"The music gotta be born from some simple emotions. This aint paint-by-numbers. Once you can express the most basic lustful, groovy, angry or mournful feelings with a few notes and the right rhythm then you need the technique to shape it into a tune with parts and layers. The technique that comes from learning why something doesn't work, and discipline to throw it out and try different."

Son of Dave: The 21st Century Bluesman

Son of Dave is an internationally renowned maverick Bluesman. This one-man harmonica & beat-box genius beats his own path, turning rhythm and blues upside down and gathering a huge army of devoted fans from all walks of life. Each album is a full of gems. The live show incredible. Worthy of comparison to any of the greats. Benjamin Darvill, known by his stage name Son of Dave, is a Canadian musician and singer–songwriter, based in the United Kingdom. He was a member of Grammy award-nominated, Juno award-winning folk rock band Crash Test Dummies in which he played harmonica, mandolin, guitar and percussion before returning to his blues, Beat-Box and harmonica driven solo work in 2000. Son of Dave was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was inspired to learn the harmonica after hearing James Cotton and Sonny Terry play at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.                         (Photo: Son of Dave, a true Maverick Bluesman)

He moved to London, England, in 1998 and has remained there since. Son of Dave has recorded six albums to date and performed over eight hundred shows across Europe, as well as performing in Canada, the United States, Australia, South Africa, Uganda, Japan, Russia, and Cuba. Son of Dave appeared on BBC television's Later...with Jools Holland in 2005, performing the song "Hellhound", before recording the song a few years later on the album O3. His 2003 album O2 has been described as a mix of "cotton-pickin’ blues, vocalising beat-box, hard-breathing folk, steamy funk and even modern R&B". His latest 10-tracks album “Call Me King” released in April 2022.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Blues and Rock Counterculture influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

It hasn't been counterculture enough. Acts like George Thorogood, ZZ Top, and Canada's various popular blues-ish acts through the decades were never counterculture. Even the top USA Blues heroes weren't a counterculture, they were just working class and mostly played it safe just so they could make a living. Growin up here was especially saturated with guitar driven middle of the road Blues Rock. It just keeps coming. When I was young, I had to look overseas, and look deeper into the US Black Music heritage you couldn't often hear up here. Watching James Cotton playing his hits to thousands of people under the stars was a turning point for me as a teenager. Those were the days when the Winnipeg Folk Festival really pulled in important acts. And as I grew up I looked to England, Jamaica, Cuba, Nigeria... anywhere for inspiration. Take a giant trip outside your mind.  The so-called origin of the Rock & Roll, coming from the guitar of Robert Johnson, then passing through the white British guitar heroes, is not a story I take seriously. I see a clearer line through Swing, Jazz, Jive, Jump Blues, that wild party music of Louis Jordan, Wynonie Harris being the roots of whatever Rock & Roll is. The guitar was an afterthought. It wasn't much use for dancing until electrified. Horns, piano, upright bass, and loud vocalists formed the small groups that partied on the wrong side of town. White youth culture and their guitars came later looking for fame, then tried to link it to the intimate blues music of the Delta.

So, to answer your question, my view of the world is kinda like this- I don't take the usual story very seriously, I look for my own story. I go where people need to have fun and I provide a good time almost despite the hit-factory, guitar worshippers et al on the over-beaten path.

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

I start with a rhythm and a feeling, I start shouting something and playing harp riffs until a hook is born. My philosophy is that this process is absolutely necessary for myself and those around me to defend themselves against malaise, commercialism, and lethargy. I am an entertainer. My creative drive comes from this deep well, though I have spells of exhaustion and self loathing like most good artists. One or two per day. It's hard being emotionally high-wired. Wish I was more like Bruce Lee.

"I miss hearing a group performing on instruments on a lot of modern production. Some electronic music, and sampled stuff is awesome, but most pop production glosses over the performance so much that you can't tell there are musicians. It's hard to even explain." (Son of Dave / Photo by Barry Addison)

What's the balance in music between technique and soul? What touched you from the Beatboxing?

