Rod recently returned from the second annual
Isle of Man and Manx Grand Prix
GuitarFest, held over the first weekend in September, organised by
Jonathan Gollow of
Jonno Promotions. Several
guitarists representing different styles and genres made their way to the island via plane or
ferry - Rod and his partner Marie, along with fellow
musicians Gordon Giltrap,
Pete Smith and
Roger Inniss, having the misfortune to
be on a ferry which was delayed by bad weather and made a particularly bumpy crossing, arriving
several hours late on the Friday night and necessitating the hasty rearrangement of Pete and
Roger's gig scheduled for that evening.
Having made landfall, however, the storm-tossed troubadours were able to enjoy a weekend of
exemplary hospitality, well-organised events and a wide range of music. Using a number of
different venues, the GuitarFest presented workshops, open mic sessions, informal gigs and
full-scale concerts. Rod's first appearance of the weekend was at a masterclass on slide guitar
which he gave to a small but appreciative audience at the
Peter Norris Music shop in Douglas on
Saturday afternoon. That evening, he joined the main concert bill in Douglas's superbly restored
Gaiety Theatre. Following an opening set from promising newcomer
Michael Berk, Rod played two
songs – Old Blue Goose and
Meet Me On The Corner – as a trailer for his headlining
spot in Peel the following night, before Gordon Giltrap and then the engaging French virtuoso
Pierre Bensusan
performed their main sets of the weekend.
The following day, Sunday, most of the gang made their way across the island to Peel, to be
treated to a pub meal by Jonno and then present the final gig of the weekend at the small but
friendly Centenary Centre. Proceedings were opened with a performance of jaw-droppingly
adventurous technique from Amrit Sond, who
did things with an acoustic guitar most of those present had never seen before, and would have
sent purists running for the hills had it not been for his engagingly self-effacing stage
persona. Pete Smith (guitar) and Roger Inniss (bass) then performed an accomplished set of
instrumental pieces spanning blues, jazz & folk elements and leavened with Pete's dry humour.
Rod finished the evening with an hour-long set which was warmly received by an audience largely
unfamiliar with his material, but the crowds around the CD table afterwards attested to the
enthusiasm with which he was received.
On Monday morning Jonno and his helper Bod took most of the
party on a brief trip to see the island scenery, culminating in lunch overlooking the
Calf of Man at the spectacular southern tip of the island. Then it was back
to Douglas, a quick photo-op featuring a bronzed
Sir Norman (see above), and the ferry
back to Liverpool – thankfully a much smoother crossing on the return.
Thanks are due to Jonno and his team, and the event's sponsors, for organising such an
imaginative and efficiently run festival, and extending hospitality way beyond the call of duty.
Thanks, and best wishes for further successful GuitarFests in the years to come.
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