Guitarist Danny Bryant Interview even Hard work and determination are vital ifyou want to make it on the British blues scene. We meet a young man from Cambridgeshire who's doingjust that Words Mick Taylor

h Lord, won't you buy So what were the main musical Axe Dan me a Mercedes-Benz? landmarks on Bryant's journey? "I had Bryant's guitar collection spans the usual Actually, Lord, you'd certain key players; key albums actually. blues staples: Stratocasters, Telecasters, a better make it a Transit After Walter, I got into Stevie Ray Gibson thinline plus a Flying V, but it's the instead, and we'll grab Vaughan, The Sky Is Cryin' and In Step. Stratocaster format where he's most at ourselves a quick sandwich on the Then there was From The Cradle by Eric home. His first guitar was an Encore motorway justbefore the soundcheck. Clapton. I was like that; obsessive with double-cut, so then what? British bluesmen such as Danny Bryant one person. Now I go back more and listen "I traded up to a Mexican Strat, then know all about hard work. Having left to early BB, Albert and Freddie Kingand traded that in for an American Standard," school to pursue a career as a professional I find I'm listening to more straight blues­ he recalls, as music to the Big F's ears. musician, he's spent the last decade at the moment it's an old BB King album, "That was my first, what I'd consider building up his skills and reputation with Blues Is King." 'proper' guitar. I had a briefthing where a stringof album releases and constant How did he make the transition from I got an Ibanez Joe Satriani... and quickly touring. His seventh and latest album with amateur to professional: how did he make realised that wasn't for blues! Nowadays his RedEyeBand, Just As I Am, ,is a this his job? "I left school with the aim of I have a deal with Fret-King and that's the collection of hard-hitting blues-rock that trying to become a professional musician," main guitar. On the new album that's on encapsulates everything Bryant is about: he reflects. "I worked in shops for a couple The Last Time, Just As I Am all the way to straightahead sounds, very few frills and ofyears and we started playing around the the solo, then the solo on that's a Flying V." a whole heap of solos, none more so than pubs, which buihup to four or five gigs a How d,id he hook up with Fret-King? on the title track. week. Then you have to make the "Trev Wilkinson [Fret-King founder, Brit "People think it might be a broken-heart transition from playing in the corner ofthe guitar institution] came to a gig when we song," explains Bryant as we chat in his pub to getting people to pay to come and were playing near Southport," remembers Cambridgeshire home. "But it's more see you. That was hard. Bryant, "and he invited me along to his about when you get into this business, "We just concentrated on the strongest workshop. I went through all the guitars people always want to change you. areas," continues Bryant, the expression and I liked this [a blue Corona SP], so I took Constructive criticism is brilliant and on his face telling the story of the hard it and it's great - it's been with me ever everyone has good advice, but at the end of slog. "You'll lose people because they're so since. He built me a back-up, a sunburst the day, you just have to play from the used to seeing you for free, and then all of one, and I've ended up using that more." heart and be honest about it." a sudden it's a tenner! But as time went on, Is Danny a vibrato man? "No," he laughs. picking up a good agent in Europe really "I have the bridges blocked with a piece of And soitbegins changed things." wood. I know Trev's renowned for his Bryant's guitar playing obsession was As the business developed, the Bryant bridges, and he tried to get me to use it, but triggered when he first saw American operation drew on its strongest resource: I just can't. I tried using it and then you blues blaster Walter Trout in concert. the family. To this day Danny's father Ken listen to JeffBeck. Forget it!" "I wrote him a letter when I was IS," he plays bass - "being IS or 16, I couldn't find Strings? I use Elixir Strings, 0.011-0.049 remembers, "and he rang me up! When I anyone else who wanted to play blues," gauge, the Nanoweb ones. They feel good first started going to see his tours, I'd go to laughs Bryant Jr - and his mum Heather is and for me they also have a different tone, the hotel in the afternoon and he'd give me his manager. What's it like beingon the which I like." a guitar lesson. The encouragement has road with your parents? "Ha! To some And Strats? "I love Custom Shop Strats always been strong." people it might seem weird," he laughs, so I have a few ofthose; I have a '69 and Bryant soon became absorbed in "but I've never known anything different. also a Mark Kendrick Masterbuilt '58 teaching himself. "I also learned a lot from When we're away we're the band, it's not Limited Release Strat. Also my original the Blues Headlines with Nevi):]e Marten so much family. I've been lucky to have the 1975 Strat that I got and played all the time in Guitarist," he smiles. "I even got on a support. And ofcourse beinga family we for around two years, though to be honest readers' Blues Headlines CD once. But keep control ofeverything." it's a house guitar now." pretty much every waking moment was spent practising. I wasn't particularly natural, but I put a lot ofhard work into it. I mean just think about those guys in the "When you get into this business, people always sixties and how they had to learn. It's so want to change you. Constructive criticism is easy now by comparison, even easier than when I started - YouTube alone, it's a brilliant and everyone has good advice, but at the fantastic resource." end of the day, you just have to play from the heart" >

