Dave Kilminster

Dave Kilminster
Dave Kilminster performing in Roger Waters' band at Arrow Rock Festival, 10 June 2006
Background information
Birth name	David Kilminster
Born	(1962-01-25) 25 January 1962 England
Genres	Progressive rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, producer
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Guitar
Years active	1991–present
Website	DaveKilminster.com

David Kilminster (born 25 January 1962, England) is a British guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and music teacher. He is known for touring with Keith Emerson (since 2002) and with Roger Waters on his The Dark Side of the Moon 2006–2008 tour, performing much of the guitar and vocal duties that are originally David Gilmour's. He also played alongside with John Wetton (ex King Crimson), Ken Hensley (ex Uriah Heep), Qango (an Asia spin-off), The Nice, and Carl Palmer. Kilminster is the touring as first guitarist with Roger Waters on his The Wall Live 2010–2013 tour.

Biography

Dave Kilminster began playing piano at an early age and later, in 1976, he chose to play guitar; during his youth he also experienced singing in a barbershop quartet, which gave him a strong background for future involvement as a vocalist.

In 1991 he won the award 'Guitarist of the Year' in a competition run by Guitarist Magazine with the instrumental Sundance; at that time he was working on computers for IBM. Shortly after, Kilminster was asked to teach at the Guitar Institute in Acton (London). This also involved writing exam material and courses for Trinity College and Thames Valley University.

Kilminster is now a teacher at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guilford and also with Guitar Break who run weekend guitar events around the UK. He has launched a series of instructional DVDs for Roadrock's Licklibrary after the success of his global satellite series, named Killer Guitar. Kilminster has written over 200 articles for Guitar Techniques magazine.

Style and techniques

Kilminster used to play left-handed (he is naturally left-handed), but after damaging his right wrist in a go-kart accident, he started playing right-handed. Despite that, he is widely known both as a proficient teacher and as an outstanding performer in the techniques of pull-off, tapping, hammer-on and sweep-picking. His instructional DVDs are available through his website and Licklibrary guitar community. Dave re-released his acoustic guitar album Playing with Fire in 2004. Scarlet, a rock album, featuring Dave on guitar and vocals along with Keith Emerson bandmates drummer Pete Riley and bass player Phil Williams, is released in 2007. Kilminster writes all music and lyrics. Both Playing with Fire and Scarlet are available from Kilminster's website www.davekilminster.com

Personal

• Kilminster is good friends with Guthrie Govan, who became the guitarist in the Downes/Payne-led Asia (2001–2006); they played together in several gigs during the 1990s, and occasionally collaborate at The Bassment in Chelmsford, Essex on nights held by the jazz fusion ensemble The Fellowship. Govan and Kilminster most recently performed together at the International Music Show, at London's ExCel arena on 14 June 2008, where Kilminster played songs from his album Scarlet, before joining Govan and his band to perform tracks from the album Erotic Cakes.
• He co-produced Anne-Marie Helder's first solo album The Contact (2004), and she sings backing vocals for his 2007 debut album Scarlet.

Gear

Dave uses various guitars, but more often his favourite Suhr "rose" guitar (Tele style body, Seymour Duncan Custom Custom HB & a couple of Suhr single coils, with a rose hand-carved on the body) and, from 2010, Italian Brunetti amplifiers (Customwork Mercury 50 heads and combos and SingleMan combos). In his pedalboard is often present a Suhr Riot distortion pedal and some Eventide TimeFacor & ModFactor pedals.

References

• Biography
• Guitar Planet Magazine Interview
• Brunetti Tube Amplification

External links

• Dave Kilminster.com ─ official site