Dave James Wheat profile picture

Dave James Wheat

Dave James Wheat, philosopher-singer-songwriter

About Me

Turning and turning in the widening gyre -- The falcon cannot hear the falconer.I'm a solo singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist working in the alternative country genre.And, as fate would have it, and for my many sins, I'm also a philosopher; and a travelling philosopher to boot: I studied philosophy in London (UCL), the USA (Wayne State University, Detroit) and finally in Canada (Toronto) where I was awarded my PhD. (I wrote my doctoral thesis on the philosophical foundations of hypnosis, and I'm a qualified & practicing hypnotherapist.)Not surprisingly, philosophical ideas work their way into many of my songs; so you could say I'm a philosopher-songwriter.Also not surprising is that my experiences in America -- the places, the people, the culture -- made a strong impression on me. And, as so often, it's the natural world that speaks loudest: I'd heard of fire-flies before, but I'd never actually seen any -- cosmic! (I don't use that word lightly.) And one starry-skied evening I was walking down a country lane in Tennessee with my Tennessee girlfriend, Holly, and I heard a strange chorus from the trees. "What's that sound?" I asked. "They're tree frogs, honey." "Wow, frogs in trees, singing!" (Double cosmic.)Later that evening, Holly's Dad (who once backed a young Elvis) played guitar and sang, and the whole family joined in, in unison and harmony. This was America -- *my* America I felt, because I was right there, welcome, and part of it.And hearing these guys play & sing brought it home to me, in a way I had never fully realized before, that the American voice is to blues, country and rock & roll, as the Italian voice is to opera: it is the classical voice of those seminal genres.And, since then, that's where my musical soul is at. That's where, after a long search, this ol' limey (gor blimey) feels at home: writing songs which combine traditional country & western & bluegrass themes/structures with the many-and-various, mainstream and not-so-mainstream ideas that I want to express: philosophical, political, spiritual, gothic and autobiographical ideas. (A happy landing, then, on planet alt country, after a lift-off many moons ago in a progressive rock band, with my first gig playing support to Judas Priest -- boy, were they loud!)In-keeping, my guitar style is (mostly) American-flatpicking-alternating-baseline -- a style often referred to by guitarists as "boom-ching", and by the general public as "hillbilly".My trusty guitar is a 1996 Gibson Hummingbird which I bought from a shop called the Music Box, in Detroit. It's fitted with a (legendary) Sunrise magnetic soundhole pickup (bought from the Twelfth Fret, Toronto). This pickup takes two full-growed men to lift (or a fork-lift truck) but can reach parts of the audio-universe unreachable by any other electromagnetic device.Songwriting influences include Dylan and Loudon Wainright (and, of course, the Tennessee tree frogs).Guitar-wise I try to listen and learn as much as I can from Doc Watson and Jack Elliott.Could I enjoy doing what I'm doing more? I don't think so!

