10 Quick Ones with DAMIANO CHRISTIAN – March 2017

According to a recent press release: “If you were waiting for the next young guitar shredder to arrive, your request has been answered – just give a listen to the brand new 5-song EP, ‘Built in Good Value’’ by Damiano Christian, released on March 13th and available to purchase. The 18-year-old guitar and piano virtuoso sites Randy Rhoads, Mozart, Ritchie Blackmore, and Liberace as his top influences.”  With his new EP just released, we were able to pin down Damiano for 10 Quick Ones to discuss the EP and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

So our EP that was just released is called Built in Good Value. It was given this title because I hate how a lot of popular artists today get recognition and fame for nothing and having no talent when guys like me who actually play our instruments and record the old fashion way are struggling. So it was kind of a slap in the face to today’s music with that title. There are a couple little nuggets I put in one of the songs we did called “She Loves You” that we covered by the Beatles and did a music video for. At the end I do a very famous Randy Rhoads lick that you only hear on live bootleg recording and ended it with his famous killswitch noise he would do on his Gibson Les Paul custom which everyone who knows me notices right away at the end of the song. Another nugget would be my little ode to Ronnie James Dio on a song called “Must’ve Been the Devil” . I’ve always loved Dio’s writing style and themes about the devil and medieval times and I really wanted to write a song that captured his style and essence which I hope by listeners standards , I did.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Well my parents were the ones who got me into music, It all started with piano lessons at the age of 3. The realization of becoming a musician didn’t really hit me until I was about 5 or 6 when I heard Queen for the first time and saw videos of Freddie Mercury, that was when I knew I wanted to be a musician.

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

For Guitar: Randy Rhoads, Eddie VanHalen, Ritchie Blackmore

For Piano: Liberace

For Vocals: Freddie Mercury

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

I would love to do a song with Ozzy , I’ve always loved his solo music as well as his material with Black Sabbath. Plus playing guitar for Ozzy has always been my number one dream since I picked up the guitar.

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

I would describe it as old school rock n roll and metal from the 70s and 80s. You can hear influential bits of White Snake, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Ozzy and Randy Rhoads. It has a bit of all my influences in there coming together and combining into one.

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

The best thing about being a musician is actually getting to play in front of people and getting to see people in the audience enjoy what I am doing. We do all this work practicing, writing and recording that I get bored and want to just perform instead of being trapped inside a CD for people only to listen to and not see visually. Nothing makes me feel better than seeing a happy and engaged crowd.

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Well that’s if the band ever does hangout haha, when we do though we are always playing, jamming on potential new material or just balls to the wall rehearsing so everything sounds perfect. If anyone gets drinks it’s usually me or I send my sister the bass player to go get them haha.

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

I think my dream job would still be a musician, because I would be that guy in the audience saying “ I want to do that” and I was that person for the longest time. If I had to pick one though I’d like to test and review aka “play” video games for a living.

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?

Well, I’m going to generalize a bunch of moments into one category that’s called “knowing when you’re getting screwed” . Its happened to me a lot in bands as well as in past experiences working with people and after all is said and done I always wish I caught it sooner. One, because it really hurts as musician to know someone would take advantage of you, especially when you’re young at my age and two you lose a lot of money as well.

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Blizzard of Ozz hands down. That album is what started my journey on guitar, it made me pick up the guitar and practice endlessly every day, that’s how influential it was on me. Randy Rhoads will always be my number one guitar hero because of the effect he had on me when I first heard his playing. If he had never written the solo to Revelation(Mother Earth) I would have never picked up the guitar.

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Category: Interviews