| Dave Shepherd | |
|---|---|
 Shepherd live in 2012. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth Name | Dave Shepherd |
| Alias | Shep |
| Genres | Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Banjo, Vocals |
| Years active | 1995 - Present |
| Labels | Southern Lord Records, Game Two Records, Berserker Records, Season of Mist |
| Associated acts | Weedeater, Barstul |
| Website | Weedeater's Official Page |
Dave Shepherd is a guitarist based out of Wilmington, North Carolina. Active since the 1990s, he is best known as the guitarist for Weedeater. He is also known for a DIY setup with his guitar, often performing with a Gibson Les Paul that is stripped and covered in autographs and scribbles.[1] Along with guitar he notably contributes vocals to the Weedeater song "Time Served", often with guests.
Biography[]
Weedeater (1996 - Present)[]
- For more details feel free to view the Riffipedia page on Weedeater.
Weedeater formed in 1996 with Shep as a founding member. It was initially planned to be a side-project of Dave "Dixie" Collins, the band's vocalist and bassist who was occupied with his primary project Buzzov*en. However sometime after forming Weedeater, Buzzov*en disbanded the same year so Collins decided to make the new band his primary project alongside Shep and KeKo. The name originates from a time when Dixie's dog ate an entire bag of his weed along with the band's fond interests in edibles.[2] The band's earliest known live performance was in 1996 with fellow North Carolina sludge band Sourvein.[3]
The band released their debut album titled ... And Justice for Y'all in 2001 and released their second album Sixteen Tons in 2002, both albums where released via their first record label Berserker Records with sporadic tour dates following including appearances at festivals like Stoner Hands of Doom and Emissions from the Monolith. Sometime after the release of "Sixteen Tons" the band left Berserker Records and joined Southern Lord Records, eventually releasing their third album God Luck and Good Speed in 2007, produced by Steve Albini. The album itself brought the band to a bigger audience, leading to tours with Black Cobra, Today Is The Day, Sunn O))), Down and Melvins to name a few.
The band intended to record their fourth album at Electrical Audio in Chicago with producer Steve Albini in early January 2010. On January 9, Dave "Dixie" Collins accidentally shot himself in the foot whilst he was cleaning his favourite shotgun and was reported that he is to be bedridden for the next few weeks during his recovery. This ultimately lead to the band postponing their recording session with Steve Albini until after their tour in March and April.
Despite the setback caused by the accident the band announced that their next album will be titled Jason... The Dragon' and was set for a release later that year, they also announced that their March/April tour will now be called the "Nine Toe" tour after Collins lost one of his big toes.The band headlined again in September the same year after it was reported that Keko had torn his meniscus after returning from their previous headlining tour and also that Dave Shepherd had also broken his hand while supporting Black Cobra in Europe in July.[4] As a nod to this their September tour in 2010 was jokingly called "3rd Time's a Charm".[5] Jason... The Dragon was finally released on 15 March 2011 after all the setbacks caused by the bands injuries throughout 2010.
In November 2013 it was announced by record label Season of Mist had officially listed Weedeater as part of their roster. Along with the announcement of the band joining, re-issues of the band's first four albums on all formats would follow in the next two years alongside a new album. A split single with Pins of Light would follow in 2014 via Scion A/V, T-Boogie's first recording with the band. Eventually in 2015, the band's fifth album Goliathan was released, following by frequent if not relentless touring all over the world.
Shep is also notably part of an acoustic side project with Dixie known as Barstul, who have performed on a few occasions and recorded at least one demo.[6]
Bands[]
- Weedeater - Guitar (1996 - Present)
- Barstul - Acoustic Guitar
Discography with Weedeater[]
- ...And Justice For Y'all (2001, Game Two)
- Sixteen Tons (2002, Crucial Blast)
- God Luck and Good Speed (2007, Southern Lord)
- Jason... The Dragon (2011, Southern Lord)
- Goliathan (2015, Season of Mist)
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ FLickr
- ↑ Rice and Bread MagazineDixie Dave Collins from Weedeater talks about… surprise, eating weed, accessed February 1, 2016.
- ↑ Sourvein FacebookAccessed 27 April 2017
- ↑ Metal Insider
- ↑ Blabbermouth
- ↑ Pop Denial
| V·T·E Weedeater | |
|---|---|
| Current Members | Dave Collins (AKA "Dixie") • Dave Shepherd (AKA "Shep") • Ramzi Ateyeh |
| Past Members | Keith Kirkum (AKA "KeKo") • Travis Owen (AKA "T-Boogie") • Carlos Denogean |
| Studio Albums | ...And Justice For Y'all • Sixteen Tons • God Luck and Good Speed • Jason... The Dragon • Goliathan |
| Splits | Weedeater / Pins of Light |
| Associated Bands and Artists | Buzzov*en • Bongzilla • Sourvein • Zoroaster |