News

RIP STUART FRASER 0

Respected and much-loved guitarist Stuart (Chet) Fraser – a founding member of Noiseworks, long-term player in John Farnham’s band, and occasional guitarist in Jimmy Barnes’ band has died after battling lung cancer since 2017.

Fraser was such an integral part of Noiseworks, a band which featured some of the best musicians in the country and have produced a swag of incredible songs, such as ‘Take Me Back’, ‘Love Somebody’, ‘Touch’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Miles and Miles’ and ‘In My Youth’. The band sold in excess of 1.2 million albums with 15 hit singles.

“To my dear friend Stuart Fraser. It was a privilege to have been able to love you and be loved by you. I will miss you greatly,” said Noiseworks bandmate Steve Balbi

“I’ve known Stuart since he was a young boy. He was one of the most beautiful souls I have ever met. The world will be a sadder place without you my friend,” Jimmy Barnes wrote on his Facebook page this morning

Daryl Braithwaite too posted a message. “My condolences to the family and friends of Stuart Fraser who died late Saturday after a long illness. He was a lovely man and such a fine guitarist, may he rest in peace.”

Stuart has also worked with Tom Jones, Ray Charles, Boz Scaggs, Kylie Minogue, Joe Camilleri, Tommy Emmanuel, Tina Arena, Olivia Newton-John, Nick Barker, Diesel, Daryl Braithwaite, Ross Wilson and David Hirschfelder to name a few, as well as working with Chong Lim on Dancing With The Stars and the Sydney Olympic Games.

Ross Wilson Jimmy Barnes, John Farnham, Noiseworks and Diesel came together to play a benefit show for Fraser, organized by Support Act in 2017 after he had been diagnosed with cancer.
RIP Stuart Fraser

MARTY FRIEDMAN: AUSTRALIAN TOUR INTERVIEW 0

Legendary guitar virtuoso MARTY FRIEDMAN will be returning to Australia, for the first time with his full “Super Band” in December. With a career spanning over thirty years with some of the world’s biggest heavy metal acts including Megadeth, on top of a stellar solo career, Marty Friedman is a household name for guitarists across the world. Due to massive demand from Australian fans, Marty will also be doing 4 very special masterclasses before each show in Australia, giving guitarists across the country the opportunity to learn from one of the world’s greatest guitarists in an extremely intimate setting.

Ahead of the Australian tour, Marty took some time out to chat with local guitar identity James Ryan about his career, gear and the upcoming concerts and masterclasses.

James: Marty this will be your first ever band tour to Australia, although you have been here before because I saw you in clinic years ago…
Marty: Yeah that was the most recent time. I think around 2010. This is first time coming with my band and they are extremely pumped and excited about it. Not a lot of Japanese people get to play in Australia. It’s a legendary destination and I am really glad that I am the guy to guide them down there, even though I haven’t been there very much myself.

Can you tell me about your current band? It’s fairly new isn’t it?
Not really. I’ve had several different incarnations of my solo band and sometimes there are long term members and sometimes there’s a new member depending on what part of the world I am in and what the schedules are like and how long the tour is, all these different factors are involved. On this tour you are going to see the bass player Kiyoshi who did my recent record and live album and is my main core bass player. My guitarist Naoki is Japanese too, who has done stuff for me in Japan … a young kid, who is absolutely amazing. What is going to happen is that you might come to the concert to see me but when you leave the show you are going to be talking about my band. That’s pretty much the guarantee and they are going to outshine me every single night. That’s the way I like it, especially with this set that we have planned, where there is room for everyone to be themselves, it’s not all about me and not just a recital of my music.

That’s what I have always got from watching your videos. Everyone gets to do their own thing and gets to have their own personality in there and it’s always a brutal band. Apart from the concerts, there has also been a big demand for your masterclasses too. Do you have a particular approach for the masterclasses?
The only real approach I have is to completely let the people who come to have it their way. I don’t have any agenda or don’t plan to teach anything. I just play a little bit including some songs I don’t play in the live concert and then pretty much I just answer questions. It’s a big Q&A festival and I let everybody get as many questions in as possible about anything they want, it doesn’t have to be about music. I let them run it and it’s just as much fun for me because I get to know what makes everyone tick.

