When Kiko Loureiro isn’t melting faces while shredding alongside his Megadeth bandmates, he can often be found with a camera in his hand, documenting and vlogging the trials and tribulations of being one of today’s foremost metal guitar players.
In fact, such is the quality of his content – he has previously published behind the scenes rehearsal footage and a tour of his Neural DSP Quad Cortex-loaded rig – Loureiro is becoming something of a guitarist influencer.
With that in mind, the Megadeth maestro has been active once again on his YouTube channel, partaking in a Q&A in which he name-drops the best bass guitar player he’s ever played with.
Well, sort of. He doesn’t name drop one specific player per se, but he does list a number of bassists with whom he has a particular penchant for performing with.
To start, he reserves specific praise for his current Megadeth bandmate James LoMenzo – who was drafted in to replace David Ellefson as Megadeth's touring bassist after Ellefson was sacked from the band – citing his strong jamming skills and robust musicianship.
“I’m enjoying so much to play with James now.” he commented. “He’s a great player, and actually I enjoy jamming with him, because he has this jamming vibe.
“On the Megadeth concerts, of course he plays what is there,” Loureiro continued, “but when we jam I think he shows all his skills and musicality on another level I would say, or in a different way.
“It’s great to get to know people through music. Same with Dirk [Verbeuren], same with Dave [Mustaine]. We’re creating music [and] composing.”
LoMenzo isn’t the only bassist to get an honorable mention from Loureiro, though, and given the guitarist's prolific career it’s unsurprising that he’s shared the stage and studio with a wealth of low-end heavyweights.
Others to receive Loureiro’s praise include Felipe Andreoli and Carlinhos Noronha – with whom Loureiro recorded most of his solo albums – as well as the Brazilian Luis Mariutti, Doug Wimbish and LoMenzo’s predecessor David Ellefson.
“I’m fortunate to have the chance to play with great players,” Loureiro noted. “I believe choosing the right musicians to play with you is so important, because in music there is no right and wrong. In art you have the skills, so depending on the style, the musician has to have certain skills.
“But art is not about the technique, it's about the style. You have to choose the right musician to play with you. You need to find the right person that fits your concept – your musical concept.”
Elsewhere in the Q&A, Loureiro discussed his off-stage relationship with former Megadeth man and In Flames touring guitarist Chris Broderick, whose current band toured with Megadeth earlier this year.
He also delves into a bit of technical chat, discussing juggling piano and classical guitar responsibilities – and the manicure-related problems that such duties create – and how he practiced and perfected his smooth fretting skills by using a bathroom mirror.
