Dave Whiston

Interview formerly seen on www.ricktopia.com

Dave Whiston....guitar player, sunglasses, baseball cap and goatee sporter, Master of His Domain with an Official Fan Club to boot!...and "Very Strange" according to Rick. Dave quickly became one of the most recognized band members of Rick Springfield's Karma Tour. He mesmerized us as he played to perfection those songs that we all love so much! In addition, he was quite a sport and quickly adapted to the engaging and wonderful ways of Rick's fans.

Here's Dave Whiston, in his own words!

What do you do for fun when you aren't working?

Write music, play in other bands in LA, ride motorcycles, work on my car.

What is your favorite city that you have visited (on this tour or anytime)?

Probably Manhattan as a place to visit although Chicago is great along with Denver, Portland and Atlanta. Cleveland and Minneapolis also come to mind.

What is an average work day like for Dave?

On the road. Get up at 5:00, go to a hotel lobby, ride in a van for an hour, wait around at an airport for 2 hours, fly for 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, ride in a van again, check in at a hotel, soundcheck, maybe dinner, do show, repeat if necessary.

What is your favorite kind of music?  Artist(s)?

Hard rock... Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains, Hendrix, Zappa, Deep Purple, AC/DC, Van Halen.

How long have you been working in the music industry?

Since I was 19.

How did you come to be a part of the Karma tour?

Got recommended by a friend and they liked my playing and here I am!

What is the best/worst thing about your job?

Travel & Travel.

What is the most interesting event/thing you have witnessed on this tour?

The sea of people we played for at Atlanta Midtown.

What motivates you?  Frustrates you?

Poverty motivates me and exhaustion from travel frustrates me.

Professionally, what has been your greatest challenge?

To write a good song.

What was the last CD you bought?

Stone Temple Pilots, Tiny Music.

What was your first impression of Rick?

Nice guy.

What other artists have you performed with?

Mostly my own bands. In the studio I’ve played on a bunch of stuff.

Are there any unique challenges about playing on this tour?

Sleep deprivation!

This tour has been long and played many different venues.  Which do you prefer a large theatre or a smaller venue?

I like the intimacy of a club, the sound of a great theatre, and the energy of a large outdoor concert.

What are your plans for after this tour?

Look for work!

Do you have a favorite song you play and why?

State of the Heart, I just like the melody and lyrics a lot.

Where do you see yourself in the next 10 - 20 years?

Playing the guitar somewhere.

What do you think of the music of today versus the music of the past?

Music right now is going through a weird state. There’s no creativity fostered in the business right now. It’s all formula put together by producers. If you look at early 80’s pop, early 70’s pop and AOR from the late 60’s early 70’s , there was a lot of experimenting going on and a lot of great music came out of those periods. There was also a breakthrough in the late 80’s early 90’s with alternative music. That’ll change as everything comes around in cycles.

If you could chose any "other" career than the one you have now, what would it be?

Investment banker.

If you could change anything, we mean anything... what would it be and why?

Have people stop killing each other for politics, drugs and hate.

In one or two words, describe your fellow band members.

They’re all talented, intelligent and nice.

What made you want to be involved in a musical career?

I’ve wanted to make music from the time I was old enough to talk. I asked my parents for a drumset at age three!

Ricktopia Interviews Dave Whiston