Category: Cool Happenings

Posted on

Last Concerts of 2023

The end of this year has seen me attending several very different concerts in a range of genres. These are my highlights:

  • Blue Rose Code @ The Stables, MK: My first time discovering this really exceptional Scottish band, led by Ross Wilson. This was a stripped down set of really powerful music and lyrics – two acoustic guitars, Ross on vocals, and an Electro Harmonix Freeze pedal. Incredibly powerful stuff.
  • Europe @ De Montfort Hall, Leicester: Still going strong and sounding absolutely fantastic live on this, their ‘Time Capsule’ 40th anniversary tour. The highlight for me was seeing John Norum ripping out the Superstitious solo; super nostalgic!
  • Damian Lewis @ The Stables, MK: Bit of an odd one. The famous actor, Damian Lewis (of Homeland fame) brought his blues/rock/jazz band to The Stables to promote his new album “Mission Creep”. The best feature of the show was Giacomo Smith’s performance on clarinet. Otherwise, unfortunately, it was quite an average show. Happily, I did meet him afterwards and get my album signed.
  • Guy Barker’s Big Band Christmas @ Royal Albert Hall, London: My first visit to the Albert Hall – an absolutely spectacular venue, and I had a great view from the third row of the stalls. It was an extravaganza of festive tunes, performed by some immense musicians: Giacomo Smith on clarinet (barely a month since I saw him last!), Vanessa Haynes, and Clare Teal. The big band was of course, also immense 🙂
Posted on

A Childhood Dream: Finally Seeing Yngwie Play Live!

Like many fledgling guitarists, my young teenage self was obsessed with the lightning-fast neoclassical stylings of Swedish guitar virtuoso, Yngwie Malmsteen. I fondly remember watching (and re-watching!) the VHS tape of Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad, which my uncle lent me as inspiration for my guitar playing aspirations.

Over the past couple of decades, my musical priorities and preferences have largely shifted away from the speed, shredding, and relentless arpeggios. However, if for no other reason than nostalgia, I simply couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see Yngwie in my neck of the woods, and so I bought tickets to see him at KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton

What a show.

It took me right back. The Strats. The ridiculous wall of Marshalls. The familiar solos, played even faster than on the record. The vocals, whilst not up to Joe Lynn Turner’s standards, were certainly good enough to bring back the magic of that old Leningrad record.

10/10 for nostalgia (and shred).

Posted on

Meeting Rabea Massaad

I’ve been very fortunate in meeting some of my music heroes, and today was no exception. I went to Rabea Massaad’s guitar clinic at guitarguitar in Birmingham. His playing was – perhaps unsurprisingly – precise, soulful and full of really tasteful ideas that just make you want to go home and write new music.

Afterwards he stayed to chat with us, and I was privileged enough to bend the man’s ear for a few minutes. He’s just an incredibly friendly and approachable person, and seemed really interested in meeting and chatting with his fans. He really is proof that (whilst apparently rare) it is possible to be a genuinely decent person in the music business. Goodonya, Rabea!

Posted on

Look Mum, no computer!

I met Sam Battle, AKA “Look Mum No Computer” at Maker’s Central in Birmingham, and it was brilliant! He turned up with a collection of some of his weird and wonderful creations. The Tellytubby Tidal Wave was my favourite, closely followed by the Furby synthesizer module.

He’s a really lovely guy. Expect no showbiz polish; he’s just someone who clearly enjoys tinkering and sharing that enjoyment. Watching him play, you could tell he cares about both the sound and the engineering behind it. Sam’s truly the best of British: boundless creativity, a talent for engineering, and a great sense of humour. I challenge anybody to meet Sam and his creations and walk away without a smile.