I wanted to take you back to the early days of Cacophony with Jason Becker. Do you ever have a sneaky listen to that stuff as it was a pretty wild era for you?
Jason and I are great friends and we email each other all the time. We are actually going to do a little Cacophony stuff in the show in Australia because I have never played there as a solo band and I want to acknowledge a lot of the people who have followed me for a long time but have never got to see anything live. I am bringing back a few things from early in my career, Dragon’s Kiss, a little bit of Cacophony stuff and let people know that I care that they have supported me and we haven’t been there as much as Jason and I would have loved to have been there. It’s always a thrill to me when I do that and mention Jason’s name because people perk up and it is a fantastic thing, the fact that although he hasn’t toured for so long, he is still appreciated in all kinds of countries and it shows the power of his music and power and warmth of the fans. In Australia we are going to do this thing where my guitar player Naoki does a mean Jason Becker impression. It’s going to be fun.

Did that early period help to shape your tone and style or was it just already there?
It’s always been ‘already there’ but it’s been an evolving work in progress. It has definitely evolved since then and if you listen to my most recent stuff, it’s really like Cacophony on steroids. It’s kind of the same person, same melodic sene but the musical decisions are much more well thought out and executed maybe and a lot of the fat got trimmed off but that was a very important part of my evolution and I really have no regrets about that stuff.

You’ve always seemed to be attracted to some more exotic sounds and outside ways of approaching harmony and melody and that has carried right through your career.
Certainly. At that time what happened was, anything I was inspired by I would immediately put in a song and try it out and throw everything into the kitchen sink before I really understood it. If I got any kind of new information whatsoever, I would throw it into something. That’s great but sometimes it’s hit and miss and after you have had years to find a little bit of musical sense and experience you tend to do it a bit smarter and you get more satisfaction out of it. In your early 20s you just go, I know this and I am going to throw it in there. It’s a childlike mentality which is not always bad but like I said, I have no regrets. Sometimes I listen back and think well this is a little funny … I was trying my best

What a fantastic idea though, to throw that stuff in there while you feel it is exciting. Otherwise you’re not going to get onto some of the more interesting sounds that you sometimes trip over …
That’s exactly right and back then we didn’t really have anybody telling us it sucked and sometimes that can be helpful. If we thought it was cool we’d put it in there but a third ear sometimes can be helpful as far as mainstream appeal goes but we weren’t really interested in mainstream appeal and I am not that terribly interested in it that much today either. But you know, you learn, with any record that is done you think there are a couple of things you might have wanted to do differently.

I was looking on your website and there was this track that you did for the Japanese government. At first I thought what a cool freakin song and then mostly I just thought, Japan must have the coolest government in the universe to ask you to do that?
Thank you so much that means a lot to hear, it really does. I agree with you that the fact that their government commissioned me to do it … I wasn’t born in Japan, I am from America … so to have the government get me to do it when there are stacks of amazing Japanese musicians out there, it was a huge responsibility. I really loved the challenge and the way it came out and when you collaborate with the Tokyo Philharmonic, it is a chance to make a piece of music sound really grand. It was a lot of work done over a relatively short period of time but I am so satisfied with the piece of music. Sometimes I will play that in the clinics but it is just a thing I am very proud of.

You seem to get most of your sound through your technique, the way you hit the strings and using your volume control. You never seemed to get caught up in the whole gear side of things, did you?
No not really. I admire people who have the head for gear and have a sense of electronics and pedals and boards but I never had that. I have always tried to streamline my playing experience where it is basically me plugging into an amp and making my musical statement with note choices and the way I phrase notes and compositions, things that I can control. I don’t really get into effects. I think it is really pure, although I do admire people who can express themselves using different effects.

