Leeds Gigs Review

Paul Rose is a craftsman, who produces masterpieces of guitarmanship, every time he plays. To try and describe the level of skill he possesses, would be as easy as spotting a dropped stitch in the Bayeaux tapestry. In sets which bridge the acoustic guitar, with the Classical John Williams, the Blues of Tommy Emmanuel and the Rock of Jimi Hendrix, he creates a guitar master class which transfixed the audiences at both the Fox & Newt and the Duck & Drake this weekend. A play-list which went from “Somewhere over the rainbow” to “All along the Watchtower” with a little snippet of the Benny Hill theme thrown in for good measure, and you had performances not just to be remembered, but to be savoured. Performance is variable, class is permanent, Paul Rose is CLASS-personified.

leeds music promo

Yorkshire

I got home last night from my first ever venture into the Yorkshire live music scene. I had a great time at all gigs and will be looking forward to returning there soon. Which at the moment is as soon as next weekend for the Leeds Beer/Blues festival at the Fox and Newt, Burley Street, on Sunday April 8th (acoustic) and Monday April 9th (band).

My brother did his nurses training at St James hospital in Leeds and I used to hitch up there quite a bit from London, in times of desperate poverty due to excessive drunkenness. I used to wander around Leeds with "Metal Fatigue" & "Sand" on the old Walkman, trying to work out how on earth I was going to be Allan Holdsworth. Not an easy task I can tell you. But it certainly is strange going back to a place you haven't been to for a while to get a measure of how much time can change you. One thing has stayed the same though, and that is I still think Allan H is an inspiration and a genius. And yes I know, he's really from Bradford, but I hope you get the gist!!