Chris Dunbar
What gear do you usually play onstage?
I typically play a Fender Precision bass with Ampeg B100R Rocket combo amp.
This set up usually works for all venues big and small.
What was your first bass?
My first bass was an Atlas. If you search for it online and find something mine looked nothing like those basses. It looked more like a Gibson SG, same body and everything. I shouldve never sold that bass. It played like a dream. Let that be a lesson kids: never sell your first whatever (guitar / bass / drum set) youll probably miss it later.
When did you first start playing bass?
I got my first bass when I was 14 years old, but I didnt actually take an interest in playing it until a year later. Ive been hooked ever since . . .
What is the name of your first band?
RAT NUTS we were great. People still ask about us all the time and some people have even asked us to put on a reunion show. Im holding out for a VH1 Behind the Music episode first. Is that show still on the air?
What bassist do you most admire?
Mike Watt (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE) He just has such a unique style of playing and an overall unique approach to music. He and his bands have blazed many a trail for so many punk and alternative acts to follow. At times when the music industry was nothing but nonsense he has always been very NO-Nonsense.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what 5 albums-(or songs)- would you want?
Workbook by Bob Mould
Pauls Boutique by the Beastie Boys
Zen Arcade by Hüsker Dü
Tracy Chapman (first self titled album)
Cold Vein by Cannibal Ox
What were your first impressions of your other band mates?
Bill I was immediately impressed with Bills voice, and his guitar playing. In general he has an easy going style, but there are no wasted notes with either instrument. I was also very impressed with the fact that this guy was playing acoustic guitar in the corner of a bar and everyone in the place was focused on him. Then I went to see him again at different places in and around the triangle and realized that he had a following. And he kept adding to that following. It is difficult for independent artists to build and maintain a following, but he still has a great group of fans that support him and us at every show.
Chuck Barchuk Chuck and I just bonded immediately. The rhythm section of a band needs to lock in and provide a strong foundation for the group. We do just that. When we get some spare minutes at rehearsal to warm up, youll often find us locked in a drum and bass groove that is usually pretty sweet. He is a down to earth guy and a natural teacher. Ive literally seen him give brief little lessons or pointers to learning drummers that approached him after a gig. We are all dog tired but Chuck will take the time to help someone like that learn a bit more about the art of drumming.
If you couldnt play your instrument . . . but . . . you could be anything else you wanted to be, what would that be?
DJ either a radio DJ or DJ for a band hip hop or otherwise . . . that reaction of someone when they hear the opening bars of one of their favorite songs. They smile and start grooving to the music. You can do the same thing playing in a band but as a DJ, the options are pretty much endless. Im always recommending new bands to people or burning CDs for them because deep down Id love to be a DJ.
If you could meet and have a conversation with anyone living or dead, who would it be?
Ill do both.
Dead = my father-in-law because I never got a chance to meet him.
Living = tie between Mike Watt and Chuck D (Public Enemy) I respect the way both of them have lived their lives and handled the evolution of their careers.
Who was the last band/artist you paid to see perform live?
Morrissey at the DPAC in Durham he and his band blew the doors off that place!
