Guitarist DOUG DOPPLER To Open For GILBY CLARKE In Europe

Favored Nations recording artist Doug Doppler has been tapped to open for former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke on his European tour in April. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon.

In addition to being on Steve Vai's boutique label, Doug Doppler is also a former student of Joe Satriani. Quoted in Guitar magazine, Satriani had this to say about his former pupil: "Doug Doppler has a great guitar sound — it's uncanny."

What makes Doppler's music so appealing is the fact that he has taken inspiration from his mentors and forged his own sound that is heavy, melodic, extremely modern, and appeals to a broad range of hard rock fans — without being derivative. From Satriani he has inherited a sense of melody, and also a sense of composition that is not just about a musical opportunity for yet another endless guitar solo. Doppler continues to be inspired by today’s music. "Stu Hamm (former Satriani bassist who guests on the record) and I both independently came up with the name 'Nu Instrumetal'. To me the title was about taking my love for both instrumental music and modern metal, not about trying to create some new style of music. Since the disc was released, SO many great new bands have come out that have shaped my playing in new ways. One of the things that makes instrumental music so cool is that you can take a composition and continue to make it something new, well past the point of what was modern at the time the disc was recorded. 'Nu Instrumetal' was intended to be a starting place for me as a composer — not a final destination. Because these songs are not tied to a singer, there is great freedom to get creative within a composition from night to night and take it somewhere new that is still true to the song. I am very excited to bring these songs to Europe and be inspired by the whole experience."

Like his mentor, Doug is also an accomplished instructor, and was in fact personally selected by Satriani to take over his Berkeley, CA teaching studio. Every bit as excited about sharing his musical knowledge as he is about performing, Doppler has just released the first title in his Guitar 411 instructional DVD series. "I have a passion about the guitar and creating music. Sharing that passion with other guitarists is a key part of what continues to shape my experience as a musician. By staying plugged into this process I am continuously reminded about what I love about making music. Joe gave so much to me as a teacher, and he continues to shape my career. Although 'Satch' introduced us years ago, I know the fact that Joe personally sent my disc to Steve Vai was a huge factor in Steve's signing me to Favored Nations. I have been VERY fortunate, and it is very important to me that I pass what I have learned on to future generations of guitarists."