Written by Dave Harris, who is a career musician (mostly
busking), sometime writer for Westcoast Blues
Revue/Real Blues magazines and author of the
definitive book on one man bands – Head, Hands &
Feet.
January 13, 2015
Dave Campbell Interview
I first met Dave at the jams in the 90s, as best as I can recall. He
was a regular, singing and playing guitar. We’d chat a bit and he was always interested in learning more
about various blues guys that I was into. As I gradually moved away from the scene I saw him less.
Recently he’s been getting more exposure for his writing, with a newish CD and a few gigs, like his
upcoming showcase at Gorgeous Coffee, Friday Jan 23rd. Here’s an edited version of what he sent in…
Dave Harris: What are your first musical recollections?
Dave Campbell: I remember a song, “76 Trombones”, blasting out of my mothers 1949 Babe Champ all
tube AM radio while my older brother sang along. Somehow he knew the song. I was about three or
four years old. It’s a parade song and it just blew me away. As far back as I remember I could feel music
and music often seemed to hijack my attention from whatever else was going on at the moment. My
mother still had the radio I mentioned stored away until a couple of years ago. She gave it to me and
now I still have it. Tubes have never been changed and it still works! I also have memories starting
around this time and continuing until I was around 10 years old that after he had a few drinks my father
used to get on the piano now and then. Then he'd climb back off, have a few more and perhaps play a
few songs (chuckle). My brother and sister and I would sit around the piano and sing. We loved it. He's a
talented guy with a great ear. He was a complex guy at the time. A drinker, fighter, womanizer and a,
“would you believe”, school band teacher. I idolized him. That is until things got how things get in theses
situations.
DH: Who inspired you to start playing and when?
DC: That's always a tough one. There's a 8mm my mom has of me strumming on a toy guitar and singing
I'm gonna guess “Oh my Darling Clementine” taken when I was four years old. So I guess that would be
the environment and the fact were pretty much born this way I think sometimes. My older brother is
very musical and I remember him goofing off singing quite a lot around that time and course my dad. I
know I've always liked Elvis a lot but when I heard The Beatles which was when I guess I was seven or
eight I was nuts for it and it was when I was about twelve years old something changed inside me I'm
sure the first time I heard Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”. I played it over and over and over but I knew for
sure I wanted to play in a band as soon as I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. I have no doubt of that. I
wanted to be Ringo but I had no drums. I actually remember how I felt when I heard The Who smashed
their drums. That John Hiatt song "Perfectly Good Guitar" I can really relate to.
I was just about twelve when to my good fortune two doors down a family moved in, in which there
was a fifteen and an eighteen year old kid. They were "bad kids." They could have jumped right out of
the book The Outsiders. I thought they were pretty cool. That said, the coolest thing about them was
that they had not one but two sets of Ludwigs. The older brother George played in a band. I was in grade
6 and I just stopped going to school for quite awhile. I’d skip school and go to their place and Rick, the
younger brother, would teach me drums. I never took it much farther. I learned almost everything that I
can do on drums from him. He was a good teacher. He had mature ideas about music he'd talk to me
about. I still remember him telling me, "you’ve gotta learn beats. You have to have good tempo, fills will
come but you need to know lots of different beats." He'd teach me a beat and show me the song that it
was used in. First one was Rolling Stones “Get off My Cloud”. His brother, who'd as a hobby been doing
taxidermy since he was fifteen, taught him. What kinda kid stuffs animals for a hobby? Our budgie died
and we gave it to him. He stuffed it. I’d see it there every time I went to his place.
Still around that time, maybe a year later, these twin brothers I was friends since six years old had
been taking lessons, one on guitar, the other bass. They formed a band. I’d watch them jam with
another guy I knew who'd been taking drum lessons. They were actually pretty good. Paul, the guitar
player, taught me “Purple Haze”. These guys, the bands I’d hear on the radio, my dad’s Dixie records and
his playing, my brother, who was getting good on piano and would teach me the odd thing that was
bluesy as well as when I was fifteen or so he would let me sing a couple when his band rehearsed, so
him as well and so many other factors made me wanna play music. I cant help it.
