8/3/2010 -
Luke Riverside, has embarked on the European summer festival tour as lead guitarist with The Phenomenal Handclap Band, using his Eventide PitchFactor as a centerpiece of his sound. The Phenomenal Handclap Band, an amalgam of musical influences from 70s funk, psychedelic rock, and disco whose ‘Dim the Lights’ has appeared on a recent episode of ‘Gossip Girl.’ The Phenomenal Handclap band recently performed at the Glastonbury festival in the southwest of England and will be appearing at a number of club dates and summer festivals including Rome, Cologne, Sofia, and London.
“When The Phenomenal Handclap Band initially started touring we had two keyboard players in the band. Last year one of them realized he could no longer go on the road with us; this left us with a huge hole in our live sound. The band looked to me to try to cover some of the parts on guitar. Every pedal I tried just didn't have the power or sound of the missing keyboard parts.” Riverside added, “With the PitchFactor on my pedal board, I can seamlessly cover the missing keyboard parts and sound effects that would have previously sounded ridiculous when played on guitar.”
Riverside has played with a broad variety of bands, including Antibalas, the Roots, Superhuman Happiness, and recorded with Mary J. Blige on her recent #1 Billboard album, ‘Growing Pains’.