Originally from Kentucky, I moved to Vegas several years ago to pursue the dream of playing music full time. That dream was finally realized in 2011 when I joined 5FDP as their new bassist. Never give up on your dreams – I’m living proof that with hard work and a little bit of luck, they can come true.
Chris Kael’s Story
Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky.
At age fifteen, while attending Lafayette High School, Kael began playing bass and quickly discovered his niche in the music world. After a year of practice, Kael acquired an Ibanez Rickenbacker copy and began spending substantial periods of time writing and playing music in his parents attic with his network of like-minded friends. However, his commitment to music meant his school grades suffered and ultimately, he dropped out.
In the years that followed, Kael spent as much time as he could absorbing Lexington’s live scene and became instrumental in establishing all-ages shows at venues in the area. During this time, Kael was also in a number of bands and could be seen playing his B.C. Rich Warlock bass (the same used by Motely Crue’s Nikki Sixx) in pubs and clubs in Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Nashville and Huntington.
Despite having relative success in Kentucky, Kael decided to move to Las Vegas in the early 2000s with the intention of eventually moving to Los Angeles. However, the aspiring bassist felt at home in Vegas and quickly established a substantial network of musicians to work on projects with. While nothing major substantiated for Kael during his first few years in Las Vegas, he eventually met members of the renowned Vegas band, the Sin City Sinners and began playing shows with them.
In 2010, while working as a bartender on the Las Vegas strip, Kael learnt that Matt Snell had left Five Finger Death Punch and that the band was searching for his replacement. He contacted guitarist Jason Hook via Facebook to express his interest in joining and organized the audition that would lead to him becoming a permanent member of the band in 2011.
Kael has been touring the world and releasing albums with Five Finger Death Punch ever since.