This interview is a little bit personal for me, and provokes memories of skipping school, downing beers and moshing to Megadeth. Ah, those were the days!

Dave is one of my influences, and one of the first bass lines I attempted to learn was from the song “peace sells”. Megadeth are still a much played band in my world, and I still throughly recommend them. Of course, Dave isn’t just about Megadeth, and is currently doing some great work in the world of the bass guitar.

Details of his band HAIL, what he is doing now, his myspace links are right here:

Daves personal site.

Also, for you guys and gals currently learning how to play bass, check out Daves Youtube channel, right here:

Youtube channel.

Right, let’s get on with it!

1. What are you up to right now, musically?

I’ve been doing the HAIL! tours in South America and Europe as of late. I’m also playing bass for my friend (and HAIL! vocalist) Tim “Ripper” Owens in Europe during the month of June as he supports his new solo album “Play My Game” on SPV Records.

2. Who are your main musical influences and why?

There are quite a few but I always go back to my roots of KISS, RUSH, IRON MAIDEN.
They are the bands that made me want to play and put together bands of my own.

3. What made you want to play bass in the first place? What did you dream?

I liked the look and sound of it on rock songs I heard as a kid. I think Bachman Turner Overdrive’s album “Not Fragile” was the one that really made the bass sound cool to me in a hard rock setting.

4. What equipment do you use? Is good equipment important to you?

I use my Peavey Zodiac DE signature bass guitars for most everything these days. For amps, I use both Peavey and Trace Elliot. Strings are D’Addario Pro Steels, Peterson Tuners and Jim Dunlop picks. The occasional effects pedal is usually from DigiTech or MXR and my cables are Planet Waves.

Good gear is always important so that you look and sound your best. BUT, tone is really in the hands and heart, not just your gear!

5. Have you exceeded what you thought you may become when you first
started to learn the bass? (this question may not be relevent to you as you were in Megadeth-i’m such a dork)

Yes, I have. There is always more to achieve in life and as some may think I lived the dream only in that band, the truth is, I’ve grown just as much with the things I’ve done since then. The sales numbers can tell a lot but often times it’s the experience itself that shapes you, not just the tangible rewards from the experiences.

6. If you have one, what is your favourite technique?

Playing bass with a pick. It’s a style I learned as a young player, mostly so I could be heard over the loud guitars. Now, I’ve really developed it into a style of my own, something I use to really bring my approach to bass to the forefront of any situation I play in.

7. Do you have any good practising tips for newer players?

Practicing comes in all different forms. As a young start-up player, we have to practice the notes and musical things to become educated. Then, you learn how to play in groups with other people, which I recommend doing as often as possible.

From there, you learn how to write, record and then learn songs for performing. These are all forms of practicing but they become a part of your everyday life when you do music as often as you can. This makes it fun and a real passion, not something to dread, which is what the word “practice” usually conjures up for most people.

8. Do you ever get stuck in a rut, or get “writers block”? Do you do anything to remedy this horrible dark place?

I can’t say I get in a horrible dark place but we all hit spots when the creativity runs dry. The thing I find that helps the creativity flow is to constantly keep moving toward new musical settings. Those new settings offer up new people to work with and people can often be the inspiration for new ideas.

9. How can you see the bass evolving?

The bass should always be a foundation instrument first and foremost. That is why it was designed. But, that doesn’t mean it always has to stay there. I think bands like MASTODON are doing a great job of putting the bass up front because he also sings. I think TOOL did a good job of bringing the bass to the forefront as a key melody and riff instrument.

I like to hear people do new things with the instrument, approach it in a new fashion and really be creative with it. That’s what I liked about my influences growing up; guys like Steve Harris, Phil Lynott, Gene Simmons and Geddy Lee. They were all doing something very innovative as bassists but also as songwriters, too. I think the more the bass is used by a songwriter (let’s not forget Paul McCartney and Sting, too!) the more it becomes a centerpiece of the music, and not just a background instrument.

10. Any parting words of wisdom?

For musicians, play as often as you can, with as many different people as you can. You’ll grow from the experiences.

Thanks for you time, Dave!

And just for old times sake:

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