Philm - The legend that is Dave Lombardo talks to Music Trespass!

Music Trespass talk to one of the best drummers in the World!!!

Fresh from their debut London show and ahead of the release of their new album 'Fire from the evening Sun', Joe Denby meets up with Dave Lombardo and discusses past, present and future and Metal!

Music Trespass: How are you today?

Dave Lombardo: I feel pretty good. I had a good night's rest... played a great show yesterday. although my schedule has been a little rough I feel great.

Music Trespass: So how did the London Underworld show go?

Dave Lombardo: I was surprised because the band hadn't played together since July 25th which was our last show. Since then I worked on some overdubs for a new recording and then I flew out to Brazil for a twelve date solo drum workshop tour. Then flying home for twenty six hours then coming over here! It was rough but we did a fantastic show and I'm very proud of the guys.

Music Trespass: How has reception for Philm been?

Dave Lombardo: From what I hear everything was positive last night. The fans were into it. It was a nice little turnout. People hear the album they enjoy it but we really captivate the audience. It's live is where it counts.

Music Trespass: I think it's the same with band like Fantomas or Mr. Bungle. Your not quite sure what to make of the CD but live it all falls in to place and makes sense.

Dave Lombardo: Exactly, yeah!

Music Trespass: Lets talk about the new album from Philm 'Fire from the evening Sun'.

Dave Lombardo: It's a little bit of everything. It takes all of our personal influences. Jerry, he is in to all different styles of music. Music from the 50's, the 40's even the 30's you know big band style music. He is a phenomenal pianist as you would have heard on the last song 'Corner Girl' then it takes Pancho Tomaselli on bass. He plays for the band War. The classic Funk band from the 70's who did classic songs like 'Lowrider', Spill the wine. He has been playing in that band for over ten years. We are like the rhythm section from hell. Of course then you take my history, what I have done and what I listen to. We have this little outlet in which we can express all those influences and genre's.

Music Trespass: Lets go back to the beginning of Philm. How did it all start?

Dave Lombardo: Well I first met Jerry in 1995. I think a mutual friend introduced us. He brought his guitar down to my studio in my house and I felt he was a very unique guitar player especially for that time in the 90's. I was surrounded by all these Metal guitarist's. They were into the double bass etc. He came with this classic Gibson Les Paul from the 1969. We started jamming and I noticed the sound he was capturing and the tones on his guitar was fantastic. So I was intrigued, I was definitely intrigued and I loved his playing and his note choices and just everything. So I quickly asked him y'know "Let's work on something together" We started gathering our influences and our styles and started creating this band that had a unique feel. We started out as a three piece. Our original bass player was with us up until 2000.  We couldn't find him when I wanted to start the band again in 2010. So the band worked from 1995 till 2002 and then I couldn't continue because my schedule just wouldn't permit. I had done Fantomas I had done the Testament album. I had got back into Slayer in 2001. so I couldn't continue. So when member's of Slayer started getting sick. Tom ended up having spinal surgery and then knowing the condition of Jeff.

I just thought I had better get another band together because I didn't know what was going to happen. There was alot of uncertainty at least in my eyes. So I called Jerry and we couldn't find the original bass player. I did a drum workshop in LA and this guy comes up and says to me "My name is Poncho and I play in a band called War, I hear your a big fan of War" which I was. I listened to their albums when I was growing up. My brother was heavily into R&B while my other brother was into Hard Rock. So that name stuck with me. So I looked up bass player from War and nothing came up but then I stumbled across a link to a bass solo. I turned it on YouTube watched it, he went into this amazing bass solo but then he went into Cream's 'Sunshine of your Love' you know... (sings opening chord's) and I thought that's the guy I found him!. So I called up West LA music and they gave me his number and here we are two album's later. We're still great friends and having fun and still creating.

Music Trespass: When things ended with Slayer the first Philm album came out more or less straight away I wondered if it was thrown together quickly. When you were out of Slayer the first time around you didn't' sit still you did a whole host of different project's. Is Philm another side project or is it your full time band now?

Dave Lombardo: I don't like to call them side projects. There are band's that I am involved in. Some band's more heavily then other's. This band in particular had been on my mind for a long time. I loved Jerry's style and loved playing with these guys and now the Slayer door is closed and now I am able to move quickly. We had an album ready. This album was recorded April of last year 2013. I left Slayer in January 2013 and we had enough material to record an album three months later so here we are.

