The Aquabats’ Ian Fowles puts down his laser guitar and summons The Dude

The moment it all started…

“My dad had a decent record collection and I remember when I was a kid he would play Led Zeppelin’s song Over The Hills And Far Away and he would turn it up really loud – so that after the long acoustic intro, when the full band finally came in, it sounded like the heavens opening. It just hit me like a tonne of bricks. I knew I wanted to do that. That… plus watching Michael J Fox play Johnny B. Goode in Back To The Future. I would grab an umbrella or tennis racquet and run around jumping off the couch or stairs pretending I was playing guitar.”

I couldn’t live without my…

“I probably couldn’t live without the Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive pedal. It was the first pedal I ever bought and is still my favourite go-to overdrive.”

The one that got away…

“I’m kind of always on a perpetual tone-hunt. I’m always buying, selling, building, or trading gear, so I usually don’t often get overly sentimental over gear except for my first Les Paul, a 1996 Wine Red Standard. I sold it after the headstock joint had broken three separate times. I didn’t consider it roadworthy at that point, so I sold it. But then, after I bought a newer one to replace it, I realised that the new one – a 2001 Black Standard – just didn’t have the same mojo in it. It was then that I began to realise that some guitars have the magic in them and some don’t. Hold on to the ones with the magic in them if you can find them!”

My signature model…

“If I were able to design a signature guitar, i think it would be fun to do a Fender Marauder. It was such a cool guitar that didn’t get a fair chance. I love all the knobs and switches – it’s like you’re in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon or something! I would find cool options for all of them. It would be Surf Burst in color and I would do a maple fretboard with big black block inlays, and i would call it the Masked Marauder, because I wear a mask in The Aquabats!.”

The first thing I play when I pick up a guitar…

“When I pick up a guitar, I usually hit a big E chord. I want to see how the guitar vibrates before its even plugged it. If it sounds good unplugged, chances are it’s going to sound great when plugged in.”

My Spinal Tap moment…

“I’ve definitely gotten lost backstage! It was this giant indoor amusement-park-type place in Delaware – I was playing and the green room was so far away through twisting hallways. Almost missed going on while trying to find my way back to the stage.”

My guilty pleasure…

“A Flock Of Seagulls!”

I’m in the band…

“If I could have been in any band, it would have been The Cars. I love their songs and the tones so much. Or The Smashing Pumpkins, just so I could get into philosophical discussions with Billy Corgan while on the road.”

I wish I was there…

“If I could attend one gig in history, I think it would have to have been Live Aid at Wembley. Just to see Queen. I think it’s one of the best live sets ever played by any band in history.”

The most important thing on my rider…

“Socks. Preferably Stance Socks. A brand new pair of socks everyday on tour is a magical thing. Socks… and Cherry Coke.”

If I could just play one thing…

“I really respect all the old rockabilly/country players – stuff like Chet Atkins and Roy Clark. All their picking is so clean. Plus, the hybrid picking stuff is wild, I wish I could do that better.”

The Aquabats! Super Show! Television Soundtrack Volume One is available now. For more info, visit theaquabats.com.