To witness Bigelf live is to experience rock power at undiluted
strength. The massive riffs and crushing pulse of bass, drums, and
guitar burn from the same fires that gave birth to heavy metal, stoner
rock, and psychedelic boogie — but these flames are stoked to inferno
proportions by the mind and music of keyboard master Damon Fox.
Standing center stage, flanked by a Hammond C-3 and a Mellotron 400
stacked with vintage Minimoogs and Echoplexes, Fox creates a
conflagration of keyboard sound cranked through his trusty Orange amp
stacks. But Fox’s music isn’t all bluster and pomp; strong songwriting,
melodies, and hooks guide the music into territory both classic and
timeless. Much like a race car, that which is beautifully crafted is
ultimately built for speed and conquest.
DISCOVERING ROCK
Fox is an enigmatic visionary; one minute the Mad Hatter hell-bent on anarchy, the next minute a darker Lennon exposing the evils of money and fame. His passion for music has been inexorably tied to his love of vintage keyboards, of which he has a grand collection [see “Bigelf’s Big Keys” on page 33]. Growing up, Fox didn’t take music lessons, starting out on guitar but turning to synths and drum machine programming soon after. Lack of formal instruction wasn’t an issue for him. “I like the way my creativity and interpretation of music turned out,” says Fox. “Sometimes too many lessons lead to not enough experimentation.” In the ’70s, Fox’s stepdad had a band that would jam in the garage, covering rock standards of the day — and this is where Fox really fell in love with music. “It was all double-neck SGs, Flying Vs, Vistalites, and SVTs,” he says. “The keyboard player had a Hammond B-3 and a Minimoog. He used to tell me when they were done, ‘Now Damon, don’t touch anything.’ I’d climb into the keyboard cockpit after they left and pretend to be a rock god.” Fox also credits his mother with his rock education. “She brought me backstage to Cheap Trick concerts where we hung out with the band. I met Eddie Van Halen and Gene Simmons, without make-up, by the way. That’s pretty serious s**t when you’re nine years old!”
High school included years of non-stop analysis of the Beatles’ songwriting, recording techniques, harmonies, and style. “I remember bugging anyone who would listen. I would walk around with a boom box, play the listener ‘Strawberry Fields,’ and show them the edit spot where the two versions were spliced together. The looks I got!” Though his childhood was spent soaking up classic groups like Deep Purple, Sweet, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, and Black Sabbath, the ’80s brought new wave, and Fox got hip to New Order, Depeche Mode, and Visage — and that meant new synths.
“For the ’80s, I was in good company,” Fox says. “One friend of mine had a Roland Jupiter-8 and man, one test drive on that and I was hooked. Also, my bandmate Fredo Viola had a Roland JX-3P with the PG-200 programmer. I learned a lot about step sequencing back then. My first actual rig was the Roland MKS-80 Super Jupiter with a PG-800 programmer. Yeah, I know you’re thinking that’s a lot of firepower for a teen, but I never went anywhere or did anything else but music.” When Fox was 19, he bought his first Hammond C-3 organ and Leslie 122 from a church that wanted to upgrade to something digital. In those heady pre-eBay days, he got both for $400! The Hammond influenced Bigelf music almost from the start.
BUILDING THE ELF
“When we formed Bigelf, I was the guitarist,” says Fox. “Then I switched to Hammond C-3 and keys full time. We felt it would be easier to find a vintage-style guitarist than a keyboardist into analog wizardry. There was no such thing at the time. I know it’s hard to imagine. But remember this was 1990 and keyboards were lame then.” So Fox did what any self-respecting keyboard wizard would do: add more keys, including the first of many Mellotrons that Fox currently owns. “The Mellotron has always been a huge part of the Bigelf sound,” he says. “I remember thinking if Black Sabbath had keys, that would be a bludgeoning sound like no other, and that was probably the genesis of the Elf.
“I don’t know if my keyboard collection influences the music. It’s more about the songs, where we’re at as a band, what we are trying to convey sonically. For instance, on our current release Cheat The Gallows, we had the opportunity to use a 20-piece string orchestra, so I took advantage of that. I mixed ’Trons with strings, strings with horns. We did arrangements with a string quartet. It’s always been a dream to have real strings; I feel it sounds very natural with the band.”
VINTAGE ROCK
Fox eschews soft synths and modern keyboards, preferring to make modifications to his vintage rig and max out versatility for live performances. “There’s no market for what would be applicable to my needs,” says Fox. “My medium is vintage and there is simply no comparison when it comes to a real Hammond organ, Mellotron, or Minimoog, so why bother? There are very few of my kind left in this digital world — no one really wants to be, or honestly, needs to be. I’m a raider of the lost art!” However, if Fox has to use soft synths, he wants the sounds undiluted. “I would like to see the samples be as raw as possible with no extra modulation in the waveform,” he continues. “That’s what always bugs me. There’s an extra cheese factor. I say leave it plain.”
For live show, Fox holds nothing back, though with vintage gear there are bound to be issues. “On our first trip to Europe, we prepared for the 220V conversion, but the 50Hz AC power thing ruined a handful of shows,” he says. “I had to play a Korg CX3 organ for that tour and those shows sucked. Generally, I’m pretty good about double-checking things on stage. My Hammond has gone down a few times and that’s when it comes in handy to play guitar. We finish up with an all-guitar set. A treat for Elfheads!”
With such an extensive collection of vintage keys, is there anything still on Fox’s wishlist? “Good question!” he exclaims. “The pyramid, as I call it, is almost complete. Maybe a Mellotron MkV? I’d also like acquire a TONTO [The Original New Timbral Orchestra] at some point in my life. TONTO is based on a Moog Series III modular and was originally designed by Malcolm Cecil. It is an amalgam of Moog, ARP, Serge, and Oberheim modules and modifications fitted into deliciously spaceage custom wood cabinetry. It can be seen in the 1974 cult movie Phantom Of The Paradise.”
WISDOM OF THE ELF
As a lifelong music aficionado and a career keyboardist, Fox has great advice for those coming up in the music biz: “Follow your instincts, don’t follow the sheep. Come to your own conclusions, get lost on purpose, and don’t find your way back. Jam with likeminded individuals. Experiment with any kind of recording. Seek out vintage equipment early on — you eventually will anyway. Take chances. Don’t take lessons. Use the force. Don’t be average. Explore fashion and style. Discover your charisma. Risk everything to succeed.”
Fox has indeed risked everything to remain true to his ideals and his vision, building a legacy of keyboard firepower, songwriting prowess, and good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll entertainment via a live show and sound that will elevate even the most jaded of hard rock fans. Whether you catch the band live or spin their heavy-duty records, you will soon know the power of Bigelf.
Bigelf’s Big Keys
Damon Fox’s massive collection of vintage keys includes the following
Mellotrons: Mk. II Music Console, Mk. II, and four M400s.
Hammond organs: Two C-3s and an A-100.
Leslies: Three 122s.
Moog synths: Memorymoog, Modular 2P, Modular Series III with sequencer and scale programmer, and five Minimoogs — you never know when you need an extra!
Hohner keyboards: Clavinet C, Pianet N, and Pianet combo.
Electric pianos: Wurlitzer 140B and Fender Rhodes Mk. I.
Miscellaneous: Chamberlin M-1D, Oberheim 4 Voice, Voyetra 8, Fender Contempo organ, three 360 Systems Digital Keyboards, and a Synergy II+, complete with Kaypro computer for programming.