Music Trespass: So at the moment your going to be touring more extensively and you have your drum workshops.

Dave Lombardo: Yes there's that and who knows what projects' are going to come my way?

Music Trespass: So what do you have lined up for the rest of 2014?

Dave Lombardo: After this tour we're back home. I have one drum clinic in Holland after I'm done with this short run.

Music Trespass: With the drum clinic's is it just yourself or a a bunch or different drummer's?

Dave Lombardo: It's mainly just me but sometimes there's a host of different drummer's. We all have a half hour slot or whatever. I'll do some play along's and answer some question's. I call it "An evening with Dave"

Music Trespass: I saw a similar thing with Nicko McBrain.

Dave Lomdardo: You sit and ask questions.

Music Trespass: He spoke more then he actually drummed!

Dave Lombardo: Well that;s how it gets with me! I say do you want me to play drums and the crowd shout "Yeeess!" sometimes I struggle with language's sometimes I have a translator. But it's great I play, we have great interaction and I'll sign autograph's and take picture's afterward's it's great.

Music Trespass: How are your influences as a drummer? and are there any up and coming drummer's that are catching your eye?

Dave Lombardo: The original influences obviously were John Bonham, Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell, Bill Ward all the classic drummer's of that period.

Ginger Baker (Pictured Above)

Music Trespass: Did you see that film about Ginger Baker?

Dave Lombardo: Yes!I love it! I couldn't believe when he said (adopts' British accent) "The birth of Heavy Metal should have been aborted" I'm like dude, you influenced me! I loved the movie. He lived an amazing life and I'm glad they documented it and showed his character. Drummer's now, it's very hard to distinguish real drummer's from the computer. Today with the help of software you can fix anything on the drum's and make it sound phenomenal. Then when the guys goes onstage it lack the human element.  It just doesn't have the same feel.

Music Trespass: That's what's so great about say the early Napalm Death recording's or the early Slayer recording's for that matter. When you hear them you know that guy is drumming a million miles an hour!

Dave Lombardo: There's a lot of good player's today. One guy that blows me away is Gabe Serbian from The locust. Dale Crover from The Melvins worked with him on Fantomas / Melvin's big band we did several show's I learned a lot from watching him. Edgar Livengood from Jucifer. It's not always about chops it's about your connection with the music.

Music Trespass: So you have Philm, you have your drum clinic's and your saying the door's open to whatever come's your way.

Dave lombardo: Right now my focus is on Philm. I love the band, the musicians and the music that we're making. I'm producing the band as well so it's very satisfying.

Music Trespass: So the door's closed now as far as Slayer is concerned but would you do another Metal band?

Dave Lombardo: Maybe! there's a possibility. There's metal still in me. it has to be the right one. It has to special because I'm definitely not going to tread over the same style I've been doing for years because I feel I've already done some of the most amazing records in Thrash Metal, you know. 'Reign in Blood' and 'Seasons in the Abyss'.

Music Trespass: 'The Gathering'.

Dave lombardo: Of course 'The Gathering' that's just the cap on the bottle! I mean come on what more? again that door is open but it has to be very special.

Music Trespass: What's your take on the current state of the music industry?

Dave lombardo: At the clinics people ask me what advice do you have? to sum it all up. Focus on your music, focus on being creative. Learn your chops. Study your instrument but don't forget study the business. You've got to understand the business. You can't just say "All I want to do is play" you have to take notice of what's going in and coming out now more then ever. It's changed. Royalties are nil so you have to concentrate on playing live. I still think the possibility of the "Rock Dream" is still there you just have to be a little bit more creative. We were used to this machine since the 50's now it's different. Back then you got your advance, you recorded, you toured. You sold records. Now your giving away the music and your concentrating on getting that one hit that gets on the radio and that will attract people to the show and then sell t-shirts and it goes from there.

Amen (Pictured Above) with Dave Lombardo in the line-up.

Music Trespass: What music have you been listening to lately?

Dave Lombardo: Before I left on the plane I was home for twenty six hours I played Cuban / African drum music... deep tribal music. When I'm chilling I listen to Budos band  which is kind of Afro beat. I listen to Miles Davies. I just got a Tony Williams album.

Music Trespass: Top five albums?

Dave Lombardo: Too many!

Check Out! the Video for 'Held in Light' Below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnB13MLG1JI