By: Marc Gaffney & Chris Hale
Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to
discuss feel. Feel
is the word is the word that you heard, it’s got groove it’s got the real
thing.The essence of any music, especially the man I
was lucky enough to converse with, is the way you nod your head when you hear
that first chord or that ethereal chorus that grabs you like a mother bear from
the Revenant and keeps you in check while your auditory system finds an elite
place to plateau.
The actual 2 and 4 on the floor is what I am
talking about. Locking of guitars with a tight rhythm section, letting you air
out after that nice head space of the burn down period, eloquent and decisive,
keeping a collective mind and body, becoming one, hence the music is your
Sherpa, driver of your emotional and being of substance.
It is the few that can harness the kinetic energy
from exploding and slowly funneling itself through you like a 12 year old
Scotch, like Robert Redford would dig on.Why Robert Redford, because the guitar player
behind this Slo
Burn is Chris Hale, one of the coolest mother fuckers to slap on a
Gibson and let you dig in on the journey that he and his brothers collectively
drive the train to eternal synthesis and yes, FEEL.
So please sit back and enjoy my chat, and you
will be dammed, if you’re lucky.
Sludgelord:
Thanks Chris for taking the time to speak with me.
Chris: Thank
you
Sludgelord:
So how did the Slo Burn get together happen?
Chris:
John had invited us out to the desert to work on some original ideas he had for
his solo record. He had an idea that it would be cool to have a track with some
of the Slo Burn
guys on it. So we went down and it was really fun, was great to be back in a
room together and just hang out and make some music and that was it for a
while. So we went out had some Magarita’s and some more fun and Damon laid down
some bass on his record and we just started talking more and more that we
should do this and then somebody threw out, 2017 is going to be 20 years so we
said let’s start to do something then. So we got a booking agent involved and
it just kind of happened.
Sludgelord:
From being so young when the band started to now, do you feel as if you and the
band are playing better?
Chris- It
is night and day, I was a 19 year old kid, Brady was 18, Damon was 19, we all
have had 20 plus years, just the couple of rehearsals we have had and at the
first rehearsal, Brady and I just stopped and starting laughing as it was so
much better than it ever was that we were just laughing. Holy shit, It is funny
to hear, people saying Slo Burn was so great and for us, being the
musicians playing it, I mean I guess it is like a child actor that gets to go
back and watch a show they were in and it is so much better now, it feels right
now, vision is easier made now then back to then.
Sludgelord:
Your thoughts are a bit clearer now?
Chris-
Yes, I mean the thought process now is easier to execute the process. When you
are a kid, 19, 20 years old you would say that will do, now you know what you
are doing and you can actually do it. Let’s make it better. I’ll be honest some
of these songs I have not played in a long time, so when it came time to play
them and re-learn them, I have a box of old Slo Burn videos, and I have to
be honest, I was fucking embarrassed. I was saying I can’t watch this. I would
say to Brady you were great and John has always been bad ass but watching
myself, I was like “fuck, I can’t watch this”.
Sludgelord:
Good thing is when you can really understand
and admit that. No falsifying in your head.
Chris: It
would be terrible if you were watching back and were like, Dam I used to be so
good. I wish I could play like that again.
Sludgelord:
If I thought that way, I would say fuck it, time to buy an accordion.
Chris: Yeah, I think like that, sorry guys this
reunion isn’t happening anymore.
Sludgelord:
Would you become a baseball pitcher?
Chris: Yes.
Sludgelord:
It is the 4 original guys, first show is Desertfest?
Chris: Yes, so originally we were just going to do
some shows in June. We went into this,
and we were not like, let’s get back and do a fucking world tour. Another
record. We were all like, hey, we are all busy with other stuff. Damon and I
have Brave
Black Sea. The most important thing was, Slo Burn, we are not a pop band,
we didn’t look at it as we are going to do a tour and be set for life. We are
doing this because we wanted to do it. There are so many Slo Burn that never got a chance
to see us play, maybe discovered the band, 5 or 10 years ago, so we are doing
it for that. It was never about this is going to get us rich. Fuck that, it
might help pay my gas bill. That’s about it.
But you
know the goal was let’s do a few shows and see how it feels. If we are all
having a blast then let’s talk more and see what else we can do, The response
was kind of overwhelming for us and then we got offered to do Desertfest
in April and we were like, fuck let’s do that. So now we are doing that in
April and these other shows in June and then the Psycho Vegas in August came up
and they wanted to do an exclusive thing with us as where it our only US show
in 2017. You know, it felt right at the time and if we are going to do that
then what better place to do than Vegas. If we were gonna do it in Mobile Alabama Mobile
Sludgelord:
Psycho Vegas is so much fun.
