Wes Wehmiller
bassguitarist 1997-2001

Name
J. Wesley Wehmiller (but please, call me "Wes").

Date of Birth
Sept. 12th, 1971

When did you first pick up a bass guitar and why did you choose to play bass?
When? I don't know, but I remember it being too heavy to pick up. As far as why, it's hard to jump into the mind of that little kid, but whatever reason I had then has nothing to do with why I'm still doing it.

Have you worked with any other well-known artists besides Duran/Warren?
I'm not sure who's well known these days..., Martika, Ahmet Zappa, Shankar. It goes down hill from there.

How did you get into contact with Warren and come to play for him during his solo shows in 1995?
To make a long story short... If you saw any of Warren's shows in 95/96, you may have witnessed the AMAZING Joe Travers exploding behind the drum kit. I was first introduced/recommended to Warren by Joe sometime in 94 or 95, I think.

Were you surprised to be asked to join Duran Duran on their Medazzaland tour?
Yes. When John left the band, I didn't think for a second that I would even be considered. I never pictured a young looking, long haired, soft spoken, American guy like my self-fitting in to that sort of mold. From what I hear, plenty of J.T. fans would agree.

Did you take any special notice of Duran prior to doing those live shows with Warren?
Getting to know Warren was my first (so called) connection to the band. Prior to that, I was always a fan of their music, but I wouldn't call it taking special notice.

Do you own any Duran albums? (if so - which ones)
Before they sent me the entire catalog a few weeks before rehearsals, I had Rio, Arena, Seven and The Ragged Tiger, and the Wedding Album.

Which track did you most enjoy playing live on the Duran shows and why?
I enjoyed playing different tunes for different reasons. If any one song ever floated my boat more than another, it was probably because of a mood I was in. I'm certainly not the type of guy who likes playing a tune because I get to "play" a lot.

Looking back on the Duran tour now, what overall impressions/images spring to mind?
It's pretty simple. I had a great time working with a great bunch of guys.

What did you enjoy most and enjoy least on the tour?
My lame answer for "most" would be performing. I think what I enjoyed the least was the lack of sleep.

Did you feel as if you had to live up to a certain reputation because you were replacing John Taylor on stage?
I feel that it would be impossible for ANYONE to live up to his reputation.

It has been said that Duran fans are very loyal and dedicated to the band, perhaps more so than other fans. What has been your impression of this from joining the band on tour? Do you agree/disagree?
From what I've seen at the airports, the hotels, the venues seven hours before showtime, and on the internet, I would definitely agree.

Which artists do you admire/ are you a fan of?
I wouldn't know where to begin. I'm a fan of good song writing. I've never heard of an artist who had nothing but good songs; in other words, there's a big difference between admiring the artist and admiring his/her work. Some artists have more songs that I like than others, but I guess that's true of everyone. Does that make sense? Didn't think so.

What was the last album you bought?
Too embarrassing.

You've just set up your own band with a group of fellow musicians, I Claudius; can you tell us a bit more about that, e.g. if you have an album coming out soon?
"I, Claudius" started out as a joke. My roommate/singer and I tried to see if we could quickly apply the 90's alternative rock formula to our own original project. The only thing making us different from the typical band of today is that we ADMIT we're typical.

Since this is for our ten-year anniversary issue, where were you and what were you doing in 1988?
I was even more of a basket case than I am now. That's all I can say about my last years of high school.

*Thank you* for taking the time to answer this.
No problem. It's an honor.