by Rafael Nery

Chris Dale is a bassist from England and he has already played for Bruce Dickinson's Solo career.Nowadays he plays for Sack Trick!

Good Humored, he nicely answered our questions.Check it out!.

1-Hello Chris! How are you doing?

I'm fine thank you, and you?

I am fine too!First of all thanks for the opportunity!

It's a pleasure, thank you.

We'd like to start it with you telling us about your beginning with music and what it was like.

Three of my friends in school started playing guitar when we were teenagers. So I joined in too, but they were ahead of me and a bit better than me, so I switched to bass because it looked easier. When the other three friends formed two bands between them, they both needed bass players so I played in both bands. I realised that was obviously a good thing, and within a few months of picking up the instrument I was playing my first gigs in local bars. That's one good thing about bass, it's very easy to pick up and learn a couple of songs on, enough to play a gig or join a band. But as you grow with the instrument there are always still new things to learn or try.

2-Have you seen any amazing new bass player these days?

Yes, I've seen loads of great bass players recently on the YouTube and MySpace websites. The internet has made it possible for lots of people to get their playing and music made public, that's a great and inspirational thing for everyone surely.

And who were your childhood heroes?

When I first started playing I was into Kiss, Maiden, Ozzy and bands like that so I was always listening to Gene Simmons, Steve Harris and Bob Daisley.... then I heard Billy Sheehan on the first Dave Lee Roth solo album. I ended up stuck in my bedroom for a couple of years working on Sheehan impersonations.... it was good in one way- you've got to be good at your instrument if you want to succeed in the music industry. But also it's good to get out every now and then- it's no good being the best musician in your bedroom!

What's the difference between playing in your room and performing live?

I never get callouses (hard skin) on my fingers by playing in my room, I never sweat and I never get a blister. There're three good reasons why playing live is so much better. The sheer volume and energy involved in playing live cannot be experienced sitting in your bedroom.

3-Have you taken Bass classes? How deep have you gotten into the theoretical music world?

Yes, I went to the London Academy of Music in Wapping for a few months on a full time course. I found the theory interesting and helpful to an extent, but ultimately I think music (or certainly rock'n'roll) should be more about what you feel than what you can read or what is strictly correct.

Do you have a routine for studying bass or music?

No, I just play what I want when I want. I was always that way.

04-Tell us about your discography.

I look back on different albums I've made with different bands and like them all for different reasons. Sometimes I like the music, sometimes they just remind me of good times in the studio. I like to think that they're all different, I've never made the same album twice.

I'm very proud of all three Sack Trick albums we've made.The first one (Mystery Rabbits), because I'd never made an album of songs I'd written before or sung them. The second one (Penguins on the Moon), because Alex Dickson and I got very involved in making a concept album and it's got some great tunes on there and the third one because it's a Kiss tribute album and I've been a Kiss fan since I first started to listen to music so it was a very cathartic album to make. Then to get members of Kiss emailing me to say they liked our album too was a great thing.

I'd have to say the Bruce Dickinson album Skunkworks is still a record I'm pleased with. It sounds really atmospheric but quite slick and polished to me now although it didn't seem that way at the time, I think we made a really good album there.

The Tribuzy album Execution was a great experience too. It was a really tough one to play, lots of fast metal riffs, but the end product was really worthwhile.

Another one I really like is the first AntiProduct album.I just thought the songwriting was really strong and we had a good vibe between us in the studio.

I played on an Iron Maiden tribute album called Food For Thought. It was another occasion where somebody asked me in an email to record something. When I heard the track they wanted me to play I loved it.It was a jazz version of 22 Acacia Avenue! I like it when people do something really imaginative with an old favourite song, so I recorded some fretless bass on that.

Like I said, there's something to enjoy in every musical situation. I've got a full discography up on my website at www.chrispaulodale.co.uk

What are the differences between you in the past and nowadays?

Eu acredito que eu fiquei muito mais consistente,tocando mais no meu canto.Eu costumava a fazer simplesmente barulho, agora o barulho se soma ao resto da banda soando melhor...

5-Your new and main band is "Sack Trick" . what was the reason for your guys to start playing together and what is the musical aim to this band?

