Before they took to the stage Glasgow, Savage Messiah’s singer and guitarist Dave Silver took time to chat to our own Bones. Can I, as editor, give Bones a shout out for transcribing this entire interview (and the Raven Age one) on her phone because her laptop broke? There’s dedication to the cause!
How did you guys meet?
That’s quite a long, complicated story. So, basically I’m from Birmingham and I moved to London ten years ago and started rehearsing in a rehearsal studio in New Southgate which is in North London and there was just a sort of community of musicians and things. Sam, our guitar player who I’ve known since he was twelve years old, used to come and lurk around our rehearsal room and then he put a band together with Mira, our bass player who moved over from the Czech Republic and so I was sort of aware of it. And then Mira was in another band called Monument for a bit. I saw them live with him and I thought he was really good. Then he joined and Sam became my guitar tech for two years. He was really the worst guitar tech, ever. And then when John, our guitar player, stepped down, he joined the band.
What’s the metal scene like in your area?
Down in London? You know, I don’t really know. I’ve been so wrapped up in our band. Also I live in Italy so I don’t have my finger on the modern day heavy metal pulse, really.
What is the most difficult part of the creative process for you and why?
Actually it’s just scheduling. That’s the most difficult part – getting everyone together and focused. The actual making the record part is easy. We’re not one of those bands that tends to plan out what we’re going to do or anything. We just get together and start to make songs. It’s kind of always what worked best for us.
Highlights and worst parts of the tour so far?
Well, we only started two days ago, so there’s not really been any bad parts to be honest, apart from not being at home. But hey, that’s just the way it is. But last night was great. Manchester had loads of people. Nottingham was really good, we’ve been really encouraged and surprised by the amount of people who have come out to see us, it’s very rewarding.
What do you do to stay inspired and creative during difficult times?
That’s a good question because, generally speaking, life is always difficult. I don’t really know, I just… we were talking about this earlier today and there’s absolutely no rationale or any logical reason why anybody, when you’re in a band and you get to a certain level, could tell you why they’d still do it. I mean, if you’re Bon Jovi it makes perfect sense why you’d still do it. I know we’re not old like them, but when you get to a certain level, all I can say is it’s like Alice In Wonderland. You go down the rabbit hole, you don’t know where it’s going to lead you and it’s like, “Uh…well I’ve gone this far, why stop now?”
Most inspiring story from a fan you’ve heard?
I mean a lot of people have clichéd answers like, “Oh, you saved me!”, or whatever. I have never really experienced anything like that. But I mean, I tell you what is very rewarding is to actually meet fans. I was speaking to people yesterday who I’ve seen at shows for years. I tell you what’s really rewarding is that I’m really good at remembering people’s names, so I tend to remember all of these people’s names and I go over and say hello and they’re like, “Oh my god, you remembered me? You’ve made my night!” And that’s rewarding.
Can you remember the first artist who made you want to be a musician when you were a kid?
Joe Satriani!
What is the coolest or craziest gift you have received from a fan, and do you ever receive artwork from people?
Mira, the bass player, seems to be a popular source for people to draw. But when we went to Japan, we were just inundated with gifts. All kinds of things like little chocolates to these little teddies and that sort of things. Even now, Mira, he’s very popular in Japan which I believe is because he is somewhat androgynous and perhaps even elvish in his appearance, and they love him in Japan. So he gets a lot of attention.
Guilty pleasure band?
Imagine Dragons. They have some good songs.
Do you have any advice for younger musicians who are just starting out, especially for those who don’t have a supportive family behind them?
Yeah, get a job! No, I’m joking. My advice to all younger musicians would be to drink lots of water and be chivalrous to women. That’s my advice.
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