Snake Davis is one of the most respected and prolific session players in the business today.
 | | In Japan! |
He is a master musician, primarily on saxes, flutes, whistles and the Shakuhachi. He currently plays with Heather Small and a Japanese Rock Star called Ekichi Yazawa but has played and recorded with a whole host of artists including Ray Charles, Eurythmics, Swing out Sister, M-People, Lisa Stansfield, Take That and many, many more. But it’s in his own right, as an artist that he is featured on Big George’s Business of Sound. He’ll be talking about his work with Lisa Stansfield, Take That and performing last Sunday to a capacity Albert Hall audience at the Euro Pride show with Heather Small, the voice of M-People, and their collaboration with The London Gay Men's Choir. But it’s his stories of studio etiquette and Zen attitude to playing, which he demonstrates brilliantly that makes this show a must for anyone who plays or listens to music of any kind. When did you start playing?
 | | Snake on stage with the Eurythmics |
Snake: I sang from very young (7/8?) and played various instruments through my early teens and settled on wind instruments at age 19. How would you describe your style of music? Snake: Soulful, worldly and jazzy, always with a strong melodic bent. What are your musical influences?
 | | I thank you! |
Snake: Many and extremely varied, most heavily influenced by 60s soul, irish folk, religious choral music and great singers. My favourite sax man is King Curtis from Austin Texas, a storming tenor sax player who was Aretha Franklin's Musical Director as well as playing and recording under his own name. What’s the most people you’ve played in front of? Snake: Approx. 75,000 at Wembley Stadium with a worldwide live TV audience on top of that of several million. Of the songs you have written, what’s you favourite at the moment? Snake: The Waiting from my Hysteria album, because it's haunting me and following me around at the moment, there's a certain atmosphere and feeling associated with it. Name an artist (dead or alive) you’d like to have played with?
 | | Snake with Jim Diamond |
Snake: Van Morrison How has the industry changed since you started out? Snake: It has become more sanitised, safe, formulaic and accountancy lead. What type of gig do you most like to play? Snake: Arts Centres and Theatres with great acoustics, because there every note counts and great things are more likely to happen. What’s your most memorable gig and why?
 | | Practising in his kitchen! |
Snake: Well, always the last gig I played, currently Garforth Community College last night, fantastic. My band played out of their skins, on fire, the show was sold out, and there were loads of young people (mostly music students) among the audience who all started dancing towards the end and lifted us to an even greater finale! Plus these 2: Glastonbury with M People, circa '98, amazing atmosphere, sun setting and campfires starting as I play the intro to "Search for the Hero", beautiful breeze and wonderful feeling back from the crowd.
 | | Snake plays the penny whistle |
Royal Albert Hall, circa 2004, my first time there as myself, so excited, stepping out on that so famous stage in that so wonderful Hall and looking out at those 5,000 folk, giving them a smile and reaching down to touch the boards to make sure it wasn't a dream. Who comes to see a Snake gig? Snake: I'm pleased to say a huge cross section from all walks of life, all ages, lots of sax players of course. What’s the weirdest thing a fan has ever done / sent to you? Snake: Well maybe not weird but surprising, I've been sent an apple crumble, (Cumbria) a huge exotic bouquet of flowers (Japan) and presented with a silver pen belonging to a fan who died (Wakefield).
 | | Snake with flute and shakuhachi |
In Liverpool back in the early days a fan got so enthusiastic over a drum solo that he stormed the stage to pop a fiver into the guy's mouth. Unfortunately he stepped on my flute and wrote it off on his way back to his seat. I was once joined on stage by an exotic dancer in Windsor. I was asked to sign a gentleman's buttock at the Pizza Express in Soho (I obliged of course) Then there are the fights and the drunken women... better stop and move on. Tell us an unusual fact about you. Snake: I have an honors degree in English and Philosophy. I’m also learning Japanese. Do you get nervous before a show?
 | | Snake with a tiny sax! |
Snake: Sometimes! If I'm well prepared though, it's more of an enjoyable flutter of anticipation and excitement. I've always loved playing live more than any other
aspect of my career. (On a good night that is) What else would you like to do musically? Snake: Many, many, many things, the main thing on my mind at moment is to approach the 100 strong "London Gay Men's Chorus" and see if they would be up for a collaboration. I met and heard them last Sunday, a sound to float off to Heaven on, I had goose bumps on my goose bumps!! I want to play and record my instruments in more unusual physical and musical situations, and I am determined to get more and more involved with working with young musicians, workshops, demonstrations, master-classes. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?! Snake: Come and find me at a show or at http://www.snakedavis.com/ | 