DH: How did you come to the blues? What was it about it that attracted you?
DC: As I mentioned, sometimes my dad would play the piano and we'd be sitting around him singing and
what not and I’d never let him stop without requesting “Summertime”. He'd do it instrument only and it
was beautiful. It really would get to me. It sounded very bluesy the way he played it and very melodic.
I’m sure I liked the blues before I knew it was called blues. That said, one of the first albums I stole was
B.B King’s Indianola Mississippi Seeds. I was twelve and I was digging many things at the time but of
course most the rock bands of the day had a blues song or two or three. They were often the songs I
liked best. I also like most anything with a great rhythm and a deep pocket that's funky. That groove
stuff hit me hard for sure very early on. This may sound cheesy but the older I get the more I consider
the archetypical nature of the blues and it seems spiritual and powerful considering all that's come from
it and the affect it's had directly and indirectly on pretty much all western music that we hear. It would
have been an different world without blues music.
Whenever I heard an old blues musician who was really great doing something recorded in the
early days I’d think it's unbelievable what they were doing. Some of the stuff you post Dave, I gotta say
man, back then there were so many great players. I haven't even heard lots of them and others not for
years. Again I think obviously a lot of different styles of great music came from and was/is influenced by
the blues but it was never what I’d call the blues evolving. There are some rock albums that were
considered way ahead of their time. Nothing got better or more "ahead of its time" than the blues.
DH: Tell us a bit of your history and how you came to Victoria?
DC: Remember the following answer is all a very long time ago. I had been in Victoria a couple of times
‘cause I have family here. I actually did a little stint here. I turned eighteen in Wilkinson Road
Correctional. Some years later, I'm in Kamloops, doing what I always to seemed to end up doing to
survive as well as doing the odd music thing, going here and there and back, I stayed with not much
more than a suitcase or less sometimes for a number of years. Then my girlfriend and I became about to
have a child and there was no way some of the people we knew were gonna be hanging out while we
had a child. Some of them I thought were very "bad" people that I was always at odds with. So we came
to Victoria. I had to make a way to live so I soon gravitated to what I’d done forever. I headed down
town. It was the only place I knew I could work it. I got to know everyone I needed to down there. Every
thing on the street was at the time imported. I have had problems with addictions for sure but even
though I had the connections to harder stuff for the most part I couldn't stomach selling anything but
Pot and hash. Once or twice I might have dabbled in selling the harder drugs out of necessity but
otherwise not. I knew some bikers in Kamloops that were indoor growers which was very rare here at
the time and way better and way more pricey. The imported stuff couldn't compare so for some years I
couldn't keep up. I would try not to let myself think of playing music very often for years. It hurt.
By this time I had two lives going so to speak. I had always kept how I got by and home life separate
pretty successfully but now they were converging and I flipped. I knew I just had to quit. It was the right
time. So I brought out the half inch recorder, did some recording, picked back up the guitar jammed
along with blues records. A little while later I started going to jams playing the harmonica mostly at first
then guitar and singing. Ended up in a band that actually got to working not too badly. Enough that with
jamming it helped with the withdrawal from the sometimes busy life I had being living. I had gotten a
little addicted to it. In a band of some form or another practically ever since. So any how Dave that's a
bit of my history in Victoria.
DH: Who are your big blues inspirations both older and newer?
DC: For blues inspiration, Willie Dixon, Otis Rush, love Muddy, Albert Collins, Son Seals, Keith Richards,
John Lee Hooker. Of course I like the Kings, Howlin Wolf, Robert Johnson, Elvis Presley, Robben Ford. I
used to have some recordings I listened to a lot that had various old blues artist on it. I don't remember
all who was on them. Gatemouth Brown, who you turned me on to Dave, became the only guy I’d listen
to for quite awhile, trying to absorb a bit of his feel and style, and a few of his licks. He's a genius. I saw
Muddy Waters in September about nineteen-eighty. Uncle Wiggly's Hot Shoes Blues Band opened for
him. That was life changing. What a presence!
