User:Waytagojoe/Mark Stoermer

Mark Stoermer (born June 28, 1977) is a member of American rock band The Killers. He is the band's bassist and backup vocalist. He is also known for his influential playing style and melody capturing bass lines.

Personal life
Stoermer was born to an America mother and an Australian-American father, who was a big band style musician. He and his fellow band members formed in Las Vegas while working temporary positions and practicing in the UNLV band room after hours in 2002 and 2003. After moving to Las Vegas his musical roots reached deep and he began playing trumpet in the Chaparral High School Jazz ensemble and guitar in local bands including Negative Ponies and Habit Rouge. He was asked to join the band while in its earliest stages and although he had previously been a lead guitarist he pursued playing the bass. Stoermer studied Philosophy at UNLV and took music classes while in the marching band there. He has previously and does currently help write the Killers hit songs (including Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, When You Were Young, Somebody Told Me and more). Mark does not drink or smoke but enjoys orange juice.

Mark was featured on the cover of Bass Guitar Magazine in June 2009 and has been interviewed by other major bass guitar publications including Bass Player Magazine.

Equipment
Basses: All are strung with medium-gauge GHS Bass Boomers. Basses are tuned to standard or down a 1/2 step. Drop-D tuning on both versions of the song Sam's Town and on the recorded version of Tranquilize.
 * Fenders Geddy Lee Jazz Basses, Tony Franklin Precision Bass (fretless), Rickenbacker 3001 basses. He also uses a Guild Starfire, Fender Pbass, and a Hofner 500/1 "Beatle Bass" (flatpicked). On the song "For Reasons Unknown" Stoermer uses a Gibson SG Guitar.

Gear: NOTE: Hiwatt currently are one of Stoermer's sponsors.
 * Ampeg SVT Classic Head and 8x10" SVT Cabinets
 * Hiwatt Custom 200 Head (one dirty, one clean) and Hiwatt SE-1510 4x10+1x15 cabs (x2, one rig with effects, one clean)
 * Fender Deville 2x12"


 * BOSS DS-1 distortion pedal
 * BOSS GE-7 EQ pedal
 * Big Muff Sovtek Big Muff pedal (for live performances of 'Andy, You’re a Star')
 * BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver (modified) (x2)
 * BOSS GEB-7 Bass EQ (for volume boost)
 * tc electronics chorus/flanger
 * mixer ph100 phaser
 * [[Big Muff] pi (electro harmonix keeley modded)
 * Zaolla Artist and Zaolla Silverline series cables as instrument leads, cable speakers, and cable snakes

Picks: Dunlop Nylon - 1.00mm

Playing style
Mark Stoermer mainly plays with a pick. He says "I love the punch and grit of a pick. . . I do a lot of unconscious palm muting. I love how you can instantly get that clunky tone with shorter notes.  It's a great sound."

He also aims to make the bass a "half percussion instrument and half melodic instrument". Stoermer feels that "You can add to a song’s melodic side without taking away from the vocals. That’s my favorite kind of bass playing." His signature bass sound, featured in songs including Jenny Was a Friend of Mine and Somebody Told Me, Move Away, Forget About What I Said and Joy Ride has influenced many other bands and even a genre of music in bass driven New Wave/Synth Rock.

Influences
Mark Stoermer cites influences such as Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, John Entwistle of The Who, and Paul McCartney. He also lists as influences The Cure, U2, and New Order.