic Monkeys.



Biography:

Born 1986-05-07 and nicknamed Matt "The Cat", Helders is the band's drummer. He lives in the High Green district and attended Stocksbridge High School alongside Alex Turner and Andy Nicholson. Matt Helders is the most comprehensive backing vocalist, appearing in the tracks "You Probably Couldn't See For the Lights But You Were Looking Straight at Me" and "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor". He is seen as the band's "quietly amiable diplomat".



Helders has said that he ended up playing drums as "that was the only thing left. When we started the band none of us played anything. We just put it together. They all had guitars and I bought a drum kit after a bit".



However, Helders has stated the influence rap music has had on the band, saying "We were rap fans at school more than now...it still influences us in some ways, like for me, it's the drummin'. The groove element, like foon-keh music". Helders also explained the band's insistence on using their native Sheffield accent, saying, "when you talk between the songs at a gig and you're speakin' English in our normal accent, it seems a bit strange when you burst into song like you're from California or summat...it looks a bit daft".



On 21 July 2006, Helders made a surprise guest appearance at Sheffield's Leadmill nightclub/music venue when he guest starred on the drums during a Milburn gig, playing the final part of What You Could Have Won.



In August 2008, it was announced that Matt Helders would compile the latest release in the LateNightTales DJ mix cd series. The set, entitled 'Late Night Tales: Matt Helders', was released on 27 October 2008 and included a spoken work track performed and written by bandmate Alex Turner.[8]



On 12 June 2010 Matt Helders, using the stage name Rufus Black, appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross drumming for Diddy's Dirty Money performance of the single Hello, Good Morning.



Matt Helders recorded the drum tracks on 'Post Pop Depression', the album written by Iggy Pop and Josh Homme, which was released in 2016. Matt Helders also toured with them to support the album.