Dave Kinkade

 

Keep up with Dave here:

www.myspace.com/davekinkade

 

 

Current Age – 23

BANDS- CURRENT–Council of the Fallen, Monarch and Insatanity

BANDS- PAST– Divine Empire, Malevolent Creation

My playing is based around many mistakes I made when I was younger and I have had to re-correct them later on in life. I have fortunately gotten to know many of the drummers that I grew up idolizing and they have taught me secrets that I have always wondered. Drumming is my other half. I hate it sometimes and love it the rest. After 20 years of still learning new things every time I sit down to play, I think it’s safe to say that I am hooked to this “fad” as my elders used to call it. I had my stage of ALL DOUBLE BASS and Lars is god, but then after time, I realized how naive I was and expanded my interests to whatever I could get my hands on. I discovered Obituary which then led me to Morbid Angel and Ill never forget the 1st time I saw Morbid live. Pete was an un-fucking-human machine and from that moment on, I would live extreme metal and the non-stop power behind it.

I have been a Pink Floyd fan ever since my uncle took me to see them in 1994. I had not only found a love for drums, but also for well-composed songs, vocal structures and deep solos. To me, Pink Floyd and Rush are perfect. There is not 1 thing I could ever imagine being changed about either band. Metal though, had its flaws to me and still does. I would find a band with a great drummer but weak guitarists or vocals and vise versa. It always has to be perfect for the music to flow. Variety is of the essence when it comes to music for me. Too much of one thing is no good, that is why my hat goes off to bands like Opeth and Slipknot who can be completely diverse in all different ways but still get the message across and make the show, a show to remember. When it comes to my playing, I like keeping a wide variety of influence and taste into my style. I love death metal, but I love prog. and jazz as much as I love classic rock and southern rock. I believe that when ANYTHING is done correctly, it helps you learn as a human being. It helps you get through moments and obstacles in your life that otherwise, if you live with a narrow minded way of thought, may have left you out in the rain.

 

 

• Dave’s Youtube Channel

 

 

 

Dave Kinkade Interview:

 

 

SD.com: What was it like touring with Malevolent Creation?

Dave: Touring with Malevolent Creation was an awesome experience. Malevolent Creation is one of the bands that introduced me to extreme metal when I was younger and even though I only did one tour with them, I will forever be grateful for having been given the opportunity to play songs I grew up loving. Phil works drummers HARD. I used to get really frustrated with him because it was never good enough. Now, I completely respect and understand that Phil is a seasoned veteran who wants NOTHING but the best and more, for his band. It is his passion and he has had to bite the bullet many times through thick and thin. I really admire his “Will to Kill” and ability to keep it going strong for so long. With that whole Malevolent experience, I will always have a huge respect for not only him, but the rest of the guys as well. I hold much gratitude for being given the honor to play with them. Off stage, everyone in M.C. is very cool and I always enjoyed listening to the “old war stories”, if you will, about the 8796132487632761532765213 tours they have done over the years. It is really hard for any type of musician to jump into a pre-made band, because there are certain expectations of the band that you have to live up to. With extreme music, the techniques and styles change so much from band to band, it’s not exactly a cakewalk when you are a drummer. You can pretty much bet that you have some big shoe’s to fill.

 

 

SD.com: What is your least and most favorite thing about being on the road?

Dave: My least favorite thing about the road is waking up in a coffin sized bunk with a killer back ache and looking forward to the “shit & shower surprise” of the next venue. I am ALWAYS the last one to get to the showers which means all the clean towels are gone, the floors are wet and disgusting and all of the hot water is usually gone as well. When it comes to toilets, I am the master of the “Fixed base / mobile squat”….I tend to head for the ladies room because they are always in way better condition then the men’s, usually have toilet paper and if your a self-conscious restroom goer, you are usually alone considering the majority of the tour is made up of guys. When it comes to the bus, I always have heavy-duty plastic bags for those “hot bag-it” emergencies.

My favorite thing about the road next to playing live is waking up in a new city, to new weather and a new metal day all over again. I also love the 1st kick drum test of the day in a venue. Nothing rules more than having the air kicked out of your lungs by a kick drum through a huge P.A. in an arena.

 

 

SD.com: Can you tell us about your signature stick and a little about the process you went through?

Dave: I use Vic Firth Extreme 5B Nylon sticks. They are the heavy weighted sticks and they have my name and signature on them. After I got one of Nick Mason’s (Pink Floyd) signature sticks in ‘94 when I was younger, I always looked at getting my own signature stick as a high point in my drumming career. I am really honored to have my own signature sticks. Basically, a few years ago, I applied for endorsement with Axis Percussion, which became my 1st exclusive company. After that, the fact that I was playing with bands who had created a name for themselves and had worldwide support, Vic Firth became an option and I took it. Derek Roddy had used Vic’s at the time and he put me in touch with Vic’s Director of A&R, Marco Soccoli. Their endorsement process is really based on if they can put trust in you to promote their product. I went through the paperwork process and eventually signed with them.

I can’t say enough great things about Vic Firth. From the products to the people at Vic, they are THE ONLY company I will use for sticks ever again and I really appreciate them making me my own signature drumstick.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: When did you start playing drums?

Dave: I started 20 years ago, when I was 3 years old. My Grandpa made the mistake of buying me a used Ludwig kit. After a year or so, I became serious after I fell in love with KISS.

 

 

SD.com: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?

Dave: I played in jazz band during Junior High and High school. Drum corps is great for discipline and rudiments but it never really interested me. Besides that, I played in a few garage bands, 2 or 3 Slayer/Metallica cover bands and an alternative band but my favorite was the Kiss cover band. We were all no older than 9 years old, dressing up in aluminum foil, our mothers make up and playing ‘Rock and Roll all Nite’ 20 times in a row.

 

 

SD.com: Have you ever taken any lessons?

Dave: When I was really young, I took lessons from a guy named Howard Herbert in a small music shop in Philadelphia, who now I’m told supposedly taught Sean Kinney from Alice and Chains.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?

Dave: I have many influences from many different types of music. I don’t think having a top 5 is fair, haha, there are just too many to even list.

Classic drum god’s influences- Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Neil Peart (Rush), Peter Criss (Kiss), Eric Carr (Kiss), Carl Palmer (E.L.P.) Metal drummers- Dave Lombardo, Paul Bostaph, Gene Hoglan, Martin Lopez, Nick Barker

 

 

SD.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t mean favorites, who are your favorites?

Dave: Neil Peart, George Kollias, Proscriptor (Absu), Pete Sandoval, Nick Barker, both Erlandsson brothers.

 

 

SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation

Dave: Pink Floyd- Pulse, Trauma- Determination, Rush- Live in Rio, Vital remains- Dechristianize, Queen- Greatest Hit’s

 

 

SD.com: Do you practice any specific rudiments or combo’s regularly?

Dave: I have not been playing nearly as much as I normally do since I have moved to New Jersey, but generally, I like to go over foot and hand exercises as often as possible. I’m always drumming, no matter where I am. Sitting somewhere, in the car, everywhere, my mental clock is always going and I believe that’s the most important thing. If you, as a drummer lose the clock inside, you’re in trouble. Aside from that, when I can have a few hours of practice time, I have a routine of fills, patterns and double bass combos I work on from slow to fast and back to slow until I’m comfortable. I wear police boots when I play because they are more low cut than regular boots and they feel solid on the pedals. Surprisingly, I play tighter and faster with boots than with gym shoes. More control.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: What is your favorite part of your drum kit?

Dave: Everything. I’d be less complete if I was missing anything on my kit.
I use Pearl Reference series drums (black) with the Pearl Icon rack all the way around. All Sabian cymbals, Axis A pedals (not longboards) with Ekit’s. Pear Ultracast snare 6.5×14……Roland TD-20 brain. Remo heads. Emperor X on the snare top, All Ebonys on the bottoms, emperors on the tops and clear powerstroke 4’s on the kicks with the flam patch. I set my pedals really weird. The Axis super spring at full tightness with the beaters set at full height at about half from leg to head (9 inches from head) and the leverglide set all the way back. I sit about 16 inches high with my feet out about 4 inches from 90 degrees of the knees. I don’t play heel up or down. I keep my feet nearly flat on the pedals with no extreme knee force exerted. I like to think of it as if I’m stopping the beater rather than pushing it. Honestly though, if I would have to pick a favorite part of my kit, I would have to say its the snare. I like a warm, full, thick snare. The Metallica Black album, Arch Enemy sounding snare. It has to have the pop and body for me or else it can ruin the entire kit.

 

 

SD.com: If you could give one piece of advice to younger drummers, it would be…

Dave: K.I.S.S………KEEP-IT-SIMPLE-STUPID.

Start slow, start young and start simple. Too many kids want to be Derek Roddy or George Kollias after 6 weeks of practice. I think the world has a lot of good drummers, but few GREAT drummers. If kids would just take their time and learn things the correct way 1st, they would not develop so many bad habits and incorrect techniques. Also, there are way too many mediocre drummers who think they are God’s gift to drumming and have huge ego’s through the roof. I’m not god on drums and I know my limits and what I need to improve on. People who focus on wanting to be the fastest and most technical are lame to me. I don’t really have the desire to play 64th notes at 7363846463987638764326549876354 B.P.M.’s with one foot. What it comes down to in the end is passion, style and groove. Can you make the drums cry, scream or dance? Can you become the drums rather than a person frolicking behind them…………Enough said.

 

 

SD.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?

Dave: Drummer wise…..Hmmmmmmmmm…….again Classic- Neil Peart, Metal- George Kollias. Band wise- Pink Floyd, Metal- Slipknot

 

 

SD.com: If you had to stop drumming, what else do you want to do with your life?

Dave: Well, I am a Pharmacy Tech and I make more money in a week of pharmacy than in a lifetime of bands but if I had to give up drums and pharmacy, I would become an independent film maker and make documentaries about the ignorance and retardation of people in America’s general population. I’d also have to step up on doing whatever it takes to get a sniper tower every 500 yards on the border of the U.S. and Mexico and have a numeric ticket system like when standing in line at a deli, so every war monger and N.R.A. member can squeeze one off at the 275,000 illegals who jump the fence every year so they can live off mine and your tax paying dollars, obtain drivers licenses with no valid paperwork and increase crime rates 300% from the previous decade. But, that is ONLY if I had to quit drumming. haha