We started as a reaction to bands we'd been in before. We'd all been in bands where compromises were made, we just wanted to make an album where the only aim was to enjoy it without worrying about sales figures or media reviews. The songs are silly tunes that are great fun to play, the playing is playing for the pure fun of it. There's no set line-up to the band, we just get different friends to play on the albums and then see who's available to do the gigs. It's a different line up all the time and that's one of the things that makes it so much fun. That said, it's ended up doing really well, we've made three albums, sold a few thousand copies, we do really well on the live circuit here in the UK and occasionally abroad all without any proper record company support, press coverage or radio play. It's all happened on an underground level through word of mouth and the internet. Check out our site at www.sacktrick.com and www.myspace.com/sacktrick

6-You have already played, recorded and toured with Bruce Dickinson.What was this experience like?

It was a great experience in every way. I made some good friends,with Bruce, Alex Dickson and Alex Elena. We worked together well musically I think onstage and in the studio. Of course it was good to tour the World, seeing new places, meeting new people. We toured Europe, USA, South America and Japan- that experience was amazing. And being an Iron Maiden fan myself since I was a teeenager, it was all the more incredible.

How did you get to know Bruce?

I saw an article in Kerrang magazine where Bruce was talking about his new solo career.He'd left Maiden and recorded the Balls To Picasso album with Roy Z and the tribe of Gypsies.Now he needed a touring band. So I called his management, and asked them if I could audition for the job. It really is that easy.These days with email, it's even easier to contact record companies and management. Bruce's management, told me to send in a tape and recent photo, with a bit of information about me. At that time I was working with Alex Elena, the drummer, in another band, so we sent our applications in together. Then we got called back and asked to learn some songs and audition. We were quite nervous at first, but Bruce made us feel very comfortable straight away. We ended up jamming for hours playing all the songs off Balls To Picasso and some covers over two days. At the end, Bruce said we had the job. We were very happy.

8-You have performed in Brazil for Tribuzy's Dvd and recorded his album. Tell us about it.

It was a strange thing.I got introduced to Renato Tribuzy by a mutual friend on email. He asked me to play bass on his album. I'm not one of these players that will play on anyone's record, I only play on records I like. Renato's demos sounded really good, and he has got a great metal voice. I was very impressed so I flew out to Brazil to record the album. At the same time other people had been impressed by his demos enough to play on the album too. Bruce Dickinson, Roy Z, Michael Kiske, Roland Grapow, Ralf Scheepers, Mat Sinner and Kiko Loureiro all performed on the album along with Renato and his excellent Brazilian band. Then about a year later, we all flew out to Brazil again to do some shows for a live DVD. We did three gigs and they were some of the best Heavy Metal fun I've ever had. We all ended up jamming rock covers like some AC/DC and Deep Purple together at the end of the shows each night.

...and what's the mood in Brazilian Lands?

Brazil is a great country for music. The fans are so passionate, the musicians so talented, and the whole country seems to ooze music. People play music in the streets, in bars, on the beach.... it's everywhere.

9-Say something funny which has already happened to you on stage.

A lot of funny things happen onstage.That's what keeps music fun. At one of the Tribuzy gigs with all the guest artists we got called back onstage for an encore, but we hadn't rehearsed any other songs. We'd already played the whole Tribuzy album and some Maiden songs with Bruce. So Bruce said to Roy Z, the guitarist "Play Tush by ZZ Top". Roy started playing the riff for Tush, and we expected Bruce to start singing, but instead of singing he ran offstage. Then he got behind the drumkit and started playing drums. As it happens Bruce is not a bad drummer but it was so unexpected. We all started laughing! Then there was nobody to sing the song. I don't think Renato Tribuzy knew any ZZ Top songs, so Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear and Jeff Scott Soto (formerly the singer for Yngwie J Malmsteen, now with Foreigner) sang it between them. Roy Z, Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Kiko Loureiro (Angra) and Roland Grapow (Helloween) were taking turns to do solos, all with Bruce playing drums, it was crazy!

Yes, I think every musician has a bad gig every now and then.Maybe the vibe with the band didn't gel.Maybe the audience weren't into it, maybe the sound was terrible or maybe it was just one of those days when you don't feel you're playing at your best. The main thing is to get over these things and not let them get you down.

