Rusty Hopkinson

Who is Rusty Hopkinson?

Rusty Hopkinson is the drummer for Australian rock act You Am I. Allegedly, Rusty was an occasional drinking buddy of You Am I while with his then band, indie act Nursery Crimes, around the turn of the 1990s. Shortly after the recording of You Am I's first album, Sound As Ever, the relationship with drummer Mark Tunaley soured and Rusty was seen as an ideal replacement. Ever since, Hopkinson has been a core member of the band.

Bandmate and songwriter Tim Rogers often cites Hopkinson's drumming style as the key part of the group's sound. So much so that when he writes new material, it's the drumming ferocity that will decide whether the song will be performed by You Am I or Rogers' other band, the Temperance Union. Rogers was quoted regarding Rusty "[He's] an enigma, a renaissance man and the best drummer in the world,"

To date, Rusty's only lead singing role in a You Am I song has been on the "Good Mornin'" B-Side- a cover of the Mummies' classic " Planet of the Apes".