Riding The Wave :: Interview with Dave Sharman
By The Atomic Chaser & The Rocker
For years people have asked me, 'Where did you get the inspiration for the cyber name, THE ATOMIC CHASER?' The inspiration for my name was adopted from the song written by guitarist, DAVE SHARMAN, from his album,'1990'. Dave Sharman is the real deal, an unabashed guitar virtuoso who can play anything he wants but chooses varied textures, atmospheres, funky harmonic combinations, notes carefully articulated with the vibrato bar and thrilling runs where he both throws down a speed gauntlet and has something to say in doing so. For those who asked, this is your opportunity to read about the original ATOMIC CHASER... DAVE SHARMAN!
Self taught Dave Sharman's prodigious talent was discovered whilst still in his teens. Introduced to the world by legendary rock DJ Tommy Vance on the BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show, it wasn't long before his debut album, '1990' was released worldwide. Dave Sharman belongs to that rare breed of musicians, whose musicality extends to composing, song writing and vocals. He has played on the 'Night of The Guitars II' tour alongside other guitar legends. With four albums and numerous sessions to his name, which includes those with MTV and VH1. Dave Sharman is back with his latest project called WAVE. The Rocker and I asked Dave a few questions about what he has been up to lately and he is what he graciously shared with us...
AAM: Since your debut, '1990', in your opinion how has your guitar playing evolved? Was there any reason why your last two records, 'Exit Witin' and 'Here ‘N’ Now’ ', were never released in the States?
Dave Sharman: Since ‘1990’ I think I’ve definitely matured with my overall approach, I’m not obsessed about getting every last solo/lick perfect from a technical point of view, but the playing is more about attitude & feel for me now. I still don't want to do anything 'sloppy' but as I’ve grown & gained more experience I’ve become more 'relaxed' with my playing, but don’t get me wrong, I still occasionally enjoy letting it 'RIP!!!' As for ‘Exit Within’ & ‘Here ‘N’ Now’ not getting released in the US, that was the record company messing up!
AAM: How is your new project, WAVE going to compare to what you've done in the past? Will you be releasing independently or will be shopping for labels?
DS: The new stuff is definitely more song orientated, being lead vocalist as well as guitarist now gives me a lot more to think about, obviously I still want to keep things exciting from a playing point of view, but it’s also got to fit within the framework of the music, ultimately I want to write songs that people can remember whilst enjoying the quality of the musicianship ... With regards to labels, I’m seriously considering releasing independently but if I get approached & it's a good label, then of course I wouldn't rule it out.
AAM: How many songs have you already written for your new project? By the way, what are you calling your new project?
DS: Well as I’ve always written quite productively there's a lot of material already amassed over the years, probably something in the region of about 30 songs, but it’s always good writing new stuff just to keep things fresh. In terms of a name, I have a few options, but will probably finalise something when the project's moving a bit more.
AAM: Who are the musicians, besides you, playing on the album? Will you be handling vocals?
DS: At the moment we are a three piece, with Stelious Fterougas on bass and Tekin Irengun on drums. Yes, I’ll be handling vocals along with guitar. (There are some pictures of the guys on my website).
AAM: Who are some of your influences, musicially? I understand you are a big fan of Bach.
DS: Oh yeah! I love those guys! Especially Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. I am into Beethoven BIG TIME! For me he's as rock n' roll as anything you’ll ever hear, got real attitude to his music & you definitely get a feel for the man's personality through his various works, my favourite has to be his symphony no. 9, but there’s just so much stuff. In terms of the more 'traditional' always been a huge fan of Van Halen (mainly the Roth years) Rush mean a lot to me as well, I saw them on their 30th anniversary tour - they were awesome! Lynyrd Skynyrd, Journey, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Had a lot of time for Rage Against The Machine.
AAM: If you were to hit play right now on your CD player, what would we hear?
DS: Van Halen, Beethoven and Godsmack!
AAM: If you got the opportunity to put your dream band together, who would be in the band? (past or present)
DS: That's a great question! Jon Bonham - Drums, Freddie Mercury - Piano/Vocals Geddy Lee - Bass/Keyboards & Vocals Eddie Van Halen - Guitar/Backing Vocals and Jimi Hendrix - Guitar/Vocals For me ALL undeniable legends! Hendrix & Halen trading solos! (can you imagine) There’s a lot of vocals & a helluva lot of charisma!!
AAM: As far as writing songs go, do you have a special way in doing things? As far as finding the inspiration. Some musicians I've interviewed go back listening to old tapes they've done to get ideas. Have you ever done that?
DS:Sure it's always good to store ideas, I like to get into a zone or vibe with whatever I’m doing and then see if I can build on it. When I’m happy with it I store it and kind of lock it away for another time. I think coming back and listening with fresh ears is very important, if it still sounds good I keep working on it and let the music take it where it has to go. I don't really have a special way in doing things myself, sometimes you can pull a great tune out of the air just like that and sometimes you might be working on something for hours & it just doesn't happen, it all depends on your mood, what you've been doing that day, lots of different variations.
AAM: Are there any artists/bands today that you enjoy listening to?
DS: Sure, there's a lot of good stuff out there, I think the greatest bands are still behind us, from a few years ago. But I’m always interested in original & innovative music.
AAM: What is your opinion on how the music industry is today? A lot of artist today feel the pressure of the industry to produce. Did you feel that when you recorded your albums?
DS:I think the industry is always changing, would definitely like to see more control swing back to the artist & away from the record company exec. People like that are quite limited with their knowledge of music or how to create it, there are too many parasites in the business and if it ever returns to being more about just the music instead of trying to make a quick buck we'll probably see a change for the better. As for me, no I never felt any pressure, I was always quite difficult to boss about!
AAM: Is there anything else you would like to add? If the readers would like to get more information on DaveSharman, do you have website that they can go to?
DS: Thank you for your support. My official website is finally up and running at www.davesharman.com. You can also contact me from there!
AAM, The Rocker and I would like to thank Dave Sharman for sharing his time with us. A great guitarist, a really cool person and one that we are honored to call friend. Cheers mate!
Story and Interview by The Atomic Chaser & The Rocker
