Founding member of Slayer and drumming guru, Dave Lombardo is bringing his percussive showcase to Allans Billy Hyde stores around the country in October.
The lucky 150 ticket holders in each city will witness Dave’s drumming prowess at the intimate in-store appearances, with the opportunity to meet and talk with the legend. “The key point of this show is that I converse with the fans,” Dave says.
“If they have any questions, it's one-on-one with me. If there is a particular piece of music and they want to know how I do it, or they want to know how I play double bass as fast as I do, they get to ask these questions and I can address them.”
This is the first time Dave is bringing his drumming clinic to Australia, having held them across Europe previously. “It’s rare that I do them in the States, but they're very popular throughout Europe… in January I'm going to Russia, for a series of three drum clinics.”
Dave will also be showing fans a performance art series he has directed and performed, titled ‘Rhythm Mysterium’. His drumming is captured abstractly through photographs. “I'm playing in the dark with minimal light, and the drumsticks that I use have LED lights inside. The photographer uses a lengthy aperture setting, and it captures the trails of the drumstick in the performance.”
Dave found enjoyment in the artistic process, as well as curating the final prints. “It's in the performance and the developmental stages of the final product; that's what I enjoy the most. I had a lot of input in what to do; trying to get the right shot, the right angle, the colours we chose for the pieces. They were directed by me, as well as the titles and descriptions of the pieces.”
A new, custom Paiste ‘Reign’ ride cymbal will be demoed by Dave, which has been reproduced from the original ride he used in recording Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ album. “We were able to acquire the original cymbal, which I thought was missing, but I found it, and we used that as the prototype for the new cymbal.
“That cymbal had been discontinued many years ago. And to introduce it again, at this time, was perfect as a reproduction of the original ‘Reign In Blood’ line. I think everyone was really excited to see that come about, because that's been a big question from drummers; what kind of ride did I use. I was never really able to answer it until I found this particular ride, which had been lost in storage.”
Dave toured Europe with his latest band Philm in September, an opportunity he used to test a barebones drum set-up. “I have stripped down to the bare minimum to see what I can do on a four-piece drum kit. That's been a lot of fun. I've re-taught myself to play a single bass drum, and not rely on a double bass. I had to do that because I felt that the music required a different approach, and that has helped me to redevelop myself.”
This set-up is quite different to what Dave has been accustomed to in the past. “In Fantomas there was a lot more percussion. I would have a double bass drum set, then I would have: bongos, shakers, bells, ratchets, strange-sound-effect cymbals. For the third Philm album that I’m going to record, the new music has double bass. So I've re-introduced double bass to the band, or at least, to my drumming.”
On the topic of the amalgamation of Allans Music and Billy Hyde music stores, Dave agrees his style of in-store appearance can “help the stores”, in an era where physical retailers struggle to compete with the online market. “I think music stores are the equivalent to record stores… I like going in there and physically picking them up and rifling through bins of records and CDs.
"It's a good thing that these music stores exist, so that kids that want to learn an instrument can actually know what it feels like and looks like, and not just rely on a computer.”
Written by Leisa Howlett
Dave Lombardo Tour Dates
Tue 20 Oct - Allans Billy Hyde (Melbourne)Wed 21 Oct - Allans Billy Hyde (Adelaide)
Thu 22 Oct - Allans Billy Hyde (Brisbane)
Fri 23 Oct - Allans Billy Hyde (Sydney)
