Herman Li

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Interview With HERMAN LI: “I’m working on instructional guitar lessons, but not the same that you’ve seen out there”

Posted by aliblackdiamond on October 26, 2017
Posted in: Interviews. Tagged: , , , . 6 Comments

Interview By Alison Booth

Extreme power metal giants DRAGONFORCE unleashed their seventh studio album “Reaching Into Infinity” back in May and have been packing out venues around the world for their live shows. The band are now well into the European leg of their “Reaching Into Infinity” world tour, but prior to that, in Sheffield, England, Metal Shock Finland Senior Manager Alison Booth met up with guitar maestro Herman Li in Sheffield for her Blackdiamond’s Metal Mayhem radio show on TotalRock. (The show can be heard here.)

You can read some excerpts from the chat below and listen in full on the audio player:

Discussing dragons and if he’s a Game Of Thrones fan, Herman was quite expressive about social media, stating:

“Yeah I watch it. I’m not as crazy as people who go to Eastern Europe and visit the sights! I’m not in a rush to see it, like ‘Oh my God I gotta see it!’ And because I’m not in a rush it’s actually pretty horrible – people on social media posting what’s happening. Luckily I don’t follow anyone on Facebook, if you’re my friend I won’t follow you anyway. Every time I friend someone, I click ‘unfollow’ because I don’t care. They want to ruin the sports events for me, I get the results straight away.

Sometimes you’re on tour and you can’t see it immediately and it’s ‘oh thanks!’ Now it seems people want to ruin movies and TV shows and stuff, but I pretend I’m still their friend. But I technically unfriended them in an ‘unfollow’ way!” (laughs)

DRAGONFORCE
Sheffield, October 2017

Discussing the near future, Herman revealed:

“I’m actually working on an instructional guitar thing, a lesson thing. It’s not gonna be the same that you’ve seen out there. The reason I’m doing it is that everyone has approached a bunch of subjects except these ones, that I think are important.

All this is coming from playing around the world for years and playing guitar for years. It’s not just about techniques and playing fast and playing notes – it’s more like the theory involved to be a good guitar player. You know, you can teach people notes, but to create them, you have to show them the path and inspire them, than just saying ‘I can play this really fast here and just copy it’. I’ve been writing about it for a few years anyway, so it’s something I’ve been working on. Finally I’ve the time to make it happen.”

Official Website

Official Facebook Page

DRAGONFORCE’s Herman Li at NAMM 2017: “I’ve been told that I’m rude”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 16, 2017
Posted in: Int. News. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

themetalvoice-dragonforce

For Canada’s The Metal Voice former singer of Anthrax, Neil Turbin caught up with guitarist Herman Li of DRAGONFORCE at this years NAMM SHOW 2017 in Anaheim California.

When asked why he comes across as rude to some people

“As musicians were are suppose to express ourselves with the truth though our music. I’ve been told that I’m rude, I Don’t think so, I’m just open. I’m born in Hong Kong  live in the UK I’m from a different culture.”

When asked about the new Dragonforce Album and tour

“We haven’t been posting anything but we have been working on a new album, which is almost done, we are putting the final touches and will come out in Spring and we have one show confirmed in Chicago. ”

When asked who are some of his guitar influences growing up

“I can’t relate to anything after Nirvana/ Grunge came out. I like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, George Lynch, Michael Angelo Batio so many of those guys, so amazing and it’s hard to find a guitar players that good coming out in the last 10 years. When I was learning to play guitar it was all grunge, so I went back and listened to the 80’s stuff I wasn’t cool. So in a way grunge music did a favour for Dragonforce because it wiped out all the competition for us because people said, hey you guys play guitar solos.”

When asked about bands stage shows

“I don’t really want to pretend to be miserable after working to make an album and just standing on the stage, not moving like I don’t want to be there. Let’s have some fun, I’m not going to look sad, I’m just having a laugh. I like bands who stand still and play but that’s different they are usually incredible musicians that play difficult stuff. I do enjoy some of the bands like Baby Metal a different kind of music, J Pop, big production so I enjoy those too. It’s either full action or the serious musician.”

When asked if he plays 7 string guitar

“I have a seven string for certain songs but the six string got a certain sound, it’s got a classic sound or rock metal that the 7 string can never replace.  I prefer 6 string, I prefer standard tuning I’m not really a down tuning guy”

When asked what his favorite album in 2016

“I really like the new Dream Theater album the last one they cameo out with, The Astonishing. I thought that was grea,t I see people writing shit on the Internet about that tour. I thought that was the best shows I have ever seen from Dream Theater, since 1995.”

When asked if there was anything at the NAMM SHOW  2017 that was exciting for him

“Seeing my friends is great, friends from Europe that I don’t get to see all the time . I really enjoy seeing certain guitars, I like seeing those yellow guitars,I  saw the Steve Vai re-issue. I remember wanting one when I was a teenager but could never afford it. ”

When asked about his Ibanez signature guitar

“My guitar signature model is exactly the same, the one I play is the one in the shop. it’s ibanez EGEN, it’s called Egen cause I am not  cool enough to put my name on the guitar that people want to buy, Egen, stands for electric generation. I have a purple colour and i have an orange I don’t have a black one.”

