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DREW COLLINS
guitar/vocals

        "Guitar seems to be the only thing that never bores me," says Murr-Vegas guitarist Drew Collins.  "I would play that thing all day if I could."  He also adds, "It's also a bad excuse for not dating.  You know, even if I had the nerve to ask out a girl, I still know that I would be much better sitting at home playing my guitar."

        Born on April 28, 1975 in Paducah, Kentucky, Drew Collins was raised by parents Wayne and Carol.  "I didn't have a normal childhood because not everybody's dad plays in a band.  I had music around me all the time at a very early age."  He enjoyed listening to his father's band practice and knew that one day he would be in a band.  "Of course, I also wanted to be an astronaut, but that didn't seem as real because I didn't know any astronauts.  I knew musicians.  They were all just normal guys who didn't seem to have any special quality other than being in a band.  By themselves, they were just guys. That was real."

       By the age of five, Drew had discovered music other than what his father played.  "I don't really know what attracted me to Kiss.  Maybe just being five and seeing these evil clowns.  It was the opposite of Sesame Street.  I remember my mother sitting me down with the lyrics to the song 'Detroit Rock City' and asking if I knew what it was about.  It hadn't even occurred to me that a song might mean something.  I mean, what's a song about drinking and driving to a kid that age anyway?"

        When Drew entered high school in 1989, he was an accomplished drummer, following in the footsteps of his father. But by the end of high school, he had become interested in something else.  "Honestly, when I played drums, all the girls I knew liked guitar players.  So I bought a cheap guitar for $50 from a kid at school and started fooling around."  Having already had piano lessons, Drew picked up guitar rather quickly.  "I hated piano lessons and I used to fight with my mother about it, but it did pay off in the long run. Guitar just made sense to me.  Of course, ironically, by the time I became really good on guitar, all those girls now liked drummers.  So I just stopped worrying about it.  That wasn't as important to me anymore. Becoming a better musician took the cake."

        When Drew entered Murray State University in the fall of 1993, he met freshman singer Stephen Keene.  "We had most the same classes together, so we became friends.  I didn't really know any black people before because my high school was all white.  Really redneck, somewhat racist.  Not everyone thought like that, but we were the outsiders at that school. In college, I found that as long as I had something in common, I could be friends with anyone".  Stephen was no exception. They hung out together like college buddies do.  They never thought that they would one day be in the same band together.  "I was getting into different types of music like Zappa and Phish and Stephen was more into Motown and Marvin Gaye.  Musically, we were totally different.  But that is what would make the band so great."

        Drew also recognizes that he wouldn't be anywhere near the musician he is without his collaboration with his best friend of over fifteen years, Billy Cramer.  "He is such an incredible bass player, and the fact that he knows it and never gloats about it makes him all the better person.  There's nothing more embarrassing than someone who thinks they know everything and isn't afraid to run his mouth about it.  Bill has never been like that and I don't think I would enjoy ever playing with another bass player."

        When asked about his musical influences, he admits that the list is much too long.  "If you're talking about guitar, I would say without a doubt Edward Van Halen, Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton.  I never really got into Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Page.  They just didn't do anything for me. I know that is almost blasphemous for a guitarist of my generation to say, but it is the truth nonetheless."

        Drew lives in Murray, Kentucky and can often be seen sitting with friends at the Big Apple Cafe.

                                     DREW'S GEAR

   "Some people have been asking me what kind of stuff I play through, so I figured I would submit a comprehensive list of all the guitars, amps, effects and gear that I use to make a Murr-Vegas show happen."

GUITARS:

'07 Epiphone Honeyburst Les Paul Standard

'89 Fender Strat

'04 Epiphone 335 Dot

'87(?) Kramer Focus 3000 modified with EVH D-Tuna

Jay Turser Custom Les Paul copy (used for slide work)

AMPS:

Peavey 212 Valve King (100 watts) 

Peavey 5150 combo (60 watts)

EFFECTS:                                            

Crybaby 535Q Wah-Wah

MXR Phase 90 (that's right, old-school stuff!)

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay                     

Boss CH-1 Super Chorus

Boss SD-2  Dual OverDrive (discontinued)

Zoom 505 Multi-effects processor 

STRINGS:

Dean Markley NickelSteel Electric LT 9-42

Dean Markley NickelSteel Electric MED 11-52 (I use a higher gauge for slide stuff)

MICS:

2 Sure SM-57s                                                                           

OTHER STUFF:                                                                       

Dunlop Tortex picks (.88mm)

DiMarzio guitar cables

Godlyke Power-All effects AC adaptor

Groove Tubes 6L6E vaccum tubes

Groove Tubes 12AX7 vaccum tubes

Duracell batteries

Ernie Ball black nylon guitar strap (Hey, good enough for Clapton, and only five bucks a piece!)

"I have some other stuff laying around, but that's what a use during a show. Hope it's interesting."  

                                                 - Drew Collins

To contact Drew, click the following link:  [email protected]

 To visit his My Space page, click here:      www.myspace.com/murr_vegas

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For booking information, please contact Stephen Keene at [email protected].