Dave Woodcock!

Dave Woodcock is a musician who I first had contact with over Facebook, and also one of the first acts that I ever interviewed, despite this interview not being published until roughly six months after it took place.

His music is wicked, so I hope that you take the time to listen. He is in a band called Dave Woodcock and the Dead Comedians, and their most recent album, 'Medicine' is available to listen to using the link below.

1) Introduce yourself and your band.

I'm Dave and my band is called the Dead Comedians. Tommy Binks plays guitar and sings, Paul Hoyland is our bassman and also does backing vocals. Richard Hunter is the drummer when our latest recruit is Shane Surgey who plays the organ. I've known and played with the guys for years and years off and on in different projects so it's so cool to have them in the same band together. The exception is Shane who came into the band through Richard's recommendation. It was instantly a good fit. My mate Chris Murphy played keys in the band from its inception in 2006 until around 2016 when we started work on the Medicine album which was the first DW&TheDCs album to not feature piano or organ so it was cool to have that texture back in the sound

2) What musicians or artists have been your biggest influences and why?

It's safe to say that if I hadn't discovered Bob Dylan and The Clash at around the same time, there's a good chance I wouldn't be doing this. There are many musicians in my family and i had tried learning instruments at school and stuff - and had always written lyrics that I thought could be songs - but it was only discovering those guys that I started to realise that passion for what you are writing and playing is paramount. You don't have to play guitar like Jimi Hendrix to be able to get up on stage and blast out a song. I saw the film Rude Boy starring The Clash and the scene that introduces them playing 'Police and Thieves' just blew to top of my head off. I watched it over and over - that performance in particular. It just blew away any preconceived notions about what a "rock star" can be. Joe Strummer didn't look like Jon Bon Jovi. He didn't look like a rock star. He looked - not ugly, but just like a regular guy. He spat when he sang. He had spittle hanging off his mouth. He looked sweaty and oblivious to vanity. But charismatic as fuck. And passionate. He didn't sound like a rock star. It was guttural and natural and exciting. I wanted to be him in that footage. When I heard Dylan my life changed. It sounds hyperbolic but, honestly, it changed. Over night. I was afraid of my voice. I was a quiet, shy person - I was nervous about even talking in front of people let alone singing. But I had things in my head I wanted to say. Dylan and The Clash started me on that road and inspired me to look into other artists - Neil Young, Tom Waits, The Sex Pistols, Joy Division - artists that had voices that didn't sound like the ones on the radio. It took some time to work up the courage but the seed was planted. I knew I wanted to write and sing songs and it felt like I had been handed the hey. From there I took inspiration wherever I found it. Everything from early blues and country to punk and classic rock. These days I still love discovering music that thrills me and makes me want to get up and play. I just got back from seeing three The Hold Steady shows over three nights in London. When I discovered those guys was already up and running but once I heard Craig Finn's lyrics above their sound I got that same spark and inspiration. The Hold Steady's albums are like novels or, as someone pointed out a while ago, like a series like The Wire. I binge-listened rather binge-watched their records and heard the same characters popping up, the same situations from different perspectives, like a rock n roll 'Rashoman'- it blew me away - still does. They massively inspired my records 'Poisoned Nights & Bar Room Lights' and 'Medicine'. And they kick ass live.

3) If you could have tea with anybody in the world, living or dead, who would it be, why and what would you say to them?

I don't drink tea but my biggest regret is not meeting Joe Strummer when I had multiple chances. When he passed away, I was devastated. I still am. I would've loved to speak to him. About what is private. I've subsequently been lucky enough to make friends with people who knew him and played with him and they all reiterate what a beautiful human being he was. I did meet Mick Jones at a show we were playing a few years back. Our drummer Richard couldn't make that show so Simon Stafford who played with Joe in The Mescaleros played drums with us that night. He and Mick hadn't seen each other since Mick reunited with Joe at the Fireman's Benefit just before Joe passed away. That was touching. I've been very lucky enough to meet and have a drink with a lot of my heroes. I feel blessed for that, but yeah, Strummer made me believe in myself. I felt and still feel very close to him and I wish we could've pounded a few beers together.