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 3/6/2006
Band Members: Show List2004 Nov 6th: The Pheonix, North End Nov 20th: The Fox & Hounds, Waterlooville Dec 12th: The Squirrell Inn, Hurtmore 2005 Jan 2nd: Vospers Social Club, Porchester Jan 8th: The Traveller's Joy, Milton Jan 15th: The Pheonix, North End Jan 21st: The Bird in Hand, Fareham Jan 22nd: Langston Conservative Club, Langston Jan 24th: The Golden Farmer, Bracknel Feb 12th: United Services Club, Haywards Heath Feb 19th: The Metropolitan, Woking Feb 26th: The Lord Chichester, North End Mar 5th: Passfield Social Club, Passfield Mar 19th: The Kingsbeach Hotel, Pagham Mar 26th: The Golden Bowler, Stubbington May 14th: Botley British Legion, Southampton May 29th: Grove House Social Club, Southampton June 8th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea June 15th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea June 26th: The Tap, North End June 30th: The Old House at Home, Milton July 5th: The Fawcett Inn, Southsea July 6th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea July 10th: The Tap, North End July 12th: The Fawcett Inn, Southsea July 13th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea July 16th: The K Bar, Southsea July 19th: The Fawcett Inn, Southsea July 20th: The Cellars, Eastney July 22nd: The K Bar, Southsea July 23rd: Bognor British Legion July 27th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea July 30th: Littlehampton Sailing Club, Littlehampton Aug 3rd: The Cellars, Eastney Aug 6th:The Embrook Inn, Wokingham Aug 10th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea Aug 13th: Lancing Royal British Legion Club, Lancing Aug 20th: The Wickham Arms, Chichester Sep 2nd: The K Bar, Southsea Sep 3rd: Kingfisher Caravan Park, Gosport 2006 Jan 17th: Traders, Petersfield Jan 19th: The Old House at Home, Southsea Jan 23rd: The Golden Lion, Bedhampton Jan 31st: Traders, Petersfield Feb 16th: The Fountain, Rowlands Castle Feb 28th: The Edge of the Wedge, Southsea March 2nd: The Fountain, Rowlands Castle March 5th: The Studio, Petersfield March 15th: The Cellars, Eastney March 17th: The Cockleshell Centre, Eastney March 19th: The Drift Bar, Southsea April 6th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea April 12th: Traders, Petersfield April 20th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea April 25th: The Edge of the Wedge, Southsea May 4th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea May 11th: The Fountain, Rowlands Castle May 31st: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea June 8th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea June 14th: Traders, Petersfield June 15th: The Cellars, Eastney June 22nd: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea June 29th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea July 6th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea July 13th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea July 15th: The Tin Hut Music Festival July 16th: The Wedgewood Rooms (Reel Sound) July 26th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea Aug 2nd: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea Aug 16th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea Aug 23rd: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea Aug 30th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea Sept 1st: Hamptons, Southampton Sept 4th: Happy Monday Club, Portsmouth Sept 6th: The Cellars, Eastney, supporting Paul Young's Los Pacaminos Sept 13th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea Sept 15th: The Coach & Horses, Country Club night, Titchfield Oct 10th: The Edge of the Wedge Oct 12th: The Contented Pig (Oxjam event) Oct 24th: The Edge of the Wedge Nov 1st: The Chicago Rock Cafe, Southsea Nov 20th: The Osbourne, Southsea Nov 27th: The Osbourne, Southsea Nov 4th: The Osbourne, Southsea Nov 11th: The Osbourne, Southsea 2007 Jan 25th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea Jan 30th: The Edge of the Wedge, Southsea Feb 7th: Chicago Rock Cafe, Southsea Feb 21st: Chicago Rock Cafe, Southsea Feb 23rd: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea March 1st: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea March 8th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea March 22nd: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea April 19th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea July 12th: The Nell Gwynne, Southsea Oct 23rd: The Edge of the Wedge, Southsea Oct 30th: The Edge of the Wedge, Southsea Nov 27th: The Edge of the Wedge, Southsea Nov 28th: The Square Brewery, Petersfield 2008 Jan 8th: The Edge of the Wedge, Southsea March 25th: The Edge of the Wedge, Southsea April 8th: The Edge of the Wedge, Southsea May 4th: The George & Dragon, North End, PortsmothSOAPBOX TIMEGlobal WarmingMost politicians believe in human-caused global warming. Could there be a better reason to be suspicious of this theory?I'm not surprised the world is getting warmer. We talk too much, generating so much hot air. If we spoke less, listened more, and thought more, the world would get cooler, and more peaceful. Silence is golden. You wanna save the planet? Shut your north & south for five minutes. Growth?Why do politicians always sing the praises of growth. Is growth always good? Why? Why shouldn't things stay the same size? Or even get smaller? Answers: (1) Greed. (2) We don't question assumptions enough.More choice?Why do politicians always sing the praises of choice? We can't even handle the choices we have now. More and more information, more and more choices to make -- what a nightmare!Transport overloadEver wondered what the sense is in thousands of people commuting into cities just to sit in front of a computer screen all day -- a screen they could sit in front of at home? Just imagine how much road & rail congestion & fuel could be saved if these people worked from home.ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER THOUGHTEvery Sunday I have a vegetable roast (I'm a pescovegetarian). And, naturally, the question arises as to what is the king of roast vegetables. Though one could hardly deny that the roast potato is right up there, the answer, in fact, is the roast parsnip. A truly sublime creation.I realized the other day that I still haven't taken down my Christmas cards. And here I am on May 1st, and they are still on display. Perhaps I will leave them up until I get some new ones next Christmas. Or maybe not. It will be interesting to see what decision my subliminal mind comes to. I will keep you posted.Every day, children search rubbish dumps for enough food to keep them alive. That's the way they live. How's your day been? Mine's been just fine.Every day, cats & dogs are skinned alive to make fur coats. What a wonderful world.We must go backwards and repair the past, or our future will never be worth living. Anyone got a time machine?Tea is the greatest drink. Holy.Anyone out there still using soap? Why?This morning (26.02.08) on Radio 4, report on China: Some people there are living in holes dug in the earth.In bed last night, reading, and I could have sworn that my bed was moving around. Naturally I thought I was finally losing it. But in the morning I heard on the BBC 4 news that there had been a big earthquake in Lincolnshire that had been felt far away. Hurray! -- I'm still sane!
Influences: Mum, Doc Watson, Loudon Wainwright, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Jack Elliott, Steve Earle, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, William Blake (the great artist/poet/philosopher/mystic).
Sounds Like: I think I sound like a philosophical hillbilly singin' & playin' guitar!Various others, after hearing me play, have mentioned certain similarities with Waylon Jennings, Loudon Wainright, John Prine, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Guy Clark.
Record Label: What's that?
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Dave James Wheat opens for Paul Young's Los Pacaminos