Chris: I
live in Vegas and I was sick during that time and I was so bummed because I
couldn’t go. I had buddies showing up and playing and also my kids were sick so
I didn’t even end up going. I am really
stoked to be playing this year.
Sludgelord:
It is amazing the people that come. It solidifies why bands do it.
Chris: Right
on, you know living in Vegas you know it is like Mariah Carey and fucking Elton
John, and to have this stoner doom metal fest come and do so well that the
immediately want to do one next year, it is awesome to see and hear that. You
wanna be a part of it
Sludgelord:
So you have this going on, what are you
playing now? I know you are a Les Paul guy
but really there is never enough gear.
Chris: I know. So I have been going back and forth
thinking should I use different gear for
Slo Burn
than I do with Brave
Black Sea . Different sound, it is a
one guitar band, a simplified heavy sound. I worked very hard and long for that
sound that I said I might as well use it and tweak it. I am using a different
guitar, I am using, what I was using, funny story, for Brave Black Sea I have 2 Marshall 4-12
cabs, one with Vintage 30’s and one with Greenbacks in it. Then one was powered by a 1978 Marshall JMP,
and one with an Ampeg
V2, 1976. I found this amp just sitting on the floor out here in
Vegas. I always go to the same place and I was like, what is up with this and
he said, it is one of the best sounding amps u will hear in your life that no
one wants to buy because it looks like an old bass amp or something. So I
wanted to try it out, took it to a practice and was fucking blown away. So I bought
it and then the first Slo Burn rehearsal it blew up.
Sludgelord:
Oh Fuck
Chris: Now
for Slo Burn
going with 2 JMP
heads and 2 cabs. Brave Black Sea
I usually use old Les Pauls and in Slo Burn I am going with my SG.
It is not much of a change but it is enough of a different feel and sound I
guess. I get all my dirt sounds from pedals. Between different overdrives and
fuzz pedals.
.
Sludgelord:
Are there certain pedals that u love?
Chris:
Yea, as far as overdrive pedals, I love the Fulltone OCD pedal, it is just a
fucking killer sound, it is very honest and you can get it to sound really
heavy. I love the Earthquake Device pedals for fuzz and I
sometimes use the V Vex Wooly Mammoth, it is a bass fuzz and
it’s fucking pummeling. I usually put all those pedals through a G Vex
which may or may not have had something to do with blowing up my Ampeg.
I don’t know if you have ever played one but they are crazy, the super hard ons
are super hard on your tubes, that’s for sure. Then I will use different delays
and wah’s but the pedal board for Brave Black Sea is much bigger than for Slo Burn.
When you have just a guitar and bass player, you can’t go off too much whereas Brave Black Sea
you can go off a little more, psychedelic, just a different thing.
Sludgelord:
Playing wise, do you play everyday?
Chris: Everyday.
You know right after Slo Burn I got into Another band and we were
together for like 3-4 years and then after that into another band for like 3-4
years and after that I had a bad taste in my mouth for the music industry and I
took about year, year and a half off where I was like, fuck this and I felt a
huge void in me so ever since then whether I was going to be in a band or not I
was always going to play guitar.
To this
day now, I have days where I will work on music, I have a studio in my house
and somedays I will be in there for 6-7 hours and the next day could be 20
minutes. It has to be at least that 20 or 30 minutes, it is funny as my wife
and I joke about it. I will be in a crappy mood and she will say to go in my
studio and play guitar because you need to get yourself straight. If I don’t
get some kind of playing out or a song that is in my head, if I don’t play then
I feel different. I will be in an irritable mood and it is something I have to
do.
With that
being said, I don’t sit and practice scales for hours upon hours. I am not a
shredder and it has never been my thing. If someone puts on a Dream Theater
cd and says jam along with this, I can’t. I love to jam, I like to jam old
blues, I always have to be playing. How about yourself, are u the same way?
Sludgelord:
I find it is therapeutic.
Chris: It is, that’s the word I was looking for.
Sludgelord:
If I am a little bit off, even playing for 10 minutes, it helps put things in
perspective, my hands still work and I can still play so it does help and
things aren’t that bad after playing. I am not someone that would sit down and
listen to Rising Force and let me
match what Yngwie is doing. It is great guys can shred but that has never been
my thing.
Chris: Exactly, It has never been about a solo or
lead work for me, it is about the vibe and journey of the song. Never my spot
to shine or show all my years of practicing and I have never tried to play like
that. If I really dedicated myself to that then maybe, but it has never been my
thing.
