Frederic
Leclercq / May 2006 
here
1.What did you feel when the DragonForce asked you to help them as a bass player?
It was quite funny to have Herman on the phone asking me to play bass for them since Im a guitarist...we laughed together and I immediately said yes. I actually received his phonecall while rehearsing with JADED HEART in Germany...
2.Was it just a temporary request or it included a
possibility to be a permanent member?
Temporary request. "would like to help us, we have 3 gigs to do and we need someone to play bass, sure you can do it"... that was it :)
3.I've read that you accepted the offer to be official bass
player for DF without confusion though were there anything
like mental conflict to play "bass"? Because you're
originally a guitar player and you have your own band.
Yeah well, to be quite honest I prefer playing guitar without a doubt :) but ...I love playing music, and since Im having fun with them on stage, I didnt think twice when they asked me to become a permanent member...Bass in Dragonforce is cool, I dont have to concentrate that much on the instrument, so Ive got more time to stare at girls in the crowd :P :P
4.At the show in Tokyo in December 2005, you said your job
was supporting them, I was impressed with your proffesinal
musicianship! But now you are not a support member. Anything
change in your mind? How do you think now?
Domo arigato ;) mmm, na, nothing changed really...let me think...well, Im more involved in the band for I now can express my opinion on different things, setlist, gigs, any kind of decision...we are 6 now. that's the only difference.part from that Im still a french cunt :D
5.Which is better to play bass of DF songs, to keep formar
player's lines or to add your ones?
I have a lot of respect for Diccon Harper and I think he really did a great job on "Valley"..he is a proper bass player, definitely!(that doesnt mean Im saying smthing bad about Adrian Lambert, dont get me wrong :))
But to be quite honest I listen to the song twice and then play along....but I kept some of Diccon's lines for they are cool, like in "heart of a Dragon" or "Revelations".. for "Sonic" and "Inhuman" I just do my own shit...
6.Formar player didn't use pick but you often use. Then I'd
like to ask what is a difference for you between playing with
pick and with your fingers?
Well I cant play with fingers, simple as that :) I know some guys say "a proper bass player plays with his fingers, period." Fair enough, Im not a proper bass player, so...;)
7.I have an big interest how do you play the bass solo at the
middle of the song Body Breakdown. You played this song on
recent US tour, right? DF have lots of guitar solo but ones
for bass are a few...do you want play your solos more?
ha, "Body Breakdown"...like I said I didnt bother learning what Adrian recorded. :) so I just do something...Im not into bass solos. Well, I have respect for guys like Robert Trujillo, Victor Wooten, but since I concentrated all my work and time on guitar, I dont wanna start again and learn how to slap etc...these strings are too big for me! :) so yeah, anyway, I had to play something in Body Breakdown, so I just did kinda tapping...without seriously looking at it :P and no, I dont wanna play bass solos :)
8.How do you think about 2 guitar players of DF, Herman and
Sam? Could you tell me through two points of view, one is as
the bass player, the other is as a guitar player.
Since I cant pretend being a real bassplayer, I will give you my opinion as a guitarist...well, as Fred.
they are both talented and different... Sam is more melodic and has a fast picking style...I actually think he's got some kind of "country music" influences..he maybe started with a banjo, I dont know :) but you can remember his solos easily and that's something I like! Herman is the shredder, Vai-Romeo kinda style! he knows a lot of tricks and techniques and its always a pleasure to listen to his shit! top of that he's got a great presence on stage!
9.In the near future, are you going to write song for DF?
I dont know...I have to compose and concentrate on Maladaptive, and anyway Im not sure..I dont think Id be able to compose smthing for DragonForce.well lets see, I could take care of the "evil" side of the songs, maybe..:) well I dont know really.
10.any messeges to readers of this page, please?
mmmm...See you soon, thanx for your support...wait, that's a bit obvious, mmm...
ok, hmmm...ha well I dont know, I just hope we can meet and have a chat directly together. I dont know you but Id love to! feel free to send me your comments: fred@dragonforce.com and till then, drink some whiskey for me! :)