When
did you meet David Gilmour for the first time?
(Werner)
— I met David at the Royal Festival Hall
after a show that I played with Crosby &
Nash in '05. I was so nervous when I met him
I was certain that he heard my knees knocking.
When it came time for him to put the band back
together, fortunately he thought of me and rang
me up.
I'd
like to know how you met up with David. Did
you audition? Curious. (Frank Par)
— I actually didn't audition for David.
He saw me play with Crosby & Nash at the
Royal Festival Hall in '05. I later found out
through David Crosby that Mr Gilmour was interested
in working with me and I thought he was putting
me on. Crosby and I like to play jokes on each
other and I thought for sure he was up to one
of his tricks. He kept saying, "No man,
this is for real, you have to contact him, it's
important". So I did and it turned out
to be no joke!
Was it difficult coming
in to David's band when the other members had
played or worked together before? (Lynn R.)
— I knew I had some HUGE shoes to fill
and I was pretty nervous coming into this band
(who wouldn't be?), but everyone was so welcoming,
helpful and warm that all those feelings went
away very quickly and we fell right into the
music. I have to say that the chemistry was
there from the start.
Describe David Gilmour
in five. (Victor)
— Renaissance Man, Great Father, Generous,
Classy, A True Genius, A Gentleman...OK, that's
six.
Playing in David's
band and performing behind all those great musicians
and special guests must obviously be a great
thrill. Would you ever consider, when the time
is right, writing a book of events as viewed
by you (as Nick Mason did recently)? (Peter)
— I've thought about writing a book about
all these great experiences at some point, but
I think that's still a long way off.
Does it make a difference
what material your drumsticks are made of? I
mean, have you ever played drums with glass
sticks, as it is possible? (Ian Pearson)
— Wow, glass drumsticks. I've never tried
it, but I suppose if they were a special tempered
glass you might be able to use them. I've played
some plastic polymer sticks called 'Emmite'
that were cool, but they ended up shredding
up like string cheese. I also tried carbon fiber
sticks once, but they sent a shock through my
body when I hit the drums, so I put those down
pretty fast. I normally play sticks made out
of Hickory wood. It really does change the sound
depending on what type of wood is used. For
example, Maple is generally a softer wood that
has a pleasing sound, and Hickory is a harder
wood with a bit more of a solid feel and sound
to it. Some sticks are made of Oak, but they
are way too dense-feeling for me. Also, the
size of the stick, the shape of the tip, and
the weight are all contributing factors in creating
a specific sound.
Have you never hurt
someone, throwing your drumsticks? (Lucia)
— Not that I know about, but when I do
throw them I usually toss them up high and softly.
What was the most
difficult David Gilmour/Pink Floyd song to master
on this tour, Steve? Not that it looked like
you had trouble with any of them. (Geoff Duffy)
— I'd have to say that 'High Hopes' really
made me think. I had to play off beat 8th notes
on a tuned foundry bell with a mallet in my
left hand, over my left shoulder, while switching
back and fourth between mallet and sticks for
the choruses. Jon Carin and I had to really
listen to each other and lock in together, because
our parts had to be perfectly in sync. Also,
since it has such an orchestral feel to it,
I really had to pay attention to the dynamic
shape of the tune, which made it a fun challenge.
How did you pick up
'On The Turning Away' so quickly when David
sprung it on the band in Venice with no rehearsals?
(EchoesBob)
— First of all, I love that tune and fortunately
I had listened to it enough to understand the
form and the groove. At first I thought he was
just going to play it by himself, and then I
saw Guy come bounding back on stage and it was
like, "Oh man, here we go!" I waited
for a kind of cue from David and, when I got
the nod, I came in with the time. It was so
fun and fresh feeling to all of us. Sometimes
it pays not to rehearse a tune.