Of course the "blues based rock bands" influenced me. Paul Pigat taught me a few cool arpeggios
and a cool harmonic run he made me promise I’d show no one (he was kidding) that works well with the
blues. Roy Rhymer whose interview I just read the other day was really encouraging when I first hit the
Victoria blues jam scene. After I’d do a set he'd often look over and smile and give me a thumbs up and
other times he told me he likes what I'm doing. You said some encouraging words back then too Dave,
as did a few of the others in the blues scene. I hadn't played for years so these things really meant a lot
to me. I've tried to pay that kind of attitude forward. I’d say I’ve learned from some of the local guys as
well. I used to go to most every jam and really pay attention. When I first came upon Vic blues scene I
was blown away.
DH: You’re a regular at jams. What about the jam situation attracts you?
DC: The jam situation is something I love. I think it’s important on a number of levels. If I go on a trip
somewhere the first thing I want to know is if there's a blues scene and how many Jams there are a
week. I’ve driven a hundred miles in a night just to go to a jam and play four songs or so many times. I
love to play. So it’s important when you’re not gigging to have a place to get that fix and keep your live
thing up. It’s really important for people new to playing out as a way to get their live thing down, deal
with some of the emotions that happen when you play in front of people. It’s an event to meet other
musicians at. Nearly every band I've been in in Victoria I just met at a jam. When I went to Thailand for a
few months I was getting lots of opportunities for gigs all from people at blues jams. Even helped host
one there. Actually I've never promoted myself or even really tried to get a gig. Or seek out a band for
that matter. Except one. Almost every gig I got came from someone who works at the place or someone
from another bar that heard me and some guys I was playing regular with jamming and hired us. Or
someone in the band was a go getter. It’s never been me. I wish I had more aptitude that way
sometimes but I've worked quite a lot all that considered. Mostly from jams.
Playing music can be a powerful experience. The connection of playing music for and with people
who are as into it as I am at that moment is really cool. I feel I'm expressing as well as been part of a
catalyst to something sorta transcendent to my default state of mind at least for that moment. I just
can’t get that too many other ways. The jam and the blues are perfect for this. I think jams are
important to the local music scenes. Things do seem kinda slow theses days but the couple of jams I go
to have been doing fine, it seems to me.
DH: What bands have you worked with? Any recordings?
DC: I jammed a little in my teens for sure but wouldn't say I was in an actual band until I was almost
nineteen when I replaced Darby Mills actually to front a band called Presence and then changed its
name to Subterraneans. Yes, they fired Darby Mills and hired me. Beyond making bad career choices it
was a pretty good rock n roll band. Played a fair bit locally.
Next, Black Napkins was a band I did with my younger brother Scott on keyboard and Ron Halliday on
saxophone,percussion and vocals, myself on guitar vocals. We played mostly originals. Open Jam funky
stuff on the one hand and very structured songs on the other. We played at the college coffee house
night. The first time I thought they'd hated us but good musicians, way better and older than us, wanted
to join us and people were actually receptive. It was first time I played with a sax player.
One day I walked into a biker bar that was my hangout for awhile and saw as well as heard the
strangest thing considering the nature of the clientele. It was an all black funk band from Memphis. They
were doing a two week stint at Joe's Cabaret. I couldn't believe it. They were great. I just sat in playing
rhythm guitar and some harmonica one night and they hired me. I love funk so there I was, the white
guy in an all black funk band playing in a biker bar. One night a biker stands in front of us after we
finished a song and yells "how come everything you play sounds like a bunch of god damn niggers!!" I'm
kinda scared but Lang the singer doesn't miss a beat. He looks round the stage then looks at the biker
and says "cause we are a bunch of god damn niggers!!" Genius come back I thought! The biker had no
come back to that and just walked away speechless, whew! It’s the only band I've been in that I know of
that a girl admitted to blowing a bouncer to get in to see us. Or I should say them. Not so sure it was to
see the little white dude. Women dug that Band. Go figure {chuckle}. Then after six months or so
immigration finally came and kicked them out of the country. A true funk band, amazing harmonies! No
visa. Excalibur was the name of that band.
