En hyldest til Animal

Af Gunnar Kristiansen, Maj 2004

Denne artikel er tilegnet vores alle sammens store mester – showmasteren over alle showmasters – Animal!

Animal var en Muppet på TV showet Muppet Show som startede i 1976, og senere på Muppets Tonight – såvel som i alle Muppets filmene. Animal var trommeslager for husorkestret Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, og menes at være kraftigt inspireret af Keith Moon fra The Who.

Når Animal optræder er han lænket fast til trommesættet da hans musikalske udbrud er ekstremt voldelige. Han bærer til tider skulderpuder fra et american-football dress (når altså ikke lige han har sin rødbrune band uniform på). Han taler sædvanligvis i grynt og enstavelsessætninger, og har generelt et voldsomt temperament.

I filmen The Great Muppet Caper bliver det afsløret at Animal har en svaghed for impressionistiske malerier, specielt Renoirs.

CV
Specielle talenter:
Trommer, Kvinder, Mad.

Hobbies:
Trommer, Kvinder, Mad.

Favorit udtryk:
“Louder!”, “Food NOW!” og “Want Woman!”

Sidste bog han kom til at spise:
“Musikerens guide til trommer, kvinder og mad”.

Går aldrig hjemmefra uden:
God appetit.

Kendetegn:
Bowler med overhåndskast…

Største øjeblikke:
Da Buddy Rich var gæst på The Muppet Show havde han og Animal en trommeduel. De spillede begge to som sindsyge, og det hele ender med at Animal bliver træt. Buddy får dermed “det sidste ord” – eller det tror vi…
Buddy sender Animal et “nååhh..?” blik, men Animal som ikke ønsker at blive frataget æren, kyler en af hans stortrommer ned over hovedet på Buddy, som efterfølgende kommer med bemærkningen: “Darn, there go the lights!”

Om selvsamme optræden på TV udtaler Buddy Rich:
“It’s one of the happiest weeks I ever spent. The people involved in the show—Jim Henson, Frank Oz, the crew, the music people, the television people were totally courteous, and totally involved in making the show as good as they could make it. I was shown every possible courtesy. I was a little bit nervous about doing certain things on the show — certain dialogue, and comedy bits — but they have such an easy attitude about things. They’re in your corner, telling you it’s okay, even when you totally mess it up — which I did, a lot — they have the time, and they have the great amount of understanding that goes along with being a great star, like that show obviously is. It is a star show — right? They made me feel great. It wasn’t shown in New York and Los Angeles until May 11th, but before that it was shown in different spot markets around the States, and I had calls from all over the country, saying how good it is. The thing that’s good about it is; I felt like a Muppet myself; I was like a kid, playing with those guys, because that’s how they made me feel. Singing the song was a knockout to me: the silly karate thing with Miss Piggy was beautiful, I thought; the playing on the walls, chairs and everything was a great idea of theirs. Then, of course, the battle at the end with Animal; to play opposite Ronnie Verrell — one of my all – time favourite drummers, along with Kenny Clare—was a total gas to me. That one week will go down as one of the most positive weeks in my career. I loved it — and I thank them.”

http://www.muppetcentral.com/