You are not relying on all this stuff, so wherever you go in the world, as long as you have a good amp, and your Jackson guitar you’re happy! The Jackson thing has worked out well for you. You must be enjoying using those guitars?
Yeah I love it. It’s a signature model that has really been a source of pride. Jackson was there when I was putting out signature models for other companies. They have always remained close family to me and helped me in many situations even when I was not an official Jackson guy. They never writ me off, which tends to happen in the music business. When I was out of contract with another company they said whenever you want to start work on a signature model just call us and I did and it was a long process during the Wall of Sound recording and they sent me lots of prototypes. Like I was saying before, I am not a gear guy, so contacting them wasn’t very good in regard to getting them to fix the things I needed fixed, so they put up with a lot of my stupidity. After many prototypes … all of which I recorded that album Wall of Sound on, or the majority, it was me just trying out guitars. We nailed down the final guitar by the end of the recording. It is just a very basic, simple guitar that looks great and I will be playing it in Australia. A wonderful company known for metal but they’re good for a lot more as you will see more of in the future.

Are there any guitar players you are hearing at the moment that you would like to do something with?
There are so many great guitar players. There’s a guy named Mateus Asato. I think he is a wonderful player and there are so many guys but he is the first one that comes to mind. He has such a sweet touch and a really nice player.

What’s your approach to writing when you need to come up with a new album? Is there a process you go through to kick that off?
It’s a scary time because it is like starting with a blank piece of paper and I don’t like it at all. I hate it but it has to be done, I am not one of those guys who catalogues a lot of old stuff and goes back to it. I think if it sucked before, it is not going to get any better by sitting in a computer, so I start from scratch again.
There’s a pressure which comes from not wanting to repeat what you’ve done before. The last records I think are my best and everyone should feel that way. The last thing they released is what they should be most proud of. I’d hate to wind up saying the first album is my best and I haven’t really passed it since. Sometimes I do feel I am never going to top that so why bother.

I imagine there’s always something that comes along to inspire you though and you can shake off that voice in your head?
It always happens thankfully and it’s usually when one new thing comes into the equation, a new collaboration or new studio or new engineer. It takes one little spark to set you off and I am always waiting for that to happen.

TOUR DATES
Wednesday, December 11: Crowbar, Sydney – Masterclass @ 5.00pm
Thursday, December 12: Crowbar, Brisbane – Masterclass @ 5.00pm
Friday, December 13: Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne SOLD OUT
Saturday, December 14: The Basement, Canberra – Masterclass @ 5.00pm
Sunday, December 15: The Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne NEW SHOW – Masterclass @ 5.00pm

TICKETS VIA EVENTBRITE
www.pinnaclemusic.eventbrite.com

TOOL ANNOUNCE FEBRUARY AUSTRALIAN TOUR 0

Frontier Touring is thrilled to announce the return of triple Grammy® award-winning Californian rockers Tool, performing in arenas across Australia and New Zealand in February 2020 – their first shows in both countries in seven years. The tour comes off the back of the band’s critically-acclaimed fifth studio album, and their first new record in 13 years, the incredible #1 ARIA Album Fear Inoculum.

Currently on a mammoth 26-date tour in the USA, Danny Carey (drums), Justin Chancellor (bass), Adam Jones (guitar) and Maynard James Keenan’s (vocals) groundbreaking, epic live show sees a band at the top of their powers. Their immersive live visual experience is as brilliant as the band’s music itself, and not to be missed.
Tool first formed in 1990 and have released four multi-platinum studio albums: Undertow (1993), Ænima (1996), Lateralus (2001) and 10,000 Days (2006); two EPs: 72826 (1991) and Opiate (1992) and the limited-edition boxset Salival (2000).

Released in August 2019, Fear Inoculum debuted at #1 in Australia and New Zealand (the band’s third consecutive #1 album in both countries) – with #1 debut position also in Canada, Norway, and Belgium. In the USA, the band knocked Taylor Swift off the top spot and sold 270,000 units in its first week alone. Critics were united in praise, Rolling Stone describing Fear Inoculum as: “A formal masterpiece that should stand the test of time.”

Adding to these special shows, fans will have the opportunity to purchase a limited edition VIP Package, details of which can be found here.

