| Dan Hawkins | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Daniel Francis Hawkins |
| Born | December 12, 1976 |
| Genres | Hard rock, glam metal, glam rock, heavy metal |
| Occupations | Musician, guitarist, producer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, bass, drums, percussion |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | PIAS, Atlantic, Must Destroy |
| Associated acts | Stone Gods, The Darkness |
| Website | www.theactualdarkness.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Gibson Les Paul | |
Daniel Francis Hawkins (born 12 December 1976, Chertsey, England) is an English rock guitarist,[1] noted for his strong revival of 1970s classic rock and 1980s metal.
He is best known as a guitarist and backing singer of the UK band, The Darkness, fronted by his brother Justin Hawkins, which achieved notable mainstream success between 2002 and 2006. He also plays lead guitar for Stone Gods. He is influenced by hard rock and glam metal genre such as Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, AC/DC, Queen, Mötley Crüe and Thin Lizzy.
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After moving to Lowestoft, he attended Kirkley High School and achieved good grades in his GCSEs before leaving his hometown behind for the bright lights and cosmopolitan lifestyle of Camden, London. From a young age, he aspired to be a musician, beginning on drums, moving on to bass and finally mastering the guitar. Back in his early days in his professional career, he worked as a session guitarist for various artists including Natalie Imbruglia. Previous bands include Vital Signs, Empire and the hugely successful The Darkness in which he and his bandmates, Justin Hawkins, Ed Graham, Frankie Poullain and later, Richie Edwards, received countless awards for their music. Dan's trophy cabinet holds Brits, MTV and Kerrang awards and a highly prestigious Ivor Novello award for songwriting.
In 2006, after The Darkness disbanded, Dan regrouped with fellow bandmates Richie and Ed to begin the band that would, after the recruitment of bassist Toby Macfarlaine, become Stone Gods. He played lead guitar in this new band and saw their debut album Silver Spoons & Broken Bones launch to impressive and supportive reviews throughout the rock world. Stone Gods went on Hiatus in 2011, preceding the reunion of The Darkness.
Dan Hawkins was involved with the production process during the recording of both The Darkness's albums, learning the skills alongside famed producer, Roy Thomas Baker. He co-produced B-sides for One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back. His first credited project was Stone Gods' album Silver Spoons & Broken Bones with the record producer, Nick Brine. Hawkins also built and owns a luxury, commercial residential recording studio 'Leeders Farm' in Wymondham, Norfolk, which is run by Brine and his partner Katy Dann. Bands such as The Dandies, Arctic Monkeys, Seasick Steve, The Rifles, Teenage fanclub, Wild Beasts, and more recently ex Thunder guitarist Luke Morley's new band The Union have all recorded there.
Hawkins' guitar of choice is the Gibson Les Paul and he owns several, still preferring his well used honeyburst Standard (known by Dan and his fans as 'Dune') which he played extensively in The Darkness and in Stone Gods. For the song "Black Shuck" he used a Gretsch Elliot Easton solid body. He also owns a Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty which was originally built for Jimmy Page, but Page decided it was too heavy.
Among a variety of amplifiers, his primary choices are Marshall amps, particularly the 1959 SLP and Handwired Re-Issue models. For his 'dirtier' sounds in Stone Gods, he played a Marshall JCM 800 Re-Issue head through Marshall 1960AX/BX cabinets, combined with a Diezel Herbert head. His vintage Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer pedal is his mainstay for overdrive.
A large amount of Hawkins' distinct tone comes from his use of heavy gauge strings. He uses Ernie Ball custom gauges (typically; 11, 15, 22p, 32w, 44w, 54w). He uses Dunlop Tortex 0.73mm picks.
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