Sludgelord:
Yea I am into the groove of the song, it
has to fit or I’m not feeling it at all.
Chris: Totally, you know I love to throw on a delay
or something, it is really about changing up the sound or vibe of it. Never
about, hold on here it is (making a solo sound).
Sludgelord:
Here it is, 2 minutes and 42 seconds
Chris: Look how fast I can play this scale.
Sludgelord:
That’s great, the whole wanker thing is a bit much for me.
Chris: I remember there was this period as I was
living out in Hollywood
Sludgelord:
Right on. In terms of listening to music, do you like pretty much everything?
Chris: Kind of, I guess. Mostly I am guilty of just
listening to older stuff as it’s hard for me, a lot of the newer stuff that
comes out now feels like people are writing strictly to be on the radio and I’m
not going to be someone that hates on that. I get it, if people are making a
career out of it by playing music then fuck man, do your thing. It is not
something that I can get into. I am not gonna lie, I have some guilty
pleasures. I am not going to buy a CD but if I hear it I will secretly get into
it. I’m not gonna be yelling, turn this fucking shit off. I listen to a lot of
old blues stuff you know Lightning Hopkins, Jr Kimbrough that type of stuff,
Zeppelin,
Sabbath,
ZZ Top,
I love that type of stuff and I still love bands like Fu Manchu, trying to think of
newer stuff I listen too.
Whenever
I am writing I don’t let myself listen to anything for fear of it creeping in,
we have been writing a new Brave Black Sea album so I am in writing mode
so I have not allowed myself to listen to anything that is around now. I guess
it sounds boring that I don’t listen to anything, ha. But I do, I love The Black Keys,
not so much their newer stuff but older. When it was just 2 dudes, bad ass. It
reminded me of old desert bands. Like if someone would have told me that this
record is from 2 guys from Palm
Desert
Sludgelord:
I find to not listen to all kinds of music you are doing yourself a disservice.
Chris:
Totally, and on the other hand I will throw on old soul albums or Hank Williams.
It is just good stuff. I feel in a weird sort of way that I will allow that
sort of music to influence me. There is no way you are going to listen to a Slo Burn
song or a Brave
Black Sea song and say, he is ripping off Otis Redding. It is not gonna
happen, when you put the vibe of that in and layer it with heavy drums and
heavy guitars, it gives it this non-intentional thing.
Sludgelord:
I love that, makes it sound great. I think that is the best stuff. It makes it
easier for white people to find the one they can clap their hands to it.
Chris: It is so try, I guess that is a good way to
put it. (Both of us are laughing and have been laughing).
Sludgelord:
When I write I want stuff like Joni Mitchell
or CSNY. Stuff with feeling.
Chris: Totally,
great harmonies and melodies and really dynamic. When I was younger I always
thought 3 or 4 guys is all you need. Now I really respect bands with 9 guys.
Keys and percussion. To make it all sound great is such a cool thing.
Sludgelord:
I remember the first time I saw Chicago, I
was like Holy Shit, it was so heavy. A great Rock n Roll band with horns.
Chris: Definitely. It is almost sad when you see
people shut it down because it is Chicago Chester
Sludgelord:
As soon as he breaks into “Just Got Paid”,
you are like. Ok I guess we only need 3 dudes.
Chris: One of my favorite riffs of all time. Billy
Gibbons tone man, people would say its tons and tons of fuzz pedals, and then
he comes out and it’s the cleanest tone but so heavy, in a different way and
then the groove those guys get, fuck. It is unreal.
Sludgelord:
So you have Slo
Burn being lit up again, after many years and it sounds better than
ever. I can’t thank you enough for taking the time and speaking to me as it has
been a true honor brother.
Chris: This was amazing talking and thank you. As I
said, who knows what will be in store for Slo Burn, but we are writing new songs and
will be definitely playing 2 new ones at these shows so I can’t wait.
Sludgelord:
So you better get on the treadmill in 2017.
Chris:
Yes, I’m looking to forward to it.
What you have read folks was glittered with
Class. Chris Hale, ladies and gentleman is a player’s player. He outs the song
first and let’s his groove flag fly, ya heard.
Being able to converse with a player as such for
a guy like me is pure pleasure. This was one of those times when the people you
revere and in actuality hipper than you could ever imagine
The thing that gets lost on many neophytes of the
rock is that without pioneers such as Mr. Hale, there would be no Psycho Vegas
or Desertfest.
For that I am thankful and really excited for what is to come from Slo Burn
and their volume of goods to follow.
Remember, you don’t need a weatherman to know
which way the winds blow
Eat a peach, Gaff the Rulah.
The End
Band
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