All Elite Wrestling daredevil Darby Allin tells us about having his young mind blown by Circle Jerks, wanting to hear Amebix as he heads to the ring, and getting pumped up on punk as he prepares for a hike to the top of the world…
Is Darby Allin the most punk rock wrestler of all time? We’d argue the case. From a grubby, part-corpse-painted aesthetic that could’ve sprung out from beneath the stage at some nightmarish dive bar, to an in-ring style with all the reckless abandon of a stagedive or circle-pit, and a message built on straight-edge self-belief, he’s a fascinating outsider in a world of musclemen. By his own admission it all comes from a fascination with the history and ethos of alternative sound.
“I didn’t really get inspired by wrestlers growing up,” he grins during a trip to the capital to hype up the August Bank Holiday mega showcase All In London at Wembley Stadium. “They never really spoke to me. I was more inspired by skateboarding musicians. I listen to music literally all day – when I’m cooking, when I’m showering, when I’m working out. The only real time that I switch it off is when I’m meditating. Music has definitely given me confidence to do the stuff I’ve done!”
There’s plenty more to tick off between now and August, too. On March 3 he’ll be tagging with wrasslin’ legend Sting for The Icon’s final match against The Young Bucks at AEW Revolution in Greensboro, North Carolina. Then in April he’ll be taking on the biggest, deadliest challenge of his life as he heads out to attempt a months-long ascent of the mighty, 8,849-metre Mount Everest.
“I’ll definitely be back in time for All In,” his eyes sparkle in a (dare)devilish smile, “...unless I die!”
“This is a hard one! But I just remember watching Pink Floyd’s [1982] movie The Wall when I was a little kid and that song playing over some of the scenes. The music – the whole movie – was really awesome, but I don’t remember much other than that because I was so young. It’s kinda hard to explain why that song is the one that sticks in my memory, but it really stood out.”
“My Way is a song that I really remember from when I first got into punk rock. It reminds me of sixth grade, when I would listen to it all the time. That was the first year that I was getting into punk outside of what was played on the radio. Did it influence my future persona? Absolutely. It was about finding that world beyond what was represented on radio and TV. I’m a big fan of music videos, so I spent a lot of time watching those, but that song was the beginning of a deep dive into everything else.”
“This was the song that my ex-wife and I had our first dance to at our wedding (laughs). Is it ruined for me at all because we didn’t stay together? Nah, that song rules!”
“Circle Jerks was the first ‘show’ that I really went to when I was like 12 years old. It was at the El Corazon club in Seattle. The atmosphere was wild. I remember people walking in and getting stopped by security guards because they had heroin needles in their jackets. I was like, ‘What is this world I’ve walked into?!’ I remember seeing stagedivers for the first time at that show. I still stagedive to this day. A lot of people get to a certain level and they want to watch the show from the side of the stage or something, but I’ll be in the pit forever. I’ll never be too good to jump in!”
“It’s about growing up, and being told that you’re not really ever going to amount to much, then finally breaking through all those mental barriers down in your mind, then getting to the levels that I’ve managed to get to and knowing that, through pure determination and hard work, anything is possible. Sacrificing your life week in and week out means that doors will open for you. Do They Owe Us A Living always reminds me of that.
"I’ve the Crass lyric ‘There is no authority but yourself’ [from 1983’s Taking Sides] tattooed on my arm and their message is always that it’s up to you to do whatever you want. Will I be listening to Crass when I head off to climb Mount Everest? I’ve actually got a whole playlist of different ‘Everest Songs’ that I’ve been playing while training lined up. You spend a lot of time in those little [mountain] huts. You need music to keep you sane!”
“When I’m heading off on a road trip, this is the song I want to sing in the car. It’s got something about it. I love old, old country music. It makes me feel like I’m going on an adventure, heading into the unknown, exploring life, not being complacent in my comfort zone, constantly being on the move and being thrown into situations where I don’t know what the environment is going to be like. It keeps me on my toes. Was outlaw country the original punk rock? Absolutely (laughs).”
“I just love this song. It’s another one that gets me really hyped-up. I love how it starts slow and picks up as it goes on, and I think it would be so cool to hear that playing as I walk out to the ring. I don’t think a lot of people really listen to that type of music, too, and it would be really cool to introduce the wrestling world to something totally new. I think it’s more important for wrestling themes to build up an atmosphere than to have that immediate ‘bang’. My current theme song [I Fell by Wicca Phase Springs Eternal] does that. I also like songs that don’t just immediately make people think of wrestling. You know those corny wrestling shirts where you just immediately go, ‘Oh, that’s a wrestling shirt!’ It’s the same with corny wrestling songs where you’re like, ‘This is so bad!’ My goal is to have outsiders say ‘This is so cool!’, then find out it’s a wrestling song...”
“That’s a hard one! I don’t even really want to pick a specific song, but I’d say anything dubstep because a lot of my friends who were cool in junior high just got fried when they went to high school, and lost all their brain cells and started going to raves. I always associate it with them listening to that stuff. Not to single anyone out, but I guess we’ll go with Skrillex!”
“I just find Mazzy Star’s voice so relaxing. I don’t know what it is about it. Am I someone who finds it hard to switch off? No! I actually spend a lot of time meditating. Anyone who says they’re listening to loud, crazy music all the time is full of shit. Come on, guys, quit the act (laughs).”
“I’m really into film. The first film from Todd Phillips, who directed The Hangover and Joker, was this one called Hated: GG Allin And The Murder Junkies, which explored how he and [The Germs vocalist] Darby Crash were polar opposites who died in these crazy ways. With me being straight-edge, I find it fascinating how wild human beings can be. So my wrestling name is a nod to them.
“I wouldn’t say that I ‘look up to’ either of those guys, but I do find it fascinating how polarising they could be. I don’t really know how When I Die would go down at a funeral. But I do think that with music, when someone is really honest in punk rock with no ulterior motive or plan to make money off it – when they’re talking purely from their soul – it always speaks volumes…”
Catch Darby in action on August 25 as part of AEW All In London at Wembley Stadium
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