Yesterday, the band announced the December 13 release of an expanded book edition of Fear Inoculum, which includes 5 x 3D lenticular cards with exclusive graphics, an expanded 56-page booklet, a download of the groundbreaking immersive visual experience (video) “Recusant Ad Infinitum,” and a CD. Head here to pre-order.
Don’t miss the multi-sensory, groundbreaking experience that is Tool, live in concert. Do not delay – tickets will not last long!

TOUR DATES
Friday 14 February – RAC Arena, Perth
Monday 17 February – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Thursday 20 February – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Saturday 22 February – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Friday 28 February – Spark Arena, Auckland
All shows — All Ages

https://www.frontiertouring.com/tool

CHRISTONE ‘KINGFISH’ INGRAM: BLUESFEST 2020 INTERVIEW 0

Twenty year old blues guitar prodigy Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram is heading to Australia next year to perform at Bluesfest. AM editor Greg Phillips recently caught up with Kingfish on the phone to chat about his career, gear and his trip downunder for Bluesfest.

Although most of the major blues legends like as Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Albert King, BB King, Howlin Wolf and Robert Johnson have well and truly left the building, the blues is still very much alive and well and living in Mississippi courtesy of young torchbearers such as 20 year old guitarist, singer, songwriter Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram. Kingfish was hitting drums at age six, plucking bass when he was 8 and by the time he reached 11, he was playing guitar at Clarksdale’s famous Ground Zero Club backing his mentor Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry. He even played at the White House in 2014 as part of a delegation of young blues musicians from the Delta Blues Museum. Once the great Bootsy Collins began to share Christone’s fabulous YouTube videos, the world then caught on to this blues prodigy and there’s been no turning back since. He has gone on to share the stage with Buddy Guy, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Robert Randolph, Guitar Shorty, Eric Gales and many others and in May 2019 he released his acclaimed debut album ‘Kingfish’ on respected blues label Alligator Records.

In fact, blues is so embedded in Kingfish’s DNA that he resides only a few kilometres from the infamous crossroads on the corner of Highway 61 and Highway 49 in Clarksdale, the location where the legend says blues musician Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil. While many global music fans make the pilgrimage to America’s south to pay homage to the pioneering towns that gave birth to the blues, Christone laments a declining interest from many of locals in their own music history. “To be truthful not like they used to but there are still a lot of locals who understand the history of the blues and the town but most people really don’t appreciate it,” he tells me.

A spark that really lit Kingfish’s fire for the blues was seeing BB King perform on the American TV show Sanford and Son. “I remember he was doin’ How Blue Can You Get and man, the sound of his voice and the way he was hittin’ the strings, the vibrato, it was amazing,” he recalls. Christone is grateful that he once got to meet his guitar hero albeit briefly. “I got to meet him one time when I was in 7th grade. I never got a chance to meet him the way I wanted to ‘cos it wasn’t a one on one, it was with a whole bunch of other kids but I was definitely grateful to meet him one time.”

After all of the promise, the kudos and a few more stage miles, Christone finally released his debut album “Kingfish’ this year to much acclaim. The album presents all the facets of Christone’s love of the blues from firebrand electric tunes to heartfelt acoustic ballads. It also features guest appearances from blues icons Buddy Guy and Keb Mo. While the album was an exciting writing and recording opportunity for the young bluesman, it was also a great learning experience.

“It was my first stab at original tunes and they were all about what was going on in my head and my mind at the time. All of them definitely are from my heart,” he says. “I did learn a lot about rushing things. When you have time to prepare something you have to take advantage of that time. We made that record in like 3 days and it turned out great but I felt like it might have been better on my part  if I took my time with certain things.”

It hasn’t taken long at all for the guitar world to embrace Kingfish either. Earlier this year Fender guitars featured Christone as an ambassador for their new Vintera range, a line of vintage-inspired electric guitar and bass models that embody a period-specific vibe. Kingfish was chosen as the musician to perfectly represent the spirit of their 50s model Vintera Strat. On stage however, it’s currently a Player series Strat that he uses as one of his main instruments, along with his custom Michael Chertoff LP-style guitar. Amp-wise, he’s still exploring his tone. “I am alternating between amps, Peavey and Fender,” he explains. “Right now I am using a Peavey Delta Blues, that’s a little 2×10 or maybe the one with 18 inch speaker or a Fender Twin or a Fender DeVille. Mesa Boogie have me trying something out now too. I only use like 3 pedals, the Conspiracy Theory overdrive, wah wah and tuner.”