With my life style it was hard for me to do the music thing sometimes. I’d usually pawn my guitar
as soon as a band would break up and get another if I needed one. One of the guys that was bringing a
lot of the drugs into Kamloops at the time played guitar and sang and was always putting bands
together and he'd also have the guys playing with him dealing for him. Because of the no show factor a
lot of substance abusing people adhere to I filled in a fair bit. I drummed, played guitar, harmonica, bass
guitar, even a little piano. He did lots of blues.
In Victoria I recorded a bit of stuff but didn't do the band thing for years. First band was called
Quango, funky little cover thing that did a few songs I wrote as well....we got a lot of gigs cause of our
salesman bass player. Ben Henry drums and Ron Hortensius guitar, Mike Wilson bass, I did vocals and
guitar.. Won some recording time for some songs I wrote while playing with those guys.
Quiet Trout Band was next. We hosted a jam for a year or more and played quite a few fun gigs.
Douglas Hotel house band for a year. I’m very proud of that. Chris Lawrence saxophone, Fred Kramer
drums, Lorne Goshimone bass, myself vocals/guitar.
Saloonatix I played guitar beside Niki Neff,vocals, Chris Rideout bass, Ross Decosta on guitar, Paul
Milne on drums. Worked a fair bit. Hosted a jam for a year or more.
Van Gogh's Ear was really fun. Did a little recording and played a fair bit. Blues and funk. Lorne
Goshimone, bass Ken Doskoch drums, Kevin Leitch saxophone, Jimi Cecil keyboards, myelf vocals guitar.
Won some recording time with those guys too.
Lock n Load was a good rock n roll as well as some blues band. I played with Clayton O'Howe bass
and Paul Milne drums, Ray Harvey from Kick Axe on guitar, myself guitar vocals. Did that for a couple of
years.
Emma Peal and the Avengers. Michelle L'Amore, vocals Bob Miron bass, Neil O’Neil saxophone
vocals, Ken Preston drums, and myself guitar.
The Roll Models we played so many beautiful places in that band due to the late Hoss Kristinsson
having friends all over the island. Blues, Rock, surf, classics, funk. Hoss Kristinsson bass, Chris
Dobell guitar, Johny Chrysler drums and myself guitar vocals.
Now it’s the David Campbell Band, GlennTaylor on guitar, Martyn Jones from Refugee and the
Robbie Ray band on bass and he plays a kick drum and high hat and myself on vocals and guitar. We'll
often have a guest sit in. Vince Pollitt and Sean Winters are pretty regular and a real treat to play with.
Songs I wrote and covers. Funk blues. Some weirdness.
DH: What’s happening currently? I understand you’re writing songs. What inspires you?
DC: I don't really play bar gigs much at all these days. Once in awhile I'll play at The Duncan Showroom
because whoever is there is really appreciative of hearing something original. I have been playing at
Gorgeous Coffee now and then lately. I still jam lots though and still have a blast doing it.
As for inspiration the best lyrics I write seem to have already been completed somehow and I just
write them down. I love that "phenomenon." For the most part on recent songs the subject matter
comes from my life experiences and if they have a protagonist then they probably are or were a real
person. I did a CD a little while back and lots of the lyrics and who they’re about are quite literal and
true. Give it a listen you'll see what I mean.{shameless plug} I’ve got really nice comments on it actually.
We worked very hard on it. Some of the people I’ve gotten really nice comments from know a thing or
two about recording. What it is to get a good sound. They like the songs too. That means a lot to me.
DH: Any other thoughts?
DC: The Blues has taught me more about music than anything else has. I’ve played with some
unbelievable players throughout the years. Really fortunate that way and thanks Dave, since the first
time I saw you play (probably late seventies) I’ve been a fan. I like what you do with music.
DH: Thanks Dave!