Damien Cripps Band….

Damien Cripps Band is an Australian rock band, formed in 2005 in Perth, with their current lineup of vocalist and guitarist Damien Cripps, bass guitarist and vocalist Kristopher Webb, guitarist Michael Basham and drummer Frank Celenza.

These guys are known for their live shows, entertaining is what they do best and being on stage is what keeps this band alive.  But don’t ignore their recordings, their songs such as Pictures, Sophie and my favorite Meltdown, will take you on a journey, wherever that may be.

The band has worked closely with several other Australian artists, some of those are Billy Thorpe, Screaming Jets, Richard Clapton, Jimmy Barnes, Shanon Noll and many more;  On 22 September the band will be playing support for Suzi Quatro.

But here’s more from Damien….

How long have you all known each other?  How did you meet?

Frank was in Baby Animals so I have known him for about 8 years, Michael has been in the band for three years and Kris only joined in January.  We all know each other through the music industry.

What made you decide to become musicians?

If you really are a musician you don’t choose, it chooses you;  none of us really had a choice!

If you were to describe your band in simple word choice…. What would you say?

FRESH

What has been your biggest challenge as a band?

Breaking through independently and saying no to record deals, simply because they were ridiculous.

Do you write your own songs?

I write the skeleton and then take it to the band to finish the arrangements.

What are your songs about?

People and their stories, sometimes my stories and stuff that matters to me, in which I hope matters to others as well.

Do you have a set Playlist?

It changes all the time, but usually yes.

Which songs do you perform most frequently?

Pictures, Sophie, Universe, Celebrity Slide, Welcome to the show.  These are always played every night.

What are your favorite venues?

The Regal Theatre and The Mustand bar in Perth, The Vanguard in Sydney and Price of Wales in Singapore.

What image do you think your music conveys?

Australian… I think we portray a very Australian image which makes me very happy.

Who are you major influences?

Black Sabbath, John Mellencamp, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Sam Cooke, Kiss, Darkness, John Mayer, Dave Mathews, AC/DC, the list is long as you would expect.

Do you ever play any covers?

Yes we love music, so we don’t care if we didn’t write it as long as it’s a cool song.

What are your rehearsals generally like?

Hard work, we try to get as much done as possible, in a four hour block.

Where have you performed?

Over 200 shows a year for the last five years, so a lot of places – Australia, Singapore, Canada, France and Spain.

What’s your ultimate direction for your band?

To make excellent roots rock music that connects with real people.

How would you define the word “success”?

Being alive and able to communicate with people about things that interest me, through music.

What’s your most embarrassing experience?

On twitter…. Collective soul tweeted that we all had sexy accents.  Furthermore they were on stage at the time.

What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

Be sure you really want to do it and if you do, take no prisoners and commit everything with no fear.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?

There are heaps.. and they know who they are!

Any last words?

We want to say thanks to you for taking the time to even notice us.  So many bands like us, go unnoticed but people like you are helping make a difference in our careers.

 The band is also filming a documentary on being an undiscovered Australian Band and the struggle to make your mark against the wealth of the record company financed acts.

Be Well!!!!

EXTERNAL LINKS:

• Damien Cripps Band
• Listen to the Band
• Videos on You Tube
• My Space
• Damien on twitter
• Michael on twitter