Project Description
Interview With:
DAVE HOLE
Interviewer: Kelsey Hentschel
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Legendary blues guitarist Dave Hole is performing at The Bridge Hotel on May 4. Having been over 3 years since Dave has performed at The Bridge Hotel, we are all awaiting eagerly for Dave to light up the stage once again. Amnplify Interviewer Kelsey had a few questions for the man himself, Read the full interview below…
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You’ve been a player in the Australian music scene for over 30 years now, how have you found yourself changing creatively over that time frame?
In a creative sense I probably haven’t evolved very much. The past 30 years have been for me a continuous exploration of the blues. As I’ve gotten deeper and deeper into the origins of this music I find it feeds into everything I write and play. Even when I write a song which appears to be contemporary if you dig below the surface you’ll find those old blues in there somewhere.
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Having majority of your career revolve around the old school industry, How do you feel online streaming has impacted the music industry in recent years?
Streaming has been a total game-changer in the music industry. It’s very difficult to see how other forms of delivery, even downloads, can compete with having whatever you want available on any device wherever and whenever you want it.
Of course those of us that produce music are now being paid in only micro-cents per play but there’s no doubt it’s here to stay so we have to embrace it. Interestingly, the major record labels appear to be more profitable than ever, so they appear to be exploiting streaming to their advantage. They are saving huge dollars on the cost to deliver physical product and their main expenditure now is on promotion.
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In terms of your emotional reach, how do you feel your music has impacted your fans?
This is probably a question better addressed to the fans themselves but I must say that as an artist it is really gratifying to receive feedback from people who say that your music is a big part of their lives or that in some cases it has actually changed their lives. It’s a humbling reminder of what a privilege it is to be allowed into people’s heads.
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Do you ever have any specific intentions on how you want to impact people? Like, do you ever think, “oh, I’d love for a fan to feel this way” after hearing a song, or do you like to leave your music open for interpretation?
This actually varies from song to song. For the most part I like to leave it open to the listeners interpretation. There are songs by other artists that I’ve been disappointed to discover were about something quite different than I had thought. In these cases my own interpretation was obviously more meaningful to me than the ‘truth’.
Having said that, there are a small number of song I’ve written where I’m hoping to be clear and unambiguous. These are the songs where I want to get a particular message across.
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Have you noticed that when you perform live the crowd has a favourite? Why do you think that is?
Because a lot of my performance is improvised there’s a lot of variation from night to night. The audience seem to recognise when a band is “flying by the seat of it’s pants” and are usually willing to come along on the journey. If all the stars align and a song really “flys” then that is often the crowd’s favourite for that particular night.
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What’s your personal favourite song to preform?
Whichever one I’m playing at the time. It really is. Although I will say that whenever I perform a Robert Johnson song I find myself assuming this mythical personae (at least in my own head I do) – so that’s always fun for me.
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Who are your inspirations musically? Have you ever reflected some of their sounds within your own music?
There’s a vast number of musicians that have inspired me over the years. My most enduring influences have been Elmore James, Robert Johnson, Rory Gallager, Blind Lemon Jefferson, BB King, Willie Johnson and Jimi Hendrix. These and many others are all over my music. My unique style is largely just a result of their combined influence.
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What do you do to inspire yourself when writing new music?
I wish there was something particular I could do to trigger inspiration. When it comes it’s usually at random and often at the most inconvenient of times – when there’s no pen, paper or guitar near at hand! Failing a bolt from the blue my usual writing process is to just noodle on the guitar and see what comes out that day.
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Is there anything you wish you’d done differently musically?
There are countless things on my records that I wish I could go back and do again but I’ve learnt to accept that a recording is just a ‘snapshot’ of a performance on a particular day and particularly with the way I play it’s always going to be different and never perfect.
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Did you think you’d still be touring and releasing music this many years later, when you started out?
No way. Like most of my generation we thought of rock’n’roll as being a short term thing that you could only do when you were young. Who would have thought we’d ever be listening to 70 year old rockers like the Stones!
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What has it been like starting out with a band and transitioning to a solo artist? How does that change you and your performances?
It’s been a very gradual and stop-start thing. I only started singing in the bands I was in if we were in between singers but eventually I ended up being the ‘front man’. I still don’t consider myself a real solo artist because I work within the context of a band, except for the odd song or two. Having really good musicians in my band for me to bounce off is really critical. They are really important to me but don’t tell them I said that.
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You have such an extensive list of material now, does it make it difficult to comprise a setlist?
Yes. It’s always a case of what to leave out and inevitably you disappoint someone in the crowd who is hoping to hear their favourite.
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Dave Hole’s new album “Goin’ Back Down” is out April 27, and his Australian tour kicks off May 3. Full details below.
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Follow DAVE HOLE
Website Youtube
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TOUR DATES
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FRI 4 MAY
THE BRIDGE HOTEL
ROZELLE NSW
TIX HERE
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SAT 5 MAY
HERITAGE HOTEL
BULLI NSW
TIX HERE
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SUN 6 MAY
WICKHAM PARK HOTEL
NEWCASTLE NSW
FREE ENTRY
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FRI 11 MAY
THE SPOTTED MALLARD
BRUNSWICK VIC
TIX HERE
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SAT 12 MAY
SATELLITE LOUNGE
MULGRAVE VIC
TIX HERE
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SUN 13 MAY
MEMO MUSIC HALL
ST KILDA VIC
TIX HERE
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17 – 19 MAY
BLUES ON BROADBEACH
GOLD COAST QLD
FREE ENTRY
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SAT 26 MAY
THE CHARLES HOTEL
NORTH PERTH WA
TIX HERE
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