Three of the world’s most accomplished acoustic guitarists have announced that they will unite for a major 20-date UK tour in September & October 2012. Guitar Masters Tour is a unique experience for music fans to enjoy marquee virtuosity in a living room-concert setting and features internationally renowned musicians Andy McKee, Preston Reed and Jon Gomm. The three will share an all-acoustic bill, jam, play their calling-card tunes and reveal their formative influences and. signature guitar techniques.
Andy McKee is one of the world’s finest acoustic guitar soloists. Having shot to worldwide prominence with his technically astounding Drifting, he has since received over 200,000,000 (yes, 200 million) plays online. At one point he held the #1, #2 and #3 positions for their Top-Rated Videos of All Time. However McKee’s online success is no gimmick; as a live musician he performs over 200 shows a year worldwide, has independently released five studio albums, was awarded the Acoustic Guitar Magazine worldwide silver medal award for fingerstyle.
McKee’s live shows are a true testament to his art of stringsmanship and engaging repartee, appealing both to the every day music fan and guitar aficionados alike. His deft talents give his music life through altered tunings, syncopated rhythm and guitar taps. Andy’s textural use of polyphonic tones and his unique multi-layering approach means whilst he alone plucks, strums, taps the strings and body, he creates the illusion of a full band accompaniment.
Hailing from Blackpool, Jon Gomm is a singer-songwriter who accompanies himself with polyrhythmic hitting-on-side-of-the-guitar drumming and who is known for his on-the-spot detuning to quickly access unavailable bass notes. According to Acoustic Magazine he is one of the world’s most successful, gifted and inspirational guitar players. His track Passionflower recently went viral after being tweeted by no less than Stephen Fry. Since then it has received over 2 million views and Jon has appeared on BBC Breakfast, The One Show and been featured in numerous national newspapers.
Preston Reed is a one-man revolution. Acclaimed as one of as the world’s most gifted guitarists (Total Guitar magazine), the New York native tweaks the nose of musical convention, pokes the eye of accepted wisdom, and burns the rulebook of the past. His unique style is impossible, unfathomable, unthinkable, as with blurred hands he taps, tickles, slaps and soothes his instrument to create a sonic landscape.
The two-year-old Guitar Masters Tour has clocked up 347 shows, and continues to combine technically masterful acoustic guitar performances with artist’s workshop accessibility for an engaging and participatory fan experience.
Video:
Andy McKee – Guitar – Drifting
Andy McKee performing “Hunter’s Moon”
Jon Gomm – Passionflower
Preston Reed: Tractor Pull
GUITAR MASTERS UK TOUR – SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2012
September 2012
Wed 12 Folkestone Quarterhouse 01303 858 500
Thu 13 Brighton Komedia 0845 293 8480
Fri 14 Farnham Farmham Maltings 01252 745 444
Sat 15 Wimborne The Tivoli Theatre 01202 885 566
Sun 16 Exeter Phoenix 01392 667 080
Wed 19 Cardiff Glee Club 0871 472 0400
Thu 20 Bristol Fleece 0117 929 9008
Fri 21 Gloucester Guildhall 01452 503 050
Sat 22 Derby Guildhall Theatre 01332 255 800
Sun 23 Birmingham Glee Club 0871 472 0400
Wed 26 Liverpool Epstein Theatre 08444 771 000
Thu 27 Manchester RNCM Concert Hall 0161 907 5555
Fri 28 Kendal Brewery Arts Centre 01539 725 133
Sat 29 Glasgow Òran Mór 08444 155 221
Sun 30 Edinburgh Pleasance Theatre 0131 650 4673
October 2012
Wed 3-Oct Gateshead Sage 2 0191 443 4661
Thu 4-Oct Leeds City Varieties 0113 243 0808
Fri 5-Oct Colchester Arts Centre 01206 500 900
Sat 6-Oct Norwich UEA LCR 01603 508 050
Sun 7-Oct London Union Chapel 08444 771 000
Photo credit Christine Porubsky