Dave Fowler Courtesy of Lappen Enterprises – Credit goes to Mark Gibson
Have you ever wondered what a tribute show formed in Adelaide, Australia, celebrating the iconic music of Pink Floyd would sound like? We have, too.
But actually, you don’t have to wonder, as, since 1988, The Australian Pink Floyd Show has been a thing. Loads of members have revolved through the Down Under’s Pink Floydian doors, but lately, it’s been 44-year-old London-born six-stringer who has been holding the role of David Gilmour.
Given Gilmour’s iconic solos in songs like “Money,” “Time,” and “Comfortably Numb,” Fowler’s task seems nothing short of impossible. But if you’ve seen the Aussie Floyd live, you’d swear that it was the’ 79-80 Wall tour. Well, not really, but the ensemble sure does put on one hell of a show.
To that end, during a break in the action, Dave Fowler beamed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to shed light on his journey from young Strato-lover with an affection for Hank Marvin to brandishing a Fender with an aim of duplicating David Gilmour.
What inspired you to become a musician, and what keeps you inspired?
As a kid, I was into computers and playing guitar. As I became a teenager, I realized that girls were more interested in me playing guitar than programmed computers, so the choice was obvious. As for what keeps me inspired, music is like an addiction, though, and for me, the repetition and refinement are what keep it exciting.
Tell me about where you grew up. What was the scene like?
I grew up in London, and when I was between 13 and 16 years old, every local pub had live music. Nobody cared about age limits for drinking, so every weekend, I was either watching a band in a pub or playing in one.
What were some of your favorite spots to take in shows as a kid?
The O2 in London didn’t exist when I was a kid, but we had Wembley Arena and other local smaller theatres.
Did any local musicians inspire you as you were coming up?
Loads of local musicians inspired me. I worked in a guitar shop from age 15 to 18 and learned so much from watching all the players in and out of the shop.
How did you pick up the guitar, and what was your first guitar?
My mum and dad bought me a guitar aged 10; it was a copy of a [Fender] Strat similar to Hank Marvin’s [of The Shadows] red one.
What first got you into Pink Floyd?
Watching them at age 14 on BBC1.
What’s the secret to covering David Gilmour’s parts from a technical perspective?
I don’t think there is any secret as such. It’s just playing it incessantly and listening back so you can refine it each time. I’m 44 and started playing Floyd at 14, so that’s 30 years of iterative refinements so far.
Tell me about the guitars, amps, and pedals you use to create an immersive Pink Floyd experience.
If I went through all my guitars, I’d have a strain injury from typing! Live, I use my ’63 [Fender] Strat, and I also have a ’58 [Fender] Strat that I use sometimes. And I have a reissue ’54 [Gibson] Les Paul Gold Top for “Bricks,” a ’54 [Fender] Telecaster, and a ’59 [Gibson] Les Paul Junior.
I use Seagull Acoustics, and I will use reissue stuff when needed, but I love having the real thing.
So, all of my Fenders are originals. Amp-wise, I’m using Supro Thunderbolt amps and pedal-wise, I have a vast range of old fuzzes. I’ve got stuff by Pete Cornish, some lovely compressors, and modern multi-FX to fill in the gaps.
What’s one thing about you as a musician that you want people to know and understand?
That’s the thing about being in a tribute band:” If anyone who sees the show gets to know me as a musician, then I have failed. People are there to hear David Gilmour being replicated, not my take on it.
But to answer the question… maybe the thing I’d want people to know is that although my job is playing guitar, I am much more into music production and the whole sound of the band than being a guitarist. Everything I do now, playing-wise, I could have done at 18, but creating soundscapes and making sounds fit within a mix is beautiful and more fulfilling.
What that means for my role in a tribute band is that I don’t mind being quiet in the background if it suits the song, but I’m equally happy being the loudest thing if needed. It’s all about the big picture, and the individual is somewhat insignificant.
Overarching, what does Pink Floyd and David Gilmour mean to you?
Pink Floyd is like a continual lesson on how to have musical class, create space, and push boundaries. David Gilmour can make you weep with one note, while others would play ten.
