“For me personally it was very important,” Hole begins, choosing his words carefully as he discusses the importance of the guitar as a tool for expression. “I grew up as a very shy kid that did not know how to express feelings verbally and I felt very awkward to show my emotions – I felt like I was very alone in my own world. But I remember hearing my dad playing some old records of Cream – Sunshine Of Your Love – and that song had a very powerful riff that just made me feel good. I wanted to recreate that feeling myself by playing guitar. After that I became addicted to playing the guitar, I felt like I was not alone anymore and I belonged to something.”
The 37-year-old blues-rock-stomp virtuoso has joined forces with fellow maverick Mark Easton to form Monster Guitars, a duo that use multiple models – lap steel, resonator, double neck – and combine the riffs with a stomp box, loop station and more to paint a colourful musical palette which recalls the bold sounds of the '70s.
“We definitely like it loud, like it used to be back in the day, when live music was the 'in' thing,” he states. “Don't put us in a corner to play soft music because you'll be disappointed!”
After meeting a decade ago, the pair have been looking for a break in their respective schedules to bring the Monster to life. The waiting game took them until early this year, but now they're relishing the chance to lock horns on stage.
“Mark rang me up and said this would be the perfect time to join forces and see what we come up with, so our first tour was in September. We just hit it off straight away and the music [has become] something big and magical.”
Monster Guitars play BrisVegas Rock N Blues Manifest, Tribal Theatre on Saturday 8 December