There are a couple of wonderful acoustic tracks on the album too, ‘Been Here Before’ and ‘Hard Times’, which he used whatever guitars were available to him in the studio including a J-Series Gibson. Occasionally at home Christone will gravitate to an acoustic guitar when inspiration strikes. “Yeah I do that,” he tells me. “I do it when I don’t feel like pluggin’ in. I do like to play acoustic because it does improve your control and it’s good to have around the house. Also when the album came out I started adding some acoustic stuff to my show.”

The great news for Australian blues fans is that Kingfish will be heading our way next Easter to perform at Bluesfest, a festival he has heard much about. “I’ve heard a lot man,” he says enthusiastically. “It’s actually one of the festivals I’ve been wanting to be on for a long while. I’m really looking forward to it. And what else is he looking forward to about his trip downunder? “Kangaroos man! Kangaroos and meeting new people and playing some music, that’s what’s on my agenda.”

Bluesfest 2020 is being held from 9 – 13 April 2020. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix.

LENNY KRAVITZ, JIMMIE VAUGHAN, ANI DIFRANCO & MORE ADDED TO BLUESFEST 2020 0

The wait is over! Following a great first announcement including Dave Matthews Band, Crowded House, Patti Smith and her band and so many more, Bluesfest can now reveal more incredible artists to join the lineup for the 31st chapter of Bluesfest Byron Bay this Easter. Bluesfest 2020 is being held from 9 – 13 April 2020 Just added:

LENNY KRAVITZ
JIMMIE VAUGHAN (exclusive)
THE WATERBOYS (exclusive)
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
ANI DIFRANCO
MADOU & MARIAM
THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND
ZUCCHERO (exclusive)
CORY HENRY & THE FUNK APOSTLES
YOLA
TAL WILKENFELD
JOACHIM COODER (exclusive)
STEVE ‘N’ SEAGULLS (exclusive)

Commenting on the announcement, Festival Director, Peter Noble OAM said “As the Bluesfest lineup is organically building, I am delighted to welcome Lenny Kravitz as a headliner. Lenny has often been described as ‘the last of the great rock stars’ and anyone who has seen him live will know why! I am thrilled to welcome him to Bluesfest 2020, dreams do come true!

With this announcement, we have scored some fantastic exclusive performances from Jimmie Vaughan, The Waterboys, Ry Cooder’s son – Joachim Cooder and all the way from the North Pole – Steve ‘n’ Seagulls! There just isn’t any other band quite like them. When you live that remotely, you need to do something serious to get your message out and boy have they ever!

We love guitar at Bluesfest. This year is fast becoming the year of the guitar! With Jimmie Vaughan and The Allman Betts Band added to the previously announced George Benson, Marcus King Band, Larkin Poe, John Butler, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, Walter Trout, Carolyn Wonderland playing with John Mayall and Dave Matthews Band – Bluesfest 2020 is going to be guitar heaven! And, let’s not forget the bass players! Aussie wunderkind Tal Wilkenfeld has been the anchor for some of the greatest guitar players to tread the boards including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Prince and Herbie Hancock who all hired her for her bass skills. Now it’s our turn to hear our home girl’s many talents. We’ve so many artists making their Bluesfest debut in 2020 in this announcement alone! Tal Wilkenfeld, Joachim Cooder, Ani DiFranco, The Allman Betts Band, Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles and Yola, to name just a few. It’s SO exciting! Now we are getting the build-up. With many more announcements to come, I’ve plenty of surprises up my sleeve! Bluesfest 2020 is going to be the best yet! Oh and did we say, Crowded House exclusive, they’re playing their first Australian show in five years!”