The music gotta be born from some simple emotions. This aint paint-by-numbers. Once you can express the most basic lustful, groovy, angry or mournful feelings with a few notes and the right rhythm then you need the technique to shape it into a tune with parts and layers. The technique that comes from learning why something doesn't work, and discipline to throw it out and try different.

Beatboxing came to me as a way of backing up simple harmonica playing and singing with some percussion. I didn't take it up to be Hip-Hop or 'cuz I though that Beatbox is particularly great on it's own. It's kinda weird actually, and most folks who do like to imitate club music. I just use it for a kick, snare and hi-hat to keep a beat going. No flash. I'm not very good at it really, 'cuz I prefer putting my efforts into the song rather than complex mouth tricks.

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

Like I say, seeing James Cotton was a big one. John Hammond Junior, Bill Monroe, Taj Mahal... Lotsa stuff I saw when I was young. Highlights of my career? You are asking me to boast? Well, who's gonna tell it if I don't eh? Journalism isn't what it used to be. It was fun when Grace Jones asked me for my phone number. I said, 'may I ask who you might be?' She said, 'It's Grace. Grace Jones'. 'Well I thought so, but I didn't want to be rude in presuming. Tell ya what, I'll give you mine if you give me yours first.' And she did. She wanted me to play at her big opulent birthday party. And I did. Getting Iggy Pop's blessing on BBC Radio was nice too 'And now a contemporary Bluesman, Son Of Dave. This guy is really bloody good.' I'd take that over an award any day.

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

Spinal Tap invited me onstage once. See, more bragging, people don't want to hear that do they? Hahaha. I recorded some harp for Primal Scream a couple weeks ago. It's a good life.

"Don't say bad things about someone, it always bites you in the ass later. Keep your nose clean. Drink from a glass, not the bottle." (Photo: Son of Dave)

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I miss hearing a group performing on instruments on a lot of modern production. Some electronic music, and sampled stuff is awesome, but most pop production glosses over the performance so much that you can't tell there are musicians. It's hard to even explain. I miss fans who really freak out about stuff.  People, especially younger ones, are getting soft and a bit spoilt for choice. There are around 100 years of popular music now, and the daunting task of finding what's important to you amongst all that is seen as hard work by lazy folk, so they take whatever is fed to them and clap along politely. I fear that music becomes more and more like wallpaper instead of the most important thing a young person can have. The poorer the nation the louder they cheer for the music perhaps, eh? Once you have soo much at your fingertips, you don't get off your butt.

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

I'm a politics junkie. Twitter, my local newspaper, British press. I'm not gonna hold back here: right wing arseholes, hired and duped by very very very rich bigots, are everywhere trying to stop things like multiculturalism, international exchange of arts and ideas, collective behavior of any sort. They just don't like common folk co-operating. Music is central to this. It's why nobody want's their songs played at a Trump Rally for instance, apart from a few cringy gun freaks. It's the reason music 'counter culture' as you put it exists in any country, any era. Music is the voice of people who don't have a lot of money. It's our news, our concerns, our dreams and passions. The moment the music sounds like it's made with a lot of money, it sucks. We can smell it. It's bourgeoise or corporate. Musicians are overwhelmingly left of centre politically. Which is not to say we are experts by any means. There's no shortage of Boomer rock stars who come out loud with unproven theories, or stand proudly on the wrong side of any bloody conflict. Musicians are never the experts, but usually a good bunch. We will be there when the corrupt fall, no blood on our hands, and we will be dancing and singing and blowing our harmonicas.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Don't say bad things about someone, it always bites you in the ass later. Keep your nose clean. Drink from a glass, not the bottle. Don't leave your bags or instruments on the chair, that is not a shelf, it's where us old guys need to sit. Light a match after you use the dressing room toilet. See this? It's a bottle of wine. It has nothing to do with you. That six pack of Schlitz is your rider. Drink that. and please don't leave the empty cans all over the stage. Stop singing flat. No, I do not have a 9-volt battery you can "borrow". And so on.

Son of Dave - Home

(Photo: Benjamin Darvill aka Son of Dave, a Canadian musician and singer–songwriter, based in the UK)