I'm a professional dabbler, working in music, photography, journalism, cynical musings, and the occasional bit of fiction.
Chris Ford
Blue October’s Justin Furstenfeld Talks Minimal Gear + Big Sounds
Blue October has been playing and recording for almost 20 years, and frontman Justin Furstenfeld has been writing songs for just as long. The band just released their seventh album, ‘Sway,’ and Furstenfeld talked with Music Radar about the band’s new direction and how his stripped-down approach to playing guitar has affected the new album’s sound.
Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler to Be Honored at Bass Player Live! Awards Show
Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler changed rock music forever with his ultra-heavy bass playing and sound. He practically wrote the book on heavy metal bass. Now he and some other bass-playing rock legends will be honored at the 2013 Bass Player Live! convention.
Taproot Announce Drummer Switch, Welcome Dave Coughlin
Taproot announced recently that Dave Coughlin will be replacing Nick Fredell as the band's drummer. The announcement came just as the band revealed more U.S. tour dates for the end of this summer. Taproot has already posted pictures of new drummer Coughlin posing with fans (seen above) on the band's Facebook page.
Motley Crue’s Mick Mars Shares His Guitar Collection + History
Serving as lead guitar player for Motley Crue, Mick Mars has gone through a ton of guitars throughout his career. He recently shared some stories about his huge guitar collection in an interview with Guitar World. He mentioned some old favorites, how he felt about the pointy guitars of the '80s, and what his favorite guitars are now.
Papa Roach Guitarist Jerry Horton Offers Road Survival Tips
Papa Roach surpassed the decade mark a while ago, and they’ve spent a lot of that time on the road. As the band loaded up to take part in the Carnival of Madness tour, Papa Roach guitarist Jerry Horton talked gear with Music Radar and shared some tips for surviving on the road.
Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler Shows Off His Monster Bass Rig
Geezer Butler and his bass tech, Terry Weity, gave a close-up look at the new bass rig Geezer's using on the road with Black Sabbath. Backstage in the Air Canada Centre, they talked in depth about the amps Geezer uses, and how he gets his humongous bass sound. At the center of Butler’s massive bass tone: a massive bass rig.
Judas Priest’s ‘Screaming for Vengeance’ Added to Jammit Catalogue
Judas Priest’s ‘Screaming for Vengeance’ is one of metal’s most defining albums. When the album came out in 1982, it launched Judas Priest into the mainstream and cemented the band’s position among metal nobility. To this day, it remains Priest’s best-selling album. And now songs from this iconic album will be available on Jammit, an online music instructional website.
Machine Head’s Robb Flynn Shares His Passion for Flying V’s
Robb Flynn, singer and guitar player for Machine Head, was recently featured in a Gibson Artist Spotlight, where he opened up about his music and gear. He spoke about the pull he felt as a child toward being the center of attention and starting his first band as a young teenager. He also spoke at length about his love of Gibson Flying V’s.
Yngwie Malmsteen to Teach Neoclassical Shredding in Australia
Yngwie Malmsteen has long held a place among guitar royalty. He is widely credited for bringing some culture to metal through the influence of classical mavens such as Bach and Paganini, and is one of the most highly-regarded artists among his fellow guitar superstars. And now the Swedish guitar master is preparing to share his playing style with his fans. He will be taking part in a Master Class
Clutch Drummer JP Gaster Offers Drumming Rudiment Tips
Jean-Paul Gaster provides groove-infused hard rock act Clutch with its unbreakable backbone. His chops are rooted in hard rock and jazz, and he’s consistently been one of the most original, hardest-rocking drummers since 1990. The drummer took some time to make a video with Music Radar, showing the importance of learning some rudiments for rock drumming.