4) What is your favourite part of being in a band?

Playing music with my friends. Ultimately, if you get into a band for any other reason than you want to hang out with your mates and make a racket together you are going to be very disappointed.

5) What is your favourite part of touring/doing shows?

The biggest thrill for me is looking into a crowd and seeing people singing my songs back at me. I never tire of it. That thing you wrote to get off your chest has connected with someone else who feels the same. The ultimate expression of that, I guess, is another artist who love covering your songs. A band called Massy Ferguson from Seattle put out an album a couple of years ago with one of my songs on it after they heard it at a show. That was a thrill. I've been blessed to be able to sing it with them at a few shows. The other great thrill for me is playing a show when its going great, looking at my friends in the band and seeing them feeling it too. That's a wonderful feeling. Meeting people, too. When I started out I was a bit of a nightmare. I was way too self conscious which manifested itself in drinking way too much before a show and if anyone complimented me I would be confrontational with them. "That was a great show".."Yeah?! What was so great about it!? What do you know about it!?" That kind of stuff. It was ugly and I look back on that with a lot of regret. Now, I love meeting people after a show - not to hear people complimenting me but just to know how and why the ended up at the show and then seeing them again at another show makes me feel like I've done my job as a frontman and ambassador for the music.

6) What is the biggest problem regarding your music that you have had to overcome so far?

After a festival a couple of years ago, I got really sick. We played a Saturday night show and I felt terrible. Then the Sunday I opened the show with an acoustic show and then headlined the night with the band. All day I just felt impossibly tired. I did the show - it went great but instead of the usual aftershow and hanging around to meet people and have a drink I just had to get home and sleep. And that got worse and worse to the point where I just couldn't do anything. It took over a year until after a lot of poking and prodding and an MRI and a spinal tap I was diagnosed as having narcolpesy and cataplexy. Its been tough. Narcolepsy I had heard of but its not like in the movies. Imagine the time you felt the most tired and times it by a thousand. And then have that feeling every day. Cataplexy is a cruel thing - I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. At its most basic, if you feel an overwhelming emotion - specifically happiness or joy - your body shuts down and you collapse to the floor. It looks like an epileptic fit except I'm wide awake through it all. I just can't move or communicate until it passes. As you can imagine, this is pretty tricky if you are a musician playing live where pretty much the happiest and most joyful you feel is playing music for people. That's been a struggle. Not one I've overcome yet but we are working on it.

7) Describe your sound

The most difficult question of all! As I mentioned, I've got some many different influences that are fighting their way in to the sound. I 'm reluctant to try and label it but over the years I've been happy enough with just "Rock N Roll" - the bastard child of folk and blues and country. If it's good enough for The King, it's good enough for me.

8) What do you enjoy most about being a musician?

Easy one: playing music.

9) Can you explain your creative process? How do your songs come about?

Lots of different ways. Usually lyrics first though. I find it difficult to come up with a piece of music to then fit lyrics to although I've done that too. Usually I'll start with a set of lyrics I'm happy with then I'll try and hear what the lyrics are telling me they want to sound like. I'm lucky to be in a band with guys who are much better musicians than I am. I can explain kind of what i have in my mind and they can fill it out. Or it'll come out completely differently than I could've ever written. I always say its like i bring in a skeleton and they add all the organs and blood and muscle to it. Pretty soon, it's walking around. That's one tip I can offer - surround yourself with talented people.

10) Tell me about your favourite performance venues

Currently, here in Sheffield, I like the Greystones. It's a lovely room with a decent stage and good sound. We had a residency at the legendary Grapes for a while which was always a blast but that has closed since closed as a venue. There's a few. A longer answer would be worst places to play. We could be here all night.

11) Please explain how you interact with and respond to fans

My favourite as I mentioned is face-to-face but we are online and pretty reachable. Every now and then a message will pop up from someone who has just discovered the music and it's always a thrill to know that people in Germany or Australia or Italy or wherever has found it and it has moved them to get in touch.