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"“Now with all the money in the world you can’t buy my respect. Yeah, it’s just a matter of pride but that’s all I got left.” - DamagePlan’s “Pride”" |
DAMAGE PLAN INTERVIEW
“When we first started putting DamagePlan together, we knew we were going to have to get a kick ass vocalist,” says Vinnie Paul, former Pantera founding member. Enter PAT LACHMAN former HALFORD and DIESEL MACHINE guitarist. Pat says he was very cautious, at first, stepping up to the plate with two members of a group that he had grown up with. “At first it was a little intimidating, but the personal relationship I had with Dime relaxed me a little bit. Born in Portland, Oregon, Pat started playing guitar and writing songs at the age of twelve. When he was twenty years old, he relocated to L.A., where in addition to his work in Diesel Machine, he wrote and recorded 3 albums with Rob Halford. Read on for an exclusive FPE interview with the voice of Damageplan.
FPE: What was the first song you wrote with Damageplan?
Pat Lachman: “The first song was 'Crawl'. I had become friends with Vinnie and Dime and was in Dallas for the weekend. Dime mentioned he was working on something new with Vinnie. When he played me some of the instrumental roughs, I was blown away. We stood drinks in hand, in front of his stereo on '11' and I just improvised something very similar to what went on the record. He agreed to give me one track to take home and write some vocals on. I picked that track because of the dynamics in the arrangement. It became like a one-song vocal demo almost, because I didn't want to do one thing and have him say 'that's cool, but that's not what we're looking for' and that might be the end of it. Once I got going, it really only took a day to write and record it. I spent another day agonizing over sending it out 'as is' or messing with it some more. In the end, I decided first instinct was best. As it turned out, most of the original demo vocals stayed on the final recording!”
Was it a difficult transition to go from being Rob Halford's guitarist to the lead singer in Damageplan?
Pat: “It was a bit of a transition for me in the beginning. I had always written lyrics and sang, but never fronted a band. There was enough time for me to evolve into that role during the recording and rehearsal phase. I think most of the best songwriters out there sing as well as playing their main instrument, or play a second or even third instrument.”
 What can audiences expect from a Damageplan live show?
Pat: “A good ol' fashion ass kickin'! This is a live band - high-energy, high-intensity, and high-volume. I think the songs come off heavier live as well. We have one of the most talented back-lines in heavy music.”
Are you the sole writer for Damageplan lyrics?
Pat: “Yes. I'm open to suggestions and criticisms, but it's important to me to have a connection and continuity to what I sing. It has to inspire me before I can expect it to affect anyone else.”
Your lyrics are very self-empowering and positive - where does your inspiration come from?
Pat: “It comes from life experience. To keep your sanity in this world, and especially this business, you have to endure a lot and overcome many obstacles. Nothing comes easy, and nothing lasts forever. Those who think different find out the hard way.”
How did you get that cool vocal effect on the song Pride?
Pat: “There are several production ideas in play on that record. I made sure there were subtle things that would not be noticed until later as well. It's a completely different record in headphones too - very stereo. On pride, there is a high-pass filter employed to give it that megaphone vibe on the verses as well as a very short stereo delay to give it a chorusing effect. On the chorus, I doubled the main vocal track and offset about 20ms to give it a bigger feel when it opens up into that massive riff.”
How much money in the world would it take for FPE to buy your respect?
Pat: “FPE already has my respect! Cheers, and see you on the MTV Headbangers' Ball Tour 2004!
- Pat Lachman, DAMAGEPLAN
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