Gigs and Stuff at the weekend

This weekend was really a game of two halves. Up early on Saturday morning for a trip to London, and this time for a specific reason, I noticed on Kevin Armstrong’s website that Reeves Gabrels was doing a guitar master class in London.

Well this was something I have always wanted to do , learn some tricks from the master, I have always regarded him as one of the greatest guitar players in the world, so I had to do it.


So got into London ans went to Vintage And Rare guitars in Denmark St which was where it was happening. Now there were 2 other guitar students, both teenagers and both very good players.

I had flashbacks to working at Bills where every Saturday you would have some kids coming in that could whiz up and down the fret board at 100 mph!
Anyhow, Reeves and Kevin were both really good, and I learned a lot, specifically about making the usual ‘Standard’ solo techniques more interesting, and to adding discords etc to it. It was all over far too quick.








So I had a solo show in London, I figured while I was in town id see if I could get a gig, I have only been doing this singing stuff for about a year, and though I did the ALF gig a few months ago, being up there on your own is a totally different ball game. I also had to take my own PA, this was actually a tip to the old days when ALF would tour with our own pa, some of the kit I was using I had not used since 1992!

Still it all worked, and It was nice that I had full control over the monitor!!
I did a set of all sorts, the songs I played were

Fortunes Light

Feel
Blue Sky
Don’t Look Back
(Lloyd Cole song)
Love is a Spirit (Arthur Brown Song)
Crimson

Twenty Nine Point Nine

Friends Forever
(Where I also did a mid guitar change so I could do the solo on electric!)
Broken Dream

Close Down (Not played this one in a while and first time solo)
Jessica
To Behold

So there was my solo songs, some ALF and a bit of Secrets for September at the end. Listening to the recording not my best set, the vocals were a bit wobbly, but that can be sorted in time all of this is experience as far as I'm concerned, the nerves are nothing like they were though playing to mates being in the front row always puts on an added pressure.
It was a good night, and was really great to have a few friends there, even if my pal Roger turned up about 5 minute after the gig ended!!

Afterwards we headed off to some pub where a few mates were hanging out at some goffs party in the other room, we stayed in the main bar and talked about the old days, that might inspire me of digging out the Karate Party video.





Graham took a great set of photos here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wanderlustg/sets/72157625334540994/with/5156015574/




Comments

Marc Hughes said…
Sounds like a great night Matt - also cool to see you met Reeves - loved his playing on the Tin Machine album(s)

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