Which was the most
enjoyable concert for you on David's tour? (Lesley)
— All of the shows were great, but I'd
have to say the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles,
mainly because my family was there. My Mother
was literally in tears that night seeing me
up there and even though my Dad had never heard
of Pink Floyd (he's a WWII vet and into Benny
Goodman and Big Band music) he was totally blown
away by David and the whole experience. I think
it was his first real rock concert and he's
80 years old. Now that's a hip Dad. Also, a
lot of my mates came to the show and are still
in disbelief. Of course I have to mention the
Royal Albert Hall shows, Vienne, then there
was Gdańsk and Abbey Road. It's all just
so great!
What has been the
most beautiful city that you have visited during
the tour? (Claudio)
— I really enjoyed the beauty of Austria
and the unique quality of Venice, Italy.
Your drumming was particularly
excellent during 'Astronomy Domine' at Abbey
Road. Prior to David's tour, have you ever played
Pink Floyd material before? (Julie Gunn Davies)
— Thanks for the nice compliment; I'm glad
you dug 'Astronomy' at Abbey Road. Yes, I have
played some Floyd material before in a few bands
over the years but, as you know, it was nothing
like the real thing.
What are your favourite
bands now? (GianLuca)
— There are some local bands that I just
love. Deccatree, Brett Bixby, Ray Lamontagne,
and Pedestrian, to name a few.
Do your arms ever
get so tired you wonder if you will lose time?
I notice during 'High Hopes' that you kept time
by drumming against your leg while striking
the bell. Why was this? (Graham Knight)
— My arms used to get fatigued as a younger
drummer because I thought I had to muscle everything
out and overplay, but as time went on I learned
how to relax and let the sticks do the work.
I keep time on my leg for consistency and to
keep a sub-division going. The part is to play
off 8ths on a foundry bell so there is a lot
of space between the beats so I tap to keep
the time in check. Also, Jon Carin is counting
on me to keep it together for his part.
Do you always externalise
your feelings that much? (Luis Malheiro)
— It's funny when people tell me that I
make faces when I play. They say that I smile
a lot, but the honest truth is that I'm not
even aware of it. I guess I'm just transported
by the music and I'm reacting to the feeling.
Which drummer inspired
you to take up the drums in the first place?
(Julie Gunn Davies)
— The drummer that first inspired me to
play the drums is a fellow called John Ferraro.
John was, and will always be, a mentor to me
and I owe him a lot. He and my oldest brother
were mates (I'm the youngest of four kids).
I used to go over to his house where he would
play and I would watch him for hours. When he
went to the toilet, I would climb on the kit
and start wailing away only to get kicked off
when he returned. John turned me on to all kinds
of bands and drummers. I remember the Beatles'
'Revolver' and Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid' as
some of the first rock music I ever heard. I
was six.
I'd like to know who
your favourite drummers are and why. (Sue N.)
— Jeff Porcaro, because he always played
the perfect thing for every song. His feel is
unparalleled. Steve Gadd, for his unique groove
and his ability to play every style under the
sun. John Bonham, for his sheer brilliance and
huge groove. John Ferraro, for his natural flowing
feel. Nick Mason, for his unique style, sound
and feel. Matt Cameron from Soundgarden/Pearl
Jam cuz he just flat out rocks! The list goes
on and on and on...
How tiring is playing
a drum? You have to use two arms, two legs,
beat strong also in different rhythms, one for
the right arm, one for the left one, one other
for the right leg, one other for the left one. It
seems very tiring...or is it just my ignorance?
(Lucia)
— It's really not as tiring as it seems.
I try to keep as balanced as possible with good
posture as well as pace myself like an athlete
would. It takes more mental concentration than
anything so as long as I stay focused and in
decent shape physically, I'm fine.
What song do you prefer
to play (from the 'On An Island' tour)? (Claudio)
— I love playing them all, but 'Fat Old
Sun' is one I just love to play. When it kicks
into the jam/solo section, it just rocks! Sheer
power from Mr Gilmour. I equally love to play
'Shine On', 'On An Island', 'This Heaven', 'Smile',
'Echoes', 'High Hopes', and 'Comfortably Numb'.
Would you like to
do another tour with David? (Lesley)
— There is nothing I would like more than
to continue playing with David and this amazing
band.
