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    by Dave B. Roberts
    http://www.extremeguitars.com

    Welcome to one more edition of Ax Facts & Stats. In this edition, we are
    featuring Modern Day Zero lead guitarist Rock Davis. Rock and the boys
    are currently on tour supporting their new release, Coming Up For Air
    featuring the balls-to-the-wall power single “Sick Inside”, my personal
    fav, “Broken” and a whole plethora of raw, yet refined hard rockin’
    tunes. I had the opportunity and pleasure last month to catch up with
    Rock just before hitting the road with Hoobastank and Velvet Revolver.
    You pretty much know you’re doing something right in the rock-n-roll
    department when Slash wants you in his corner. These guys totally rock,
    check them out! Now let’s check in with Rock.

    #https://www.guitarsite.com/newsletters/gnw/images/other/rock.jpg
    Photo thanks to http://www.daverobertsphotography.com

    My name is: Rock

    Describe yourself in 5 words Brilliant, Funny, Witty, Genius, Liar

    My current job is: Guitarist for Modern Day Zero

    My current Project is: Modern Day Zero- Coming Up For Air

    My hometown: St. Louis, MO USA

    Former bands: Headtrip Window.

    My guitar influences growing up were: Hendrix, Page, Slash, SRV, Ace
    Frehley, Angus Young, Zakk Wylde, Jerry Cantrell, Dimebag, all the
    usual suspects.

    The guitars I use are: 1957 LP Goldtop Custom Authentic, 1991 PRS CE-24,
    1995 LP Classic Premium Plus, 2004 Hamer Monaco Elite, Alvarez-Yairi
    WY-1, 1961 Guild M-75 Aristocrat

    The strings and tunings I use are: Ernie Ball- Slinky Top/Heavy Bottoms.
    General tunings are: D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D#, C#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D#. However, I
    love alternate tunings and have new and old songs with various open
    tunings. I like to drop the B string down a whole step. I also like to
    use open D (the whole guitar). Anything that sounds cool and different,
    I am all for.

    My current rig setup consists of: 2 Hughes & Kettner Triamp’s w/ MIDI
    switching, GCX audio switcher, Ground Control Pro MIDI footcontroller,
    Line 6 Echo Pro, Line 6 Mod Pro, Whammy II, TS-9, Proctavia, Rotovibe,
    Crybaby, E. Ball VPjr. volume pedal, TU-2 Tuner, Moogerfooger Low Pass
    Filter, Behringer Multigate Pro, Shure U4 Wireless. Axess Electronics
    GRX-4 Audio Switcher, Voodoo Labs Pedal Power.

    The greatest invention for guitars is: guitar players!

    My normal songwriting process consists of: Hearing something in my head
    or just jamming an idea on my guitar. Then using a program called
    Reason to build drum patterns on and using Pro Tools to track the whole
    idea.

    The story behind the name MDZ: We wanted a fresh start. We didn’t like
    our old name. We were throwing ideas around and somebody said Modern
    Day Zero after someone had said Modern Day Hero or Hero’s…I can’t
    remember. We all thought Modern Day Zero sounded cool. That’s about as
    brief as I can be.

    My Favorite MDZ song is: always the newest stuff we are working on. So
    right now, it’s called “As Soon As You Let Me”

    My favorite All-time solo is: The whole song “Lenny” by SRV is just bad
    ass.

    My favorite All-time song is: It changes over time. Depends on what mood
    I’m in, too. I don’t think I could pick just one.

    My Career highlight thus far is: Landing the opening slot for Velvet
    Revolver and Hoobastank.

    My most embarrassing moment on stage: Any number of drunken bar gigs I
    have played to make a buck.

    Other than my guitar, the one piece of my gear that I cannot live
    without is: The Mac I am using to type this with.

    The first song I ever mastered on guitar was: Mastered is a strong word.
    When you first start learning songs…. you think you got them down pat.
    But in reality, you most likely sound like poop. So I don’t know.

    My first guitar was: technically, it was an acoustic when I was about 4
    years old. But I really didn’t start playing until I was 15 or so. And
    that was some cheap Strat copy. I can’t even remember the name of it.

    If I am only sure of one thing in life, It’s: it’s: you will die if you
    stop living.

    The one ritual I always perform prior to going onstage is: Sacrificing a
    large game hen and smearing its blood all over myself and the dressing
    room.

    The exact moment I knew I would pursue a career in music was The last
    day of middle school. I came home with an awful guitar I had attempted
    to make for shop class. I was so happy to be out of school, I went
    home, opened the windows, cranked Van Halen “Eruption”, and went
    outside and smashed the guitar into a thousand pieces. Then I knew what
    I had to do.

    The one thing most fans don’t know about me is: probably none of their
    business.

    The best advice I could give beginning guitarists: Nobody cares what you
    know how to play if you can’t do it in time.

    The CD(s) I’m listening to right now are: Alex Skolnik Trio- Goodbye to
    Romance: Standards For A New Generation, Guns-N-Roses- Appetite For
    Destruction, Soundgarden- Badmotorfinger.

    My 3 all-time favorite albums are: Metallica- Master of Puppets, Alice
    In Chains- Dirt, Pantera- “Vulgar Display of Power” stick with metal
    for this one.

    Best gig: ask me again after the tour with Velvet Revolver.

    My favorite junk food is: Pizza

    My biggest pet peeve is: Authority. People telling me what to do.

    The word or catch phrase I say too often is: “you know…I mean”.

    The hardest part of my job is: Dealing with the business side of it.

    The first thing I do when I come home from touring is: Take a shower.

    Previous or first day job. Guitar instructor, working in guitar shops,
    record stores.

    Right after this interview I’m going to: Take a nap.

    I couldn’t imagine being on the road without: Earplugs and my cell
    phone.

    If I wasn’t doing the musician thing, I could really see myself working
    as: I could really see myself working as: a superhero! Sent to save
    people from their 9-5 lives! And rescue them from eternal boredom!

    Favorite movie: The Three Amigos, Harlem Nights. Both hilarious.

    My mission in life is: To make a good living I’m the music business. And
    have my songs reach massive numbers of people and affect them in a
    positive manner.

    My Guilty Pleasure is: I don’t know…porn?

    My first band was: X-ZYL. Wow that was a dumb name. We couldn’t find a
    bass player, so we had a keyboardist just play the bass lines. Our
    first gig was a yearbook signing party in middle school.

    My next major step is Playing to 10-20,000 people every night.

    The greatest contribution guitars have brought into my life is Sanity.
    Peace. An outlet for my emotions.

    Check out our Website at http://www.moderndayzero.com

    The one musician I would love to work with that I have not yet had the
    chance would be Chris Cornell.

    If I could have three wishes, they would be Safety and security for my
    family and friends, a long and successful career in music, and of
    course…. three more wishes.

    When it’s all said and done, I want the world to remember me for My
    contribution to music and my songwriting.

    Copyright 2005 Dave B. Roberts & http://www.extremeguitars.com is the web home
    of articles and interviews written by Dave Roberts. All Dave Roberts
    interviews & articles are available for use or FREE reprint ONLY by
    Permission and proper credits. Permission can be obtained by contacting
    [email protected]. All materials are Copyright 2004 Dave Roberts
    and Oceanbreeze Ent., All Rights Reserved.

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