The Bluesfest 2020 First Artist Lineup:

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
CROWDED HOUSE (exclusive Australian performance)
PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND
GEORGE BENSON
BRANDI CARLILE
JOHN BUTLER
XAVIER RUDD
THE CAT EMPIRE
MORCHEEBA
JOHN PRINE
JENNY LEWIS
FRANK TURNER
JOHN MAYALL
BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE
THE MARCUS KING BAND
WALTER TROUT
CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM (exclusive)
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS
LARKIN POE
THE WAR & TREATY

For further information on the lineup or artists please see here.

Bluesfest 2020 is being held from 9 – 13 April 2020. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix.

KIRK FLETCHER: THE 2020 AUSTRALIAN TOUR INTERVIEW 0

Acclaimed soulful, blues guitarist Kirk Fletcher is returning to Australia next February to play a series of gigs. Australian Musician’s Greg Phillips caught up with Kirk on the phone to chat about his career, the current album Hold On and the upcoming tour.

In any band-friendly venue in any town in any developed country, chances are there’s a blues guitar player due to hit their stage at sometime soon in the future. The blues transcends race and language and we can all relate to the heart and soul of the genre. With such an overabundance of blues guitarists in the world, to stand out from the rest you’ve got to be really, really good. LA-based guitarist, singer, songwriter, performer Kirk Fletcher is undoubtedly one of the finest exponents of blues guitar with a playing style which features incredible fluidity and fire, yet there’s a sincerity and  warmth which touches you deep inside too. Add Kirk’s soulful vocals, his amiable, laid-back nature and you’ve got a performer who is rapidly rising to the top of the heap.

“I don’t know if I am at the top of the pile but really I don’t think about it much,” Kirk tells me. “I feel like I have my own story to tell and the more I can develop as a singer and songwriter and use the guitar inside a song, I think that people can relate to that. I think that is the thing that separates me from maybe other people. I’m not saying I’m better or anything just saying I’d be different.”

Kirk developed an eclectic music taste early in life, beginning with a love of gospel music, which he heard and played in his father’s church as a child. He further broadened his musical palette through his guitar playing brother’s record collection and a stockpile of guitar magazines.

“I learned how to play guitar in my father’s church when my older brother got me started playing and I was just trying to play like him,” says Kirk while recollecting his past. “I tried to play the licks that he was playing and the way he would play songs in church, the way he held the guitar pick and his choice of guitar and pedals, all that stuff I got from him. Plus he had all the guitar player magazines, the records, so he was a great inspiration. I owe him a lot. As I got older I was listening to what was on MTV but also having this gospel thing. A Kirk Fletcher week would be gospel music, everything from The Dixie Hummingbird style to listening to Prince, Jesse Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan to BB King, Bobby Bland, Lightin’ Hopkins and all that kind of stuff. A whole mixture of anything I thought was good.”

It didn’t take long for the word to get around that Kirk Fletcher was a guitar player of note and before long he found himself sharing the stage with luminaries such as Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton and Hubert Sumlin. Fletcher also went on to play with the legendary Fabulous Thunderbirds and Charlie Musselwhite, artists he learned a great deal from.

“You learn so many things because they are so experienced and they have been out there and they have seen it all,” Kirk says. “Also they came up in a different time so they would tell me stories about how it used to be, things to look out for, things that they enjoy places that they enjoy. Plus visiting some of those places, I got to enjoy them too, the food, music, records, how to be a man and stand up for myself, all those things I learned because I was in my late teens, early 20s when I started playing with those guys.”

Despite releasing several albums since his debut in 1999, Kirk labels his current record Hold On as his first real solo album. It’s the first time that he has written and arranged all of the material himself, apart from a little assistance on a couple of tracks. It was recorded in the UK with his European band, Jonny Henderson on organ and bass with Matt Brown on drums. “I have this musical connection with these two musicians, Johnny and Matt, who will be on tour with me when I come to Australia. We just had an immediate musical connection. I did a gig with them at the Bristol Jazz Festival a few years ago and it was so easy and simple and straight forward, that whole connection continued on the record. It was definitely the easiest record I have ever made and the most fun and rewarding.”

