EVA GARDNER
IN THE P!NK D
espite touring with P!nk for 12 years, Eva is actually one of the newest members of her band, which speaks volumes. “It really is an amazing family vibe, and a special thing to be in something like this,” Eva says, adding that she auditioned for the role. “I’d actually auditioned two years prior for the house band for Rockstar INXS, and that didn’t work out - but the MD remembered me, and when P!nk was looking for a bass player, he called me up. So I tried out, and after getting the phone call informing me that I got the gig, he said ‘we’ll send you a few albums of material to learn, so pack for three months, and we’ll see you in three days!’ [laughs]” Wow. No pressure, then? “[smiles] Yeah, a very quick changeover! My first show was in Ireland at Malahide Castle, so I was thrown into the fire right away,” Eva explains. “I had one rehearsal with the band, and didn’t meet P!nk until the soundcheck before the show. She gave me a big hug, and said ‘welcome to the family’, and the rest is history.” Sounds like a great setup, for sure. And the calibre of musicians in P!nk’s ‘family’ is quite formidable. “Yeah, I feel fortunate to be in the mix with this calibre of human and musician! And the crew is great, too. It’s a big crew, and they have all been here for a long time - many have worked for her longer than I have, so there is definitely a loyalty there, also.”
FAMILY FOOTSTEPS
Eva knew she wanted to be a bassist as a young girl. Her father, Kim Gardner, was part of the whole British Invasion scene in the ‘60s, and was in his first band with Stones’ guitarist Ronnie Wood. The two of them grew up in West Drayton, so knew each other from the age of 15. “Dad was in The Birds with Ron, and he was close with The Who – particularly [Who bassist] John Entwhistle - so that was my childhood, growing up with all these guys, and hearing my dad’s stories,” Eva reflects. “So before I knew what it even meant, I would tell my school friends ‘I am gonna be a bass player!’ And here I am!” It’s never easy following in your parents’ footsteps – particularly when they’re musical ones. Would Eva agree?
“Yeah, it was slow going at the beginning,” she admits. “Dad wasn’t that into the idea at the start, so it took him a while to come around; and it was only when his best friend [Led Zep/Stones producer, Andy Johns] came over one day with a bass and a little amp, and Dad thought Andy was going to show him some cool new gear, but he said ‘actually, this is for Eva – it’s about time we give her a bass lesson’ that he accepted it! [laughs] “So that was it, no turning back - and since then, my family have been absolutely amazing. Dad was my first roadie! And looking back, it really was a very special time. I had to work for it too, though - I was told ‘no’ a few times, and I didn’t like the way that ‘no’ sounded! At that point, I realised I really, really wanted it.”
MAKING MUSIC
I ask Eva a little about her own music. She recently released her EP, Chasing Ghosts – a collection of well crafted, up-tempo, melodic rock songs with hooks-a-plenty. “I am always doing all kinds of stuff,” she says. “I travel with a recording rig on the road: an Apogee One or Apogee Duet interface, an iRig mini 25-key controller, a guitar, and a bass. I do demos out here, and even did a bass session in the back of the tour bus in Germany once! So I eventually had a batch of songs, and when I had a little time off the road, I booked into a studio, did live drums, re-did the vocals, and now I have a five-song EP.” Eva’s setup is what she describes as ‘old school’: an Ampeg rig, and a classic Fender bass. “I always use Ampeg amps; the SVT-VRs for fly dates and most TV stuff, and then the SVT-2Pros, which are rackmount heads, for my touring rig,” she explains. “It’s pretty straightforward, that and my Fender P-Bass, with Rotosound strings. It’s the same kind of setup as my dad and all his peers used, so I kind of followed suit. I am a second generation player, as far as setup!” Another key part of Eva’s live rig is her wireless kit. It’s hard enough for some vocalists to make the switch from wired to wireless, so for a bassist who is all about tone, I am guessing this took a little convincing. “I mean, yeah - the ideal for the true sound is on a wire, but for a lot of what we do, and what I do for these massive
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