General News

June 2013 News Update

Photo courtesy Andy Smy

SO much to tell you for this month I really don’t know where to start, so maybe gigs of note are a good place.

The Chichester Inn May 2nd

My gig at the Chichester Inn for our dear friend and outstanding promoter at Roots Around the World - Sue Martin, was just a fun filled evening with many friends old and new in attendance. Many of you will know Sue as the amazing artist who created the portrait of me for the Troubadour album.



Friends of note were Debbie and Henry Timperley. Debbie is the glass artist who created the original glass creation for the Double Vision album.

The Chi Inn as it is affectionately called is rapidly becoming a legendary venue for all kinds of music, and when I tell you that on a fairly regular basis you have members of Dire Straits, Roxy Music, the Average White Band, and many more playing there you will get some idea of the place and the amazing atmosphere!

I hope to play there again one of these days. John Etheridge is playing there soon!

Windlesham May 3rd  and Hilary’s Accident

The most significant part of this day was when Hilary (whilst rescuing a bee) accidentally dropped a piano stool on to her foot severely damaging it. This was done at Sue Martin’s home, and with the piano stool being the cause of the damage, it does have a musical theme. Needless to say, she didn’t make the concert and spent part of the evening in A & E in Chichester whilst I was in Windlesham performing at another one of Julian Lewry’s superbly promoted concerts. This was the fourth in a line of shows where I had taken part over the past year or so. The Theatre was lovely as were the audience along with almost mid summer weather. My thanks go to the lovely Sue Martin for looking after my beloved so well. A delight to see Clare and Tim Moore along with Jen & Will Rumsey at the concert.

Part-Y-Seal, Grosmont Monmouthshire May 11th

This wasn’t my gig I hasten to add, it was my good friend Ray Mytton, that fine guitarist, singer, Lutanist and all round superb human being. Part-Y-Seal is a beautiful country house set in picturesque country side set just inside the Welsh border. I was invited along as special guest, and we played in front of delightful audience of around 60 people in a panelled drawing room. The atmosphere was wonderful, and Hilary in spite of her crutches had a lovely time. My thanks to Ray for inviting us to be a part of his special evening. He even gave a fine rendition on the Lute of my composition The Lords Seat that truly was made for the instrument!

Whilst there I met that lovely singer Catherine Howe who had a hit with that lovely self penned song “Harry” Check her out on YouTube. A delightful and modest person.

If you are thinking of spending a couple of days chilling out in that part of the world I wholeheartedly recommend you visit this place. Just Google the name and up it shall come!

Colchester May 20th

I have always approached this gig with a degree of trepidation, because I have played it SO many times and worry that I might have outstayed my welcome, but bless em they keep asking me back, and although it’s a long way to drive for a one off show and the parking is a nightmare, once the sound check’s done and you start to get into the swing of things then all becomes well. The audience were one of the best I have ever played for there, and of course it’s always good when a goodly number turn out to see an artist on a Monday night.

My thanks go to Elaine Barker for inviting me back and to Paul, Andy and Steve for a fine support slot, and to Chris who always gets me the most sensational sound on the night.

Gedling May 24th

This is the second time in three years that I have played in this wonderful old church, and a HUGE vote of thanks go to my Nottingham Boys friends David and Paul for working their butts off to make this a sell out evening, and in spite of the temperature in the church...which was cold (by their very nature they can be cold) it was a cracking night, and Hilary bless her managed to hobble up the path to the church and be a part of the evening. Good to see friends Fiona and Keith Meredith there along with family members Gil and Marge.

The superb sound was provided by our good friend Mike Stranks who not only provided a superb sound system but didn’t charge a penny for his services. An outstandingly good friend is he. THANKS Mike you’re a star.

You can read Keith's review HERE

Darley Dale May 25th

This was the last in this series of concerts with young Wakeman, and we couldn’t have wished for a better one to go out on. Great Venue. Great organisation, and a FULL house. Good to see the Meredith’s again (twice in two days) and friends Cath and Geoff Olner along with our friend Lesley Alexander. In June Oliver and I do the Bob Harris radio show and then later on we prepare for the BIG ONE on October 5th!

Once again, Keith was on reviewing duty which you can read HERE

giltrap 4298

Carrie Martin

Carrie Martin is a fine singer songