“You didn’t have to be a guitar player to appreciate what he’d write”: H.E.A.T guitarist on the genius of Gary Moore
What with Belfast planning to erect a statue of Gary Moore, there’s been quite an outpouring of love for the former Skid Row and Thin Lizzy guitarist this year. And Swedish hard rocker Dave Dalone is the latest to voice his admiration for the blues legend.
In a new interview with Guitarist, the H.E.A.T guitarist explains how the iconic Northern Irish guitarist first captured his ear. “The first guitarist I was obsessed with was Gary Moore,” he admits. “His tone was simply magical. There was something really special about how he attacked the blues.”
READ MORE: “If he didn’t like something he’d soon tell you to f**k off”: Why Gary Moore left Thin Lizzy mid-tour, according to guitarist Eric Bell
Prior to discovering Moore, the blues had never intrigued Dalone. Thankfully, Moore’s tone was enough to change that. “I didn’t start off listening to blues,” he says. “The old stuff came to me much later on and that was all because of Gary. He was my gateway into the genre.”
“He has this sense of melody that was out of this world,” he continues. “I think that’s what really set him apart as a guitarist and composer. He’d write things that anybody could listen to and enjoy – you didn’t have to be a guitar player to appreciate the things he’d come out with. And that was such a massive strength, being a guitar player who could impress everyone, not just other guitar players.”
Dalone goes on to name-drop another guitar inspiration a lot closer to home: Swedish legend Yngwie Malmsteen. “After Gary Moore, it was people like Yngwie Malmsteen, who I discovered completely by chance,” he explains.
Inspired by classical violin, Malmsteen’s neoclassical guitar playing had a big effect on the world shred guitar. “I heard his name somewhere, went to the record store, bought an album and felt like I’d hit the jackpot,” Dalone says.
Elsewhere in the interview, Dalone expresses his love for Kramer guitars, noting that H.E.A.T ’s new album, Welcome To The Future, is “90 percent Kramer”.
“I think Kramers are the peak of ‘80s innovation,” he insists. It’s the pinnacle of guitar building from that period, at least in my eyes. That’s what caught my interest. I’m in love with the brand and the whole history behind it. So around six years ago, I stopped playing Les Pauls and started collecting vintage Kramers.”
H.E.A.T’s new album, Welcome To The Future, is out now. Find out where they’ll be playing live this year via their official website.
The post “You didn’t have to be a guitar player to appreciate what he’d write”: H.E.A.T guitarist on the genius of Gary Moore appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
