Bevan Davies is a heavy metal veteran, having played drums for DANZIG, STATIC-X, JERRY CANTRELL, BLOODSIMPLE and THE MERCY CLINIC. He performed the drumming for Danzig’s 2004 “Circle of Snakes” on rockers like “SkinCarver” and “1000 Devils Reign”, and is currently working on a new band with former BLOODSIMPLE bassist, Kyle Sanders, former TORCHE guitarist Juan Montoya and SUNDAY DRIVER singer Charlie Suarez entitled MONSTRO. Davies – considered one of the most technical drummers going, doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all, and before it’s all over, will have left quite a mark on the music world.
The Metal Den’s Randy “Rocket” Cody has conducted an exclusive interview with drummer Bevan Davies for his loyal worldwide Den Headz.
Rocket: Where were you born and raised?
Bevan: I was born and raised in Fayetteville, NC. It’s home of Fort Bragg and former home of Pope Air Force Base.
Rocket: Do you come from a big family?
Bevan: Yes I do come from a big family. I’m the youngest of 5 kids, 4 boys and 1 girl.
Rocket: When did you first start playing drums?
Bevan: I got my first drumsticks when I was around 8. I didn’t learn what to do with them until I was 12. I don’t consider myself a drummer prior to age 12. I thought I was going to grow up and race motocross.
Rocket: Do you remember the make of your first kit?
Bevan: My first toy drumkit came from Sears, but my first REAL kit was a Tama Swingstar. I wanted Pearl
drums, but the music store in Fayetteville sold Tama. I got them when I was 13 and I still have
them.
Rocket: Who are a few of your biggest drumming influences?
Bevan: My first influence was Peter Criss. He’s the reason I started. Today I include guys like Brian Downey, Ian Paice, Vinny Appice and Mikkey Dee among my favorites.
Rocket: What were some of the very first cover songs you mastered playing?
Bevan: The very first song I ever covered was “Breaking The Law” by Judas Priest. Then came songs like
“Rock n Roll All Nite”, “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, “Destroyer” by The Kinks, “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout
Love” and “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton.
Rocket: Did you ever take any formal drumming lessons?
Bevan: Lessons yes. I played in school band from 7th grade thru 12th, including marching band and jazz
band. During high school I also took private lessons from Jay Bolder who was band director at
South View High School in Fayetteville.
Rocket: Do you recall your first rock concert?
Bevan: The first concert I ever attended was ZZ Top in 1983. They were supporting their huge Eliminator
album. Sammy Hagar was the opening act and he had just released Three Lock Box. I was blown
away at the volume and how cool the drums sounded. I remember thinking Sammy sounded way
more heavy metal in concert than he did on the radio.
Rocket: Can you please give us the specs on your drum kit?
Bevan: I currently utilize 3 different drumkits. They are each slightly different for the different bands I use
them with. They are all (finally) Pearl kits. I have a Custom Z kit I use with my band MonstrO,
a Reference kit I use with Dirty Pollyanna, and a Masters Custom kit I use with Comes With The
Fall. The Custom Z kit has 2 22″ bass drums. The toms are 12″, 13″, 14″, floor toms are 16″, & 18″.
I have the Custom Z 6 1/2″ X 14″ snare with that kit. The Reference kit has a 24″ bass drum, 13″ tom, 16″ & 18″ floor toms, 20″ gong bass drum, 6 1/2″X 14″ Reference snare and a 12″ Firecracker snare. The Masters Custom kit has a 24″ bass drum, 12″ tom, 16″ & 18″ floor toms. I switch between a 14″ Maple Free-Floating snare and an Ian Paice Signature snare on that kit.
Rocket: You’ve played with a lot of killer bands over the years. What band are you playing for currently?
Bevan: Currently, I have 2 bands I am working with full-time. They are MonstrO and Dirty Pollyanna.
I do still have Comes With The Fall, which is a high priority, but much less active while our
vocalist/guitarist William DuVall is busy with Alice In Chains.
Rocket: How was it getting to work with the legendary Danzig?
Bevan: The Danzig experience was cool. Unfortunately I was in the band during a time when Glenn
wasn’t doing a lot of U.S. touring. Most of the shows I did were in countries like Chile, Spain,
Germany, Sweden and Norway. I’m happy that I do appear on the Circle Of Snakes album.
The greatest memory of the whole experience was getting to do the first Glenn/Doyle reunion
shows. Those shows were insane and Doyle is the coolest guy ever.
Rocket: What is your favorite song (cover or original) to play live and why?
Bevan: Favorite songs to play live? That’s tough, because I’ve played with so many different artists.
While touring with Jerry Cantrell I always looked forward to playing “Would?” With Danzig it was
probably “She Rides”. The chicks would always go nuts when we played that. With Bloodsimple,
I looked forward to every bit of it because it was all so intense, especially Red Harvest.
These days, with MonstrO I love playing “Anchors Up”. Dirty Pollyanna is ALL fun.
Rocket: I like to have fun with this next one. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s
ever happened to you while performing on the stage?
Bevan: Most embarrassing moment onstage? That’s easy. I was playing a graduation party in front of all
my classmates and I did one of my 10 minute drum solos. Since we were playing in someone’s
backyard, there was no real stage. My drums were set up on a piece of plywood and the 2 rear
legs of my throne were actually off the wood and on the ground sinking into the dirt. I was standing
up finishing my rock star solo and when I flopped back down on the last note, the throne over-
turned and dumped me on the ground. I was really embarrassed, but I blamed it on the punch.
Rocket: With all the great metal albums released in 2010 so far, what are some of your favorites?
Bevan: My favorite release so far this year is Ratt’s Infestation. It rules, and anyone who ever liked that
band needs to pick up a copy. I’m also pleasantly surprised with Ozzy’s new record.
Rocket: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to a kid starting out on their first drum kit and looking
to embark on the rock n roll dream?
Bevan: The first piece of advice would be learn to read sheet music and don’t limit yourself to just drums.
Take some guitar lessons and vocal lessons. You have to equip yourself to be able to jump into
any musical situation. The most valuable people get the gigs.
Rocket: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Bevan: In 10 years I see having added a few more albums to the Comes With The Fall catalog. I see
Dirty Pollyanna still creating popular music, and I see MonstrO touring in front of legions of
die-hard rock fans. Thanks!
http://www.myspace.com/bevandavies
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