August 2010 Guitarist 59 InterviewDanny Bryant mterviewDanny Bryant

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Danny's guitars get put to good use on "Robin Trower inspired the Uni-Vibe for me. That's the new record, the opening track kicking offwith a salvo ofbright, edgy tones and also why I sWitched to Marshalls. I opened a show digging in hard. "That's my '75 Strat for him and Ijust loved his tone" through the Marshall TSLlOO on the crunch channel: straight in:' he confirms. Not a pedaljunkie then? "No, I don't use any pedals for distortion, Ijust use the drastically from song to song- I wanted it amp's distortion. In my live rigI have a to sound more like we do live. I work hard MeetThe Missus tuner, a CryBaby and I have a BOSS delay to get the tone I want each night - one big that I turn on for about 10 seconds in one usable tone." Kirby Bryant, gUitar tech song! I also have a custom made Uni-Vibe­ type pedal- something I found on Ebay. Intothefuture Meet Danny's better half, I can't even remember what it's called, but As Bryant prepares for a summer of Kirby. Rather than sitting at I wanted one for the album. festivals and the reactions to his latest home and moaning about "Robin Trower inspired the Uni-Vibe record, we ask how the online world, him being away the whole for me," continues Bryant. "That's also specificallyYouTube, has impacted on his time, she jumps in the van to why I switched to the Marshalls. I opened career and business. provide tech support.., a show for him and Ijust loved his tone. "It can be fascinating to '!ook at what "I met Danny eight years ago," explains But I don't really use effects, except people are saying about you," he enthuses. Mrs S, "and Istarted going on the road reverb. I couldn't live without reverb, and "It can be a great uplifting experience, but with him and just doing little jobs like that's the only thing with the Marshalls­ itcan also be heartbreakingat the same changing strings, Igot a few books and I do miss the Fender reverb." time. A lot ofartists will relate to this but videos. such as the Dan Erlewine videos, to Any other guitars? "There's the BB King I try not to look any more. Everybody's got learn teching. Lucille on The Hard Way," he offers, "and something to say, but what I don't "At a gig I'll set uptheequipmentand be the sunburst Fret-KingonAlone In The understand is, ifyou don't like something, there if something goes wrong, which it Dark, and for the John Hiatt song Master just accept that it's not for you instead of generally does l The most common thing is OfDisaster, I played a Telecaster­ posting nasty comments. I'll never the drummer's cymbals falling over, but couldn't not really, y'know, The master of understand that. It's just a user name. You for guitar it'll be a broken stringor a dirty disaster, gets tangled in his Telecaster... have to ignore it, or it'll drive you mad. It's pot or switch, checking the neck... I'll do a "I like to get some different sounds on back to the beginning at the end ofthe day, fret dress. And Trev Wilkinson showed me there," he says summing up the gear chat, you.just have to play from your heart. some set-up tips too!" "but I didn't want the tones to change That's all you can do." [II

60 Guitarist August 2010