11-Out of Music, what are your activities and hobbies?

I've got an eight month old baby called Archie, he takes up a lot of my time right now. He's a hobby and an activity. He's not started yet, but I think he'll be a great bass player, he's got strong wide hands....

Have you already had another job beside music?

No, aside from playing bass playing gigs and sessions,I do some guitar teching, you know, touring with bands tuning their guitars and fixing them. It's good to see several sides of the music industry. It was an odd thing.You know people always say you should get a trade or qualifications in case you ever need to get a proper job? It's not true.Playing in a band gives you all the training you need to take up another job in the music industry. Most music journalists, record company staff, managers, producers, road crew etc ,started off by being in a band.

12-You have already had a Label. When was the moment in your life that you decided to make it ?

I never had a proper record company, I just sell my CDs online. When we were making the first Sack Trick album we realised it was a bit too oddball for most record companies so I just pressed up the CDs myself and sold them at gigs or through the website. It's done really well, then I licence them out to other companies to distribute to shops. That's another good thing these days.It's now really possible to make your own record at home on a home studio or computer and press up CDs quite cheap and make your own website to start selling them. In the old days we had to pay money to go into a studio to make a demo, then take it to record companies to see if they liked it, then make an album in a studio.... it all took so long. Now you can record a song at home, put it on MySpace and have people hear it the same day .... that's such an encouragement for young musicians.

13-If you could wish Three Things, what would they be?

I suppose in reality I'd want things like world peace, an end to poverty and disease.... but that's not much fun ,is it?So I'll go for...

1. A customised bass rig, with only two buttons, on/off and volume.

2. An extra finger on my right forearm just next to my elbow to be able to tap additional octaves as well as normal two handed tapping. Then I'd usually wear a long sleeved shirt so nobody could see it or guess how I was doing to extra tapping. That would be cool!

3. To play on album with Ronnie James Dio..... that would be awesome!

14-You Dj a show.Tell us about it.

It's on www.totalrock.com Thursdays 3-6pm UK time.... it's a bit of good fun. I get to sit in a small room and play my favourite albums really loud. We have loads of Kiss, AC/DC, Dio, Van Halen, Maiden, Metallica etc it's mostly old school classic rock... then people can email in from all over the world to make requests or just say hello.

15-Tell us the greatest three albums of rock in your opinion and what do they represent to you?

That's a tough question. I could be here for ages deciding on the ultimate three. But here's three that come off the top of my head:

Kiss- Alive II- one of the first rock albums I had. The energy that comes across on this album is probably one of the reasons I got into playing.

AC/DC- Powerage- a great band grooving with great songs. AC/DC were perfect in many ways. Part of the beauty of it is they seem oblivious to how good they really are.

Talas- Sink Your Teeth Into That- Billy Sheehan at his wildest in a rock band. He just shreds all through every song.It's great!

16-What's your equipment in studio and in live shows?

I've got a couple of nice basses, a Warwick Thumb and a Musicman, both four strings. The Warwick sounds really bright and is fun to play. The Musicman sounds really heavy and gets used for more metal recordings and gigs. I've also got a cheap five string and a four string fretless. I don't use them so much but it's good to have them, I do enjoy playing the fretless every now and then and occasionally use it on albums. I've got a RAT distortion I use quite a lot, and a DOD Envelope Filter that's great for making silly noises and most importantly a Boss Tuner pedal. I use a Warwick bass head but often use anything that gets hired in for a gig. I'm not very fussy about amps, I think the sound comes from your own fingers and bass. In the studio I usually use just DI with a bit of compression.

17-What are your future projects?

We're finishing off a live album with Sack Trick.It's sounding really heavy with lots of great playing. Apart from that I'm not sure yet.... that's the fun of this industry, isn't it? You never know what's going to happen next.

18-Thanks for this opportunity once more and please leave a message for your fans at Guitar Clinic.

No, really. Thank you for this opportunity! My message for all aspiring musicians is keep playing as much as possible whether it's practicing at home, writing songs, rehearsing or playing live gigs, all music is a learning experience. Happy Playing!

More information at www.chrispaulodale.co.uk

Chris Dale allowed Guitar Clinic to use his photos.