Watch the interview here:

DRAGONFORCE: Caught In Baltimore Riots

Posted by aliblackdiamond on April 30, 2015
Posted in: Int. News. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

UK based metallers DRAGONFORCE were caught up in the recent civil unrest in Baltimore on Monday (27th April) evening as they warmed up ready to hit the stage on the first show of the North American leg of their Maximum Overload World Tour.

The Soundstage in Baltimore where the ‘Force was meant to be playing with US band Kamelot was two blocks away from the rioting, but the violence was getting ever closer.

Guitarist Herman Li said “We thought it was a little weird that all the local shops were closed, in fact the only place open was the venue with a massive queue of fans still trying to get in. As we were warming up ready to go onstage we heard a State of Emergency was declared and the show immediately postponed due to the safety of the fans”

The show has been rescheduled for today, Thursday 30th April with doors opening early at 6pm and the end of the show being 10pm due to the citywide curfew imposed by the authorities for the entire week.

All tickets purchased for the original show are valid.

http://www.dragonforce.com

http://www.facebook.com/dragonforce

http://twitter.com/DragonForce

Dragonforce 2014

Dragonforce 2014

Audio Interview With DRAGONFORCE: Herman Li Talks “Maximum Overload” At The Waterfront Norwich

Posted by dp73 on November 29, 2014
Posted in: Int. News, Interviews. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment
David Pearce with Herman Li

David Pearce with Herman Li

Metal Shock Finland’s David Pearce caught up with DRAGONFORCE Guitarist Herman Li at The Waterfront Norwich just before they played their headlining show on October 19th, and discussed the new album “Maximum Overload” – released via earMUSIC (Europe), Metal Blade (US), Universal (Canada), 3Wise (Australia), Roadrunner (Japan) – Topics also included were playing in a church, the ending of the British tour and the start of the world tour.  Listen to the chat below:

More information at https://www.facebook.com/dragonforce

Dragonforce 2014

Dragonforce 2014

DRAGONFORCE Guitarist Herman Li Jams With STEVE VAI in Bournemouth, UK; Photos Available

Posted by aliblackdiamond on September 7, 2013
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Source: Bravewords.com
DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li has checked in with the following update:

“It was so awesome that we did it again. On stage with STEVE VAI in Bournemouth, UK part of The Story of Light World Tour. This time I had my guitar…”

Vai recently announced that he will return to the US in the fall for a 30-plus city for the The Story Of Light. Tickets and special EVO Experience packages, where fans get a look at what Vai experiences several hours before a show and get to hold an intimate and open group discussion with him, are already on sale and can be purchased at Vai.com.

Steve Vai tour dates:

October
16 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
17 – San Diego, CA – House Of Blues
18 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Theater
19 – Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
20 – Chandler, AZ – Wild Horse Pass Casino
22 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre
23 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theater
24 – Santa Fe, NM – The Lensic
27 – Kansas City, MO – Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge
29 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note
30 – Springfield, MO – Gilloz Theatre
31 – Council Bluffs, IA – Horseshoe Whiskey Road House

November
1 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
2 – Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theater
3 – Joilet, IL – Mojoes
5 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
6 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
7 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
8 – Rama, ON – Casino Rama
9 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
10 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
12 – Chattanooga, TN – Track 29
13 – Birmingham, AL – Workplay Theatre
14 – Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen
15 – New Orleans, LA – House Of Blues
16 – Baton Rouge, LA – Varsity Theatre
17 – Little Rock, AR – Juanita’s
19 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
20 – San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live
21 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre
22 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues
23 – Houston, TX – House Of Blues

 



DRAGONFORCE Guitarist To Appear On ‘How To Be Epic At Everything’

Posted by aliblackdiamond on February 16, 2013
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Source: Blabbermouth.net

Guitarist Herman Li of British epic metallers DRAGONFORCE will appear on CBBC‘s “How To Be Epic At Everything”, a new series from the BBC aimed at demonstrating to young people how to excel in certain professions. At 10.30 a.m. on February 17 and March 17 on the CBBC channel, Li will will take his guitar through the paces, showing the next generation of guitarists how it’s done.

For more information, go to BBC.co.uk.

In an April 2012 interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Li was asked if there was an “aha” moment when he was first starting to play guitar that he realized he was capable of great speed. “Maybe I can explain it this way: I’m not a person who’s over-confident,” he said. “If you think you know, you really don’t know. Me personally, I think the more you learn, the more you realize the world of guitar is so big and you haven’t really learned enough. There’s not really a time that I feel I mastered anything. I think each album is just a snapshot of our lives and things change and people come out with other things and you go, ‘Oh, that’s cool,’ and take some things from that. If I think I know, then I think the music becomes boring because there’s nothing to pursue.”

DRAGONFORCE‘s new album, “The Power Within”, sold 5,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 74 on The Billboard 200 chart.

DRAGONFORCE‘s previous CD, “Ultra Beatdown”, opened with 24,000 units back in September 2008 to land at No. 18.

DRAGONFORCE‘s recent North American headlining tour marked the band’s first trek with new singer Marc Hudson, who also makes his recorded debut on “The Power Within”.

“The Power Within” was released in the U.K. on April 16 via the band’s own Electric Generation Recordings, distributed by Essential Music.