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Chris Shiflett

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Chris Shiflett
Chris Shiftlett - Water Rats - Wednesday 14th June 2017 ShiftlettWaterRats140617-11 (35234680452).jpg
Shiflett in 2017
Background information
Birth nameChristopher Aubrey Shiflett
Born (1971-05-06) May 6, 1971 (age 53)
OriginSanta Barbara, California,[1][unreliable source?] United States
GenresAlternative rock, punk rock, post-grunge, country rock, hard rock
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)guitar, vocals, mandolin
Years active1982–present
LabelsRCA
Member ofFoo Fighters, Jackson United, Viva Death
Formerly ofMe First and the Gimme Gimmes, No Use for a Name
Websitechrisshiflettmusic.com

Christopher Aubrey Shiflett (/ˈʃɪflɪt/ SHIF-lit;[2] born May 6, 1971) is an American musician. He is most recognizable as lead guitarist for the American rock band Foo Fighters. He was previously a member of the punk rock bands No Use for a Name (1995–1999) and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (1995–2019). He joined the Foo Fighters in 1999 following the release of their third album There Is Nothing Left to Lose, and performed with the Foo Fighters and the Gimmes, as well as several other side projects, simultaneously. He also hosts a podcast titled Walking the Floor and has released two solo albums, the most recent in 2019.

He is the younger brother of musician, Scott Shiflett, who has been the bassist in the punk rock band Face to Face since 1995.

Early life

Shiflett was born in Santa Barbara, California. When Shiflett was 11, he started learning how to play the guitar. A promising young soccer player, Shiflett played with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) from 1982—1984 under legendary coach Noemi Vazquez. Pressed to make a choice on his career, Shiflett joined his first band by the time he reached the age of 14. Shiflett is a supporter of Arsenal F.C.[3]

Career

Shiflett with Foo Fighters in 2003

Shiflett began his music career in another band called Lost Kittenz with current members of Sugarcult. He later moved on to be the resident lead guitarist for the San Francisco Bay Area punk rock band No Use for a Name. When a friend announced that Guns N' Roses were auditioning for a guitarist, Shiflett asked his friend to instead get him an audition for the Foo Fighters, who after recording There Is Nothing Left to Lose as a trio held open auditions to hire another guitarist. Seeing an opportunity that he knew he could not pass up, he quickly parted ways with No Use for a Name to audition. His departure was abrupt, as his former band were just about to head out on tour in support of their album More Betterness!. He was replaced by Dave Nassie, who had previously contributed to Suicidal Tendencies' lead singer "Cyco" Mike Muir's solo projects.

Dave Grohl said part of his motivation to hire Shiflett was that he had a history in the underground punk scene, including opening for Grohl's former band Scream as bassist of the group Rat Pack. After being hired, Shiflett played on the tour for There Is Nothing Left to Lose, and all subsequent studio albums starting with One by One. Shiflett has noted several times that one of his favorite songs that he plays with the Foo Fighters is "All My Life" from their fourth studio album One by One. He has said that he was afraid of being fired even before he started to play with the band, as previous guitarist Pat Smear had asked to return. Smear eventually did rejoin the band as a touring rhythm guitarist in 2005, and finally as a full-fledged fifth member in 2010.[4]

Side projects and cover bands

In addition to his full time duties with the Foo Fighters, Shiflett also plays in his own side-project, Jackson United, as well as Viva Death with his brother, Scott. For numerous projects, Shiflett performed under the name Jake Jackson. He played with the cover band Chevy Metal along with the late Foo Fighter Taylor Hawkins. They played songs from classic rock bands such as Black Sabbath, Queen, ZZ Top, and Rolling Stones.

Shiflett has a tattoo on the inside of his bottom lip with the words "Gimme Gimme", ostensibly as a tribute to his efforts with the cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

In 2009, Shiflett played in a band called The Real McCoy, which was founded by Andy McCoy, the guitarist of the former Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks. The band split up after only three gigs.[5]

In 2010 Shiflett created a new country-oriented side project, Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants, releasing a self-titled album in July.[6] In 2011, Shiflett performed at the 2011 Wisconsin protests in Madison. He also performed at the Anti War rally for the A.N.S.W.E.R coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism). Shiflett performed at the opening rally at the one and a half mile march from Hollywood and Vine to Hollywood and Highland March 19, 2011.

In 2013, Shiflett announced he would be releasing a new album from his country project, Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants, called All Hat And No Cattle. The album of honky-tonk covers and original tracks came out on July 30, 2013 via SideOneDummy Records.

Shiflett with Foo Fighters in 2017

April 2017 saw Shiflett release his first solo album West Coast Town, a collection of original honky tonk tracks, accompanied by a short USA tour to promote the release.[7]

A second solo album Hard Lessons was released on June 14, 2019. As with the first album Hard Lessons was produced by Dave Cobb.[7]

Since October 2013, Shiflett has hosted the weekly podcast Walking The Floor with Chris Shiflett. As of August 2020, there have been over 170 episodes of Walking the Floor.

Walking the Floor Episodes[8]

Equipment

Shiflett with Foo Fighters in 2018
Guitars

Shiflett uses various Gibsons[9][10] and Gretschs,[11] but over the past few years has been using mostly Fender Telecasters, Fender Telecaster Deluxes, and Fender Telecaster Thinlines. Shiflett also assembled some Telecaster Deluxes and Telecaster Thinlines out of Warmoth guitar parts with his tech. On the headstock of the Warmoth Telecasters, Shiflett's nickname "Shifty" replaces the Fender logo that would appear on a Telecaster created by Fender. He also has a signature Fender Telecaster Deluxe based on the Warmoth Telecasters, that is now his main guitar.

Effects
Amplifiers

Discography

See also: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes discography and Foo Fighters discography

No Use for a Name

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

See also: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes discography

Foo Fighters

See also: Foo Fighters discography

Jackson United

Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants

Chris Shiflett solo

  • 2017: West Coast Town
  • 2019: Hard Lessons

Guest appearance

  • 1997: Ten Foot Pole – Unleashed (additional guitar on "Denial", "What You Want" and "Pride and Shame")
  • 1998: Swingin' Utters – Five Lessons Learned (lead guitar on "I Need Feedback" and "United 21")
  • 2006: Viva Death – One Percent Panic
  • 2007: Jesse Malin – Glitter In The Gutter (additional guitar on "Prisoners Of Paradise")

References

  1. ^ "Chris Shiflett (I)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  2. ^ "Chris Shiflett performs "This Ol' World" | Fender Artist Check-In | Fender". YouTube. April 11, 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Premier League predictions: Lawro v Foo Fighters guitarist and Arsenal fan Chris Shiflett". BBC Sport. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  4. ^ Moll, James (2011). Back and Forth.
  5. ^ "The Real McCoy hajosi | Yle Uutiset". Yle.fi. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  6. ^ "Featured Content on Myspace". Myspace.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  7. ^ a b "Chris Shiflett – Music, Tour, Photos". Chrisshiflettmusic.com.
  8. ^ "Home". Walkingthefloor.com.
  9. ^ "Gibson Les Paul | Musician's Friend". Musiciansfriend.com. 2014-07-10. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  10. ^ "How to Capture Chris Shiflett's Foo Fighters Guitar Tone". Gibson.com. 2008-10-28. Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  11. ^ "Gretsch® Guitar Schris Shiflett". Archived from the original on July 3, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
  12. ^ "Chris Shiflett on Instagram: "Getting ready for summer..."". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
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