Dave Hole
Dave Hole is a real self-taught man because it was difficult to get any blues records on a regular basis in Australia when he was a child. At first, only Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix albums were easily available, so he listened to their records over and over again, absorbing all he could from these blues masters.
Then, either by accident or by fate, Hole broke his little finger in a football game. The only way he could continue to play without pain was to play slide guitar and to put the slide on his index finger and hang his hand over the top of the guitar neck. When his finger healed, Hole never turned back.
After self producing his debut album in 1991, a review appeared in the American "Guitar Player" magazine in April of that year, followed by a July 1991 feature story which launched Hole to stardom. Then Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer took a chance and signed the only non U.S. based artist in the label’s 30-year history.
It wasn’t just the critics who were paying attention. Metallica’s Kirk Hammett named Dave Hole as one of his favourite guitarists, saying, "His slide playing kills me." And when veteran rock and blues guitarist Gary Moore heard « Short Fuse Blues », he was so impressed he invited Dave to join him on two European tours.
Now, here is « Rough Diamond » the new album of the australian slide guitar master ! Dave cut it in Perth, his australian hometown, at Northbridge Sound Studios. As usually, it grooves, rocks and slides and it’s a pleasure to discover all the little guitar inventions that Dave put in each and every songs.
