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Liam Thompson - Guitar and Backing Vocals
Well, where do I start?
I'm Liam Thompson guitarist for Avenger. I joined Avenger in February 2005 as second guitarist just after the reunion started and I've been here ever since.
I was introduced to the band by then guitar player Glenn S. Howes (Blitzkrieg, Earthrod, Tygers of Pan Tang, Fist) through mutual friend Brian Ross (Avenger, Blitzkreig, Satan) and we hit it off straight away. I auditioned around 10 tracks from the Bloodsports and the Killer Elite album with Gary, Swifty and Glenn and got the job although as the old cliche goes, nobody really told me I was offically in the band. I assumed I must have made the grade when I'd attended 5 rehersals!
My first gigs with the band were to support rock legends Y&T on their 2005 UK tour follwed by an appearance at H.O.A Festival in Germany and Metal Manics Festival in Holland.
Here is a little Q&A about my musical background
Name: Liam Thompson
Other/Previous Bands: Thrash/Melodic Death Metal Band Death In Blood (2002 – 2010), Maiden UK - tribute band (2014- Present)
Favourite Albums: Appetite For Destruction - Guns N' Roses, Master of Puppets - Metallica, Ride The Lightning - Metallica, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Iron Maiden, Hysteria - Def Leppard, Reign in Blood - Slayer, New Jersey - Bon Jovi, Far Beyond Driven - Pantera, 1987 - Whitesnake, Alchemy - Dire Straits, Jimi Plays Montery - Jimi Hendrix, The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden, The Keeper of the Seven Keys - Helloween, Spreading the Disease - Anthrax, The New Order - Testament, Beneath The Remains - Sepultura, Heartwork - Carcass, Tomb of the Mutilated - Cannibal Corpse, Enema of the State - Blink 182, plus quite a few more but I'll leave it at that.
Favourite Bands: Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Testament, Van Halen.
Guitarist Influences: Main Influences - Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Paul Gilbert, Dimebag Darrell, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Jason Becker, John Sykes, Slash, Yngwie Malmsteen, Mark Knophler, James Hetfield, Kirk Hamett, Richie Sambora, Alex Skolnick, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Clapton, Steve Clark, Phil Collen, Rory Gallagher, Neil Schon, Stevie Ray Vaughan,
Favourite Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standards and Jackson Soloists
Equipment Used:
Jackson Soloist Professional Archtop ‘91
Jackson Dinky Professional
Jackson Demmelition V
Gibson Les Paul Standard ‘89
D'Addario XL150 Gauge .11 Strings
Jim Dunlop Jazz 3 Eric Johnson Plectrums
Peavey XXX 120 watt Head
Kemper Profiling Powerhead
3 X Marshall 1960B Cabs
1X Marshall JCM900A Cab
POD XT Live Floorboard with MIDI control
Ibanez TS-9DX
Boss Harmonist HR-2
Boss Noise Gate NF-1
Digitech Whammy 4th Gen
Jim Dunlop Crybaby 535-Q Multi Wah
Boss Chromatic Floor Tuner TU-3
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