As well as having Johnny And Matt in the studio, Kirk also featured Australian singers Jade Macrae and Mahalia Barnes on backing vocals on the album. “Yes, they are absolutely on the album, my sisters,” he tells me enthusiastically. “We were doing a tour with Joe Bonamassa, the Three Kings tour a couple of years ago when I met them. Just the whole Mahalia Barnes family, we just hit it off instantly like sisters and brothers, so it was a great thing. I really couldn’t see myself recording a new record without having those girls on there.”

In regard to recording his guitar parts, Kirk is an old school kinda guy who likes to capture his solos early. For the most part, he used a Telecaster, a Tweed style amp, with 50s type circuitry, a little boost and a bit of reverb to arrive at his tone. “Well I usually just do solos on the fly,” he says. “I don’t really overdub guitar solos. I don’t usually fix things. If on the first or second take, there is a problem, or not quite getting the feel I want, I might fix something but usually, I am more of a one-two or take guy, especially If I am playing something in my comfort zone. If I am playing chords to someone else’s song, maybe I will take longer because I don’t know the song or something but I really just like to let it rip right there on the spot.”

“I like to mic up amps.  I’m not scared of technology or anything but for me, I like a bit of air and a bit of fun and the way the guitar reacts through the amplifier. I actually had the amplifier sitting right next to me on a chair, right next to the guitar. I had never recorded like that before. It was right there on the chair and the whole guitar reacts differently when it is that close to the amplifiers. You can get sustain on any note. It was a lot of fun.”

On the road, Kirk’s gear varies slightly but the same ethos applies. “A lot of times recently in the last couple of years there have been a lot of fly in, fly out dates and things like that. I usually get a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with 2×12 and some kind of reverb pedal and a Vemuram Jan Ray pedal for a boost and that’s pretty much it. I usually like the guitar and the amp to do most of the tone. I can pretty much get the tone from my hands the way I play.”

Kirk Fletcher has been to Australia many times before and is looking forward to returning with a tour starting in Sydney on February 6th.

“Australia is amazing. Australia is one of the first places I ever went on tour and I fell in love with it, had a wonderful time with the people and just the whole vibe. The cool laid back thing, even more so than LA and I’m from LA so I really connected with Australia. I have been back quite a few times and I have always had a wonderful time with great crowds and I always meet somebody new that is amazing. There is always such amazing music in Australia too. It will be me and the guys I had on the record, Jonny Henderson on organ and bass and our drummer Matt Brown. We’ll be a trio and it will be fun. We have been playing a lot together in the last few years so it should be a well-oiled machine.”

Kirk plans to dedicate much of the time before coming to Australia to creating his next studio album, which he hopes to have done by the time he gets here. In regard to the grand plan, he’d like to collaborate more and just wants to continue to do what he’s doing and get better at it!

“I think the plan is just to become a better songwriter and sing better, maybe even collaborate with people outside of the blues genre. I look at people like Ry Cooder and John Scofield and people like that. They’re into what they do but they don’t mind doing other stuff, you know like John Scofield and Jon Cleary or Ry Cooder doing the Cuban thing, so that is really exciting to me. I love all types of music but I will always have the blues as my base and my language.”

KIRK FLETCHER 2020 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES

Thursday 6th February
The Factory, SYDNEY
105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville
http://bit.ly/FLR19-KirkFletcher

Friday 7th February
Lizotte’s, NEWCASTLE
31 Morehead Rd, Lambton
https://lizottes.com.au/live/shows/booking/2679

Saturday 8th February
The Abbey, CANBERRA
O’Hanlon Place, Nicholls
https://www.eventopia.co/event/Kirk-Fletcher/388668

Sunday 9th February
Way Out West, MELBOURNE
4 Market St, Newport
www.trybooking.com/522360

Wednesday 12th February
Caravan Music Club, MELBOURNE
1 Victor Rd, Bentleigh East
https://www.trybooking.com/519427

Thursday 13th February
Lighthouse Theatre, WARRNAMBOOL
185 Timor St, Warrnambool

Friday 14th February
The Gov, ADELAIDE
59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh
https://thegov.oztix.com.au/?Event=104192

www.gerrardallmanevents.com