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Duranasty.com:
I read in your bio that you started playing guitar at the age
of 14, you started at college with your own band, can you remember
those days when you just started playing music?
Dom:
Those days were very exciting. Everything was so new and experimenting
with music seemed like the natural thing to do. I had been very
into listening for a few years but didn’t get my first guitar
until I was 14. I was very ready to go at it full steam ahead.
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Duranasty.com:
You have developed a unique and original style moving on from
the traditional blues/rock to experimental, you play and sings,
I’d define you an eclectic musician and I guess you have
been listening to a lot of very different music since the eraly
days. Can you name some of the most important artists-music influences
on you?
Dom:
My taste is very eclectic and I suppose that comes across in my
music. I’ve never been tied to one form or genre. One moment
I could be listening to something quite heavy like Nirvana or
Queens of the Stoneage, then something more jazzy or bluesy. I
have a lot of records by Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Miles
Davis, John Coltrane etc. I also love classical music when the
mood is right.
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Duranasty.com:
About your music, I can notice a change from “Touch the
Flames” to “Between The Lines”, was it a natural
move? and is there a particular memory you’d like to share
about the writing process of your last album? If I do remember
well you were becoming a father during the making of BTL, do you
take inspiration from events in your personal life when you do
songwriting?
Dom: I
wrote most of the songs for BTL at the beginning of 2007 though
a few were older songs that had not yet been recorded.
It was a busy period for me as I was also working with Duran and
recording Red Carpet Massacre. My son had not long been born and
I was doing a lot of the recording of BTL at home when he wasn’t
sleeping. I do get inspired by personal events, New Soul Brother
is specifically about my son.
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Duranasty.com:
What you’d suggest to your son if one day he’ll say
he wants to starts his own rock band?
Dom:
I would be as encouraging as possible though I would like him
to try his hand at many other things.
You never know where ones true talent or passion lies. |
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Duranasty.com:
How was having John and Roger on board on your project, did they
lay down the tracks for your album in a London studio or in Usa
during the tour or the Reportage sessions at the Agassi Residence?
Dom: Was
great having them record on my album. They both played on Amazing
and Crocodile Tears.
Roger recorded the drums at a small south London studio. I had
already laid down the songs with programmed drums and got Roger
to replace them and add the human feel. John recorded CT during
RCM sessions at Sphere and Amazing in the US.
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Duranasty.com
What did you think of Duran Duran before you joined them as session
player back in 2004, did you know the guys before? How it all
happened, where you introduced to the band by common friends or
it was just one of those music business phone call?
Dom:
Have always had a lot of respect for Duran and was very aware
of what great songwriters they were. I had never met the guys
before working with them.
I was recommended to the guys by a friend in the business who
knew the tour manager. What basically happened was one morning
I was called by the tour manager asking if I was available to
do a show with Duran in 2 days time. So that evening I met John
and Roger for a jam and general chat. They gave me a bunch of
songs to take home and learn by the morning. I stayed up most
of the night and the next day rehearsed them with John and Roger.
Things went well and it wasn’t until the next afternoon
that I met Simon and Nick at the sound check. We had time to top
and tale a few of the songs before they threw me well and truly
into the deep end.
Thankfully it went very well and they asked me to do the next
5 weeks of shows.
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Duranasty.com:
Any special memory you would like to share about the first meeting
you had with the band?
Dom:
I first met Roger and John and remember saying “is your
brother Andy ok?”. I thought the 3 Taylors were brothers.
I knew we were going to get along fine as when we first started
to jam John said “wow. It’s like having Jeff Beck
in the band!”
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Duranasty.com:
How was being involved on the video for Falling Down, did you
have fun on the set, was that the first pop music video you appeared
on?
Dom: I
have been in quite a few over the years but this one was particularly
fun. Was a long day, about 20 hours on set but the catering was
great and we were surrounded by dozens of beautiful women.
Duranasty.com:
How
was playing the pixelator guitar designed by Nick Rhodes?
Dom:
Was fun and I got to meet Sir Peter Blake the artist at the auction
for the donated guitars.
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above
pics of Dom on the set of Falling Down, Below Dom plays the Pixelator
guitar in 2007 |
In
true Duran Duran style, Nick’s Warholesque creation "Pixelator"
was painstakingly hand-crafted from a Fender Stratocaster guitar,
whose internal architecture was completely carved out and replaced
with sophisticated electronics and a unique TV pixel screen which
covers the entire face of the guitar. Specially programmed abstract
film footage plays across the translucent surface making the guitar
a constantly-changing experimental video art piece. The artish
guitar has been auctioned for charity in London on May 31st, 2007 |
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Duranasty.com:
Tricked Out is probably my favourite song on the album and it’s
a pleasure to see you and John rocking on stage when you play
that one! Did you gave any input to the band in the creative process
of that one? What’s the duran song you most enjoy to play
live?
Dom: Tricked
Out was one of my favourites to play from RCM. Can’t fully
remember how that one came about but I do remember John and me
goofing around with the riff… I think we recorded the bass
and my guitar at the same time. The solos were very spontaneous
and pretty much the first take.
I also love playing Ordinary World, Girl’s On Film and Sunrise
live.
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Duranasty.com:
You are about to conclude a successfull world tour with some more
shows in the Usa and Latin America but I wanna go back to last
summer: did you enjoy Italy and have you ever been here on your
own?
Were
you aware about the huge success of the band in Italy and about
the great following of -lets just say- passionate fans? What’s
your opinion of the fans-scene, is it any difficoult to you to
deal with the immense love that the Duran Duran fans shows to
the band and now to you too?
Dom:
I have been to Italy a few times before and love the people, the
culture and let’s not forget to mention the great weather
you have. My mother is half Italian so I guess I have a natural
bond with the country.
I really appreciate the passion the fans have and have also felt
it with my solo work. If anything it makes it all more easy.
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