My thanks to Iain Martin (Stiff Promotions) for giving me the honour of opening for Paul Young's Los Pacaminos (The Cellars, 6.9.06). The venue was sold out, and, hearing Los Pacaminos, I'm not sur...
Posted by Dave James Wheat on Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:52:00 PST

Dave James Wheat plays Wedgewood Rooms, Reel Sound

I'm very proud to have played at the Wedgewood Rooms, Reel Sound acoustic evening, July 16th 2006.Alistair Goodwin:"Lovin' your stuff. Great set at the Wedgewo...
Posted by Dave James Wheat on Sun, 20 Aug 2006 05:12:00 PST

Dave James Wheat, Academics

BA, Philosophy, 1992, University College London MSc, Cognitive Science, 2005, University of ManchesterCertificate in Clinical Hypnosis, 1999, London College of Clinical HypnosisDiploma in Clinical Hyp...
Posted by Dave James Wheat on Thu, 10 Aug 2006 04:27:00 PST

Favourite quotes

I'm collecting my favourite quotes together in this section.  Come back from time to time to see additions.If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise. William BlakeDon't vote f...
Posted by Dave James Wheat on Thu, 17 Aug 2006 05:41:00 PST

Top rock & pop songwriters of all time

Here is who I think are the very, very best songwriters in the broad rock & pop genre. Just as the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart set the foundations for classical music, so these writers hav...
Posted by Dave James Wheat on Fri, 18 Aug 2006 06:03:00 PST

Top rock tracks of all time

All Along the WatchtowerJimi HendrixJimmy Hendrix's version of this Dylan song is truly sublime. Hendrix sings this song with huge authority and soul, and the guitar-work is simply out of this world. ...
Posted by Dave James Wheat on Sat, 19 Aug 2006 05:17:00 PST

Top electric guitarists of all time

In no particular order -- but Hendrix would be my choice of absolute top.Jimi HendrixPaul KossoffEric ClaptonB.B. KingPeter GreenJimmy PageRichie Blackmore...
Posted by Dave James Wheat on Sat, 19 Aug 2006 04:33:00 PST