Portrait by Cunene
Links:
www.instagram.com/damna_dave
www.facebook.com/damna.official
Day of birth?
August 18th
When did you start playing?
I used to play classical guitar when I was a kid, then took electric guitar lessons later on and started as a guitarist in a metal cover band when I was 15 playing songs from Iron Maiden, Metallica, Manowar, Megadeth, etc. We didn’t have a singer, so I started mumbling the lyrics… and the rest is history.
Why did you start playing?
I wanted to play in a metal band and write my own music.
Favourite bands? (I have reviewed this a million times. But, since I’m in my 40’s now, I’ll try to go beyond the moment and trace my all-time favourites map, considering my whole life)
Iron Maiden, Metallica, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Manowar, Slayer, early Sepultura, Dissection, Bathory, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Immortal, Watain, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, Testament, Dismember, Cannibal Corpse, Candlemass, early In Flames, Amorphis, Morgana LeFay, Skyclad, Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, Running Wild, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Aerosmith, Guns n’ Roses, Skid Row, etc.
Favourite musicians?
singers: Bruce Dickinson, Freddie Mercury, King Diamond, Eric Adams, Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, Martin Walkyier, Michael Kiske, Tomi Joutsen, Jon Nödtveidt, Per “Dead” Ohlin, Erik Danielsson, etc.
others: Adrian Smith, Mike Wead, Dave Mustaine, Jeff Waters, Andy La Roque, James Hetfield, Quorthon, Euronymous, Fenriz, Nocturno Culto, Snowy Shaw, etc.
First album bought?
Europe “The Final Countdown” in 1986 but it was listening to Iron Maiden “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” in 1988 that really got me into metal forever.
Favourite albums? (The same goes as for the “Favourite bands” question)
Iron Maiden all from “Killers” to “Seventh Son”, Metallica all from “Kill ‘em All” to “…and Justice for all”, King Diamond “Abigail”+“Them”+”Conspiracy”, Mercyful Fate “Don’t Break the Oath”+“In the Shadows”, Megadeth “Rust in Peace”+”Pease Sells…”+”Countdown to Extinction”+”Youthanasia”, Dissection “Storm of the Light’s Bane”, Manowar “The Triumph of Steel”, Dismember “Massive Killing Capacity”, Manilla Road “Crystal Logic”+”Mystification”, Cradle of Filth “Dusk and Her Embrace”+”Midian”, Dimmu Borgir “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant”+”Spiritual Black Dimensions”, Celtic Frost “To Mega Therion”, Sepultura “Beneath the Remains”+“Arise”, Death SS “Heavy Demons”, Mortuary Drape “All the Witches Dance”, Bulldozer “The Exorcism”, In Flames “The Jester Race”+”Whoracle”, Slayer all from “Show no Mercy” to “Seasons in the Abyss”, Cannibal Corpse “The Bleeding”, Guns n’ Roses “Use Your Illusion I & II”, Aerosmith “Pump”, Alice Cooper “Trash”, Ozzy Osbourne “No More Tears”, Kiss “Revenge”, Motley Crue “Dr. Feelgood”, Skid Row “Skid Row”, Pantera “A Vulgar Display of Power”, Satyricon “Nemesis Divina”, Helloween “Keeper of the Seven Keys pt.1&2”, Annihilator “Set the World on Fire”, Blind Guardian “Imaginations from the Other Side”, Gamma Ray “Land of the Free”, Running Wild “Black Hand Inn”, Grave Digger “Knights of the Cross”, Rage “XIII”, Immortal “Blizzard Beasts”, Enslaved “Eld”, My Dying Bride “The Angel and the Dark River”, Morgana LeFay “Maleficium”, Candlemass “Nightfall”+”Epicus Doomicus Metallicus”, W.A.S.P. “The Crimson Idol”, Marduk “Nightwing”, Dark Funeral “Where Shadows Forever Reign”, Iced Earth “Days of Purgatory”, Amorphis “Tales from the Thousand Lakes”, Hypocrisy “Abducted”+”The Arrival”, Darkthrone “A Blaze in the Northern Sky”, Dark Tranquillity “The Gallery”, Mayhem “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”, Burzum “Filosofem”, Rotting Christ “Thy Mighty Contract”, Sodom “Agent Orange”, Kreator “Pleasure to Kill”+”Coma of Souls”+”Violent Revolution”, Testament “Souls of Black”, Destruction “Infernal Overkill”+”Eternal Devastation”+”The Antichrist”, Ulver “Bergtatt”, Morbid Angel “Altars of Madness”, Deicide “Once Upon the Cross”, Obituary “The End Complete”, Judas Priest “Defenders of the Faith”, Black Sabbath “Dehumanizer”, Skyclad “A Burnt Offering for the Bone Idol”, Bathory “Blood, Fire, Death”, Watain “Lawless Darkness”, Children of Bodom “Hatebreeder”, Sabbat “Dreamweaver”, Borknagar “The Olden Domain”, Emperor “In The Nightside Eclipse”, Naglfar “Vittra”, Old Man’s Child “The Pagan Prosperity”, etc.
First concert (as visitor)?
Guns n’ Roses – Modena 1993 (Use Your Illusion Tour).
Best live show you’ve seen / would like to see?
best: Iron Maiden through the years, Sepultura Pordenone 1996, Metallica Milano 1996, Manowar Milano 1997, Megadeth Milano 1997, Dimmu Borgir Pordenone 1997 + Wacken 2001, Death SS Pordenone 1997, Mercyful Fate Milano 1998, X-Mas Fest Milano 2001 (Dark Funeral, Nile, Marduk, Cannibal Corpse), Running Wild Wacken 2003, Candlemass/Destruction Treviso 2005, Amorphis Helsinki 2005, King Diamond Brescia 2001 + Tolmin 2013, Aerosmith Venezia 2013, Kiss Verona 2015, Behemoth/Abbath Milano 2016, Mercyful Fate Verona 2022, Judas Pries Verona 2022, Watain Milano 2022.
would like (but never will): Queen with Freddie Mercury, Gotthard with Steve Lee, Dissection, Children of Bodom, Darkthrone (total respect for being so true to themselves)
Favourite EK songs? (This always changes)
Seasonspeech, Witches Gather, King of the Elves, The Repentant.
Favourite EK song to play live? (Also this always changes)
Moonbeam Stone Circle, Silverseal, The Hanging Tree.
Which band would you like to open up for?
Any of my favourite bands.
Highlight of your career on/off stage?
Wacken Open Air 2016, Japanese and South American tours
Recording an album with Dennis Ward – Mixing an album with Dan Swano.
Craziest situation on/off stage?
Being stupidly drunk on stage (never again)
Most embarassing moment of your career?
Hamburg 2017 (see previous point). Who was there, knows.
Favourite drink / smoke?
Coke, Beer / Not anymore
Favourite movies / actors?
Mulholland Drive, The Elephant Man, The VVitch, The Northman, Hereditary, Psycho, Grand Budapest Hotel, The Fly, Crimes of the Future, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, Nightbreed, A Nightmare on Elm Street series, Friday the 13th series, Halloween series, Evil Dead I+II+Army of Darkness, Hellraiser 1-3, Fright Night 1 & 2, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Romero’s Zombi trilogy, The Star Wars saga, Indiana Jones trilogy, Back to the Future trilogy, Jurassic Park, Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorshands, Beetlejuice, Ed Wood, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, Star Trek, a lot of Hammer and Universal old horror movies, 50’s sci-fi movies, lots of Italian 70’s/80’s horror films like The Beyond (Fulci), Cannibal Holocaust (Deodato) Suspiria (Argento) or Deep Red (Agento), etc. / Gary Oldman, Vincent Price, Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Ian McKellen, Martin Landau, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, Christian Bale, Toni Collette, Margot Robbie etc.
Favourite TV series?
Twin Peaks, The X-Files, American Horror Story, Breaking Bad, True Detective (S01), Fargo, Bates Motel, Stranger Things
Favourite books?
IT, Misery, Needful Things, etc. (King), Frankenstein (Shelley), Dracula (Stoker), The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien), The Elfstones of Shannara (Brooks), The Name of the Rose (Eco), Interview with the Vampire (Rice), various stuff by Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Laurell K. Hamilton, Bilico + Mani Nude (Barbato)…and comics like Dylan Dog, Daredevil, Spider-Man, X-Men, Spawn, etc. + graphic novels like Watchmen and Sin City.
Favourite computer/console games?
Monkey Island series, Gabriel Knight series, Sam and Max, Day of the Tentacle, Broken Sword, Shadow of the Comet, Quest for Glory series, Phantasmagoria series, Farenheit, Neverwinter Nights, Oblivion, The Witcher saga, Life is Strange series, Thimbleweed Park, Cyberpunk 2077, The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow, etc.
What do you like to do on your freetime?
Enjoying life with my girlfriend, graphic design, reading books, listening to music, going to concerts, watching movies and spending time with non human beings (preferably Felines).
Describe yourself with 3 words:
Being mostly misanthropic.
Equipment you use?
Audio-Technica microphones, Shure wireless systems, Heritage Audio, Apogee Electronics, VGS guitars, Radioactive stands, Kylla Custom Rock Wear clothing.