So What Happens To Dregen Now?
The Hellacopters confirmed on September 16 what fans had been hoping would not happen. Dregen, one of the band’s founding members and guitarist on their early releases, will not return to the group due to permanent damage caused by his hand injury.
Dregen has not played with The Hellacopters for roughly three years. He injured his hand in 2023, and the band had continued to leave the possibility of a return open while he recovered. It is now clear that this will not be possible. As The Hellacopters explained, Dregen can still play certain rhythm guitar parts, but most of their songs are no longer possible for him to perform. LG Valeta, the Spanish guitarist who has been filling in since Dregen’s injury, will now remain with the band permanently.
Dregen has been part of the The Hellacopters story practically from the beginning. He founded the band with Nicke Andersson in 1994, but as we all know, The Hellacopters have never been his only story. He had already formed Backyard Babies long before The Hellacopters, while also launching his solo career during 2010s that resulted in a fantastic debut album in 2013. From 2011 to 2014 he also played guitar for legendary Michael Monroe.
However, the remarkable twist is that The Hellacopters have now moved forward without him, while on the other hand Dregen is still playing live. He has shows announced in Chile, Argentina and Brazil in October 2026 under his own name, while the announcement for his São Paulo show specifically mentions songs from different periods of his career, including Backyard Babies and The Hellacopters.
Taking into account that Nicke Borg, the Backyard Babies singer, has just started performing solo, playing Backyard Babies songs, the question is whether the long-awaited Backyard Babies reunion will EVER happen? On the other hand, if Dregen cannot play the solo parts in The Hellacopters, will he be able to do the same in Backyard Babies? And finally, will Dregen build his career exclusively as a solo artist from this point on?
There are many questions and few answers. Only one thing is certain: The Hellacopters have already made their decision, while Dregen, by the looks of it, still has a few cards up his sleeve.
