Dom's Colours by Drew Dudgeon

He's Argentinean and for nine years he has played guitar in the former Policeman's band. In 2000 he will be in Buenos Aires presenting Sting's new record.

Although he is not from Cordoba as the legend says, Dominic Miller lived for the first 10 of his 39 years in Argentina. He remembers that he grew up in Hurlingham, and the football team he supports, River Plate. In London he studied music and from very young he worked as a session guitarist for Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, The Pretenders, Sheryl Crow before joining Sting's band, where he has been for nine years and four records. With him, in Las Vegas, he started a tour that for 14 months will keep him travelling around the world, far away from his home in Wimbledon and from his four sons - the eldest, Rufus, (14) is also a guitarist.

Is Sting, with his band, like the school teacher he used to be?

He's the boss and he's super professional. He listens to everything that's happening and a gesture from him is enough for us to understand there's a sound he doesn't like. He lets us improvise things that don't happen with others.

For instance?

With Phil Collins, George Michael or Elton John you can't experiment, they are very strict. Sting lets you grow, he doesn't push your head down.

How did you met him?

In an audition in NYC, in 1990. He asked me if I knew Fragile and I, nervous, said "No, is it yours?". The technicians were dying of laughter!! Sting played it for me, then I played it for him, and then he employed me.

Do you have to put yourself in the skin of Andy Summers when Sting plays The Police songs?

I try not to change the guitar arrangements as a tribute to Andy. I love those songs. I think The Police were the best band of the 80s. And I always loved how Andy Summers played the guitar.

Which songs of the trio the fans keep asking for?

Roxanne, of course. But also Synchronicity, King Of Pain, Message In A Bottle, Every Breath You Take, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic... People go wild, and they are the best moments of the shows.

Live, it seems that Brand New Day is more difficult to play than the previous albums, is it like that?

Is a record that has been very produced, with a lot of sequences and different sounds. The problem is that the band changed. We have to know each other to obtain equilibrium. By the time we will play in Argentina, next year, we will sound very good.

Did you play with Sting in Argentina?

Unfortunately just once, presenting Ten Summoner's Tales, I think back in 1994. It was in Cordoba (actually it was Rosario) and in Buenos Aires, and I loved it. The sad thing was that I played in Velez Sarsfield Stadium and not in River Plate, which had always been my ambition.

His audience shrank?

Grew old. They prefer to see him in small places, they don't want to wait under the rain or see the musicians far from them. We are all older.

But you played football with Alejandro Lerner (Argentinian Musician)...

The bigger problem wasn't age, but that he supports Boca Juniors. I met Alejandro in a composer's meeting that is held regularly in Miles Copeland's castle in France. We composed something and invited me to spend some days at his home in Palermo. We made 4 or 5 songs, he is very prolific. Besides, a great musician, clever, good entertainer and with an equipment that turns him, I believe, into the Argentinean Phil Collins.

What other things do you do?

A bit of everything. I'm a devotee of his band, but I like to work in other fields too, as a session musician of pop stars - like Boyzone and Backstreet Boys, for instance - or composing my own music. They are classical arrangements with acoustic guitar (one of his songs is called La Boca), songs that won't change the world but that they are liked by a few fans.

© Clarín | November 1999

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