Tag: Music

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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!

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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.

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“Coming Home (Live)” now available on Youtube

A second clip from ‘An Evening with Matt Stevenson’ live at The Core @ Corby Cube has been released to Youtube. This time featuring Elio Andrade on vocals, this song was originally written by Timo Tolkki and recorded by Stratovarius on their 1997 “Visions” album.

This has always been a favourite of mine, and exemplifies the quality of Tolkki’s work while he was with the band Stratovarius. My version, whilst different from the original, aims to strike a strong contrast between the longing of the lyrics in the early verses and the certainty of the lyrics immediately before the guitar solo. As the solo begins, the song transforms from delicate ballad into something much more powerful!
This was a real joy to perform, and I hope that you enjoy listening to it – Matt.

“All the trust that was built along the years
Is coming back to stay.
I know, just look ahead, the road is free,
I’m coming home.”