Duncan Gibbs
Duncan learnt classical piano until the age of 21, which has been invaluable for working out technical bits, but then had to teach himself how to play without music. Early on, he picked up his first organ licks listening to Jon Lord, Made In Japan being a popular album at teenage parties at the time and for his piano style he listened to Memphis Slim and Otis Spann. He then played in a pub blues band called London Slim for 20 years where he learnt how to cope with a singer who would sometimes lapse into an eleven and a half bar blues. He also learnt that a solo comprising of two or three notes can be as effective as one of fifty.
Duncan lives in Northolt, West London, which is where he met heavy metal band Orange Goblin. They asked him to play on their first two albums, which he found to be quite a thrill.
At the other extreme he has played folk music in various forms with Sarah Jones and at one time regularly played a traditional instrument, the Appalachian Dulcimer although sometimes it was put through a fuzz box! Sarah Jones is a good friend and an excellent acoustic guitarist who writes amazing songs. Duncan says that the highlight of his folk career has to be playing support for Robert Plant followed by Steeleye Span at Bridgnorth Folk Festival in 1999.
Trying to get the right sounds without actually using a Hammond or Fender Rhodes has always been a struggle, starting with a Crumar Organizer and Hohner Pianet in the 70’s (for those who don’t know, a Hammond B3 is a four man lift and a Fender Rhodes piano a two man lift. Together with a Lesley cab you need a van with a tail lift!). He currently plays a Clavia Nord C1 for the B3 stuff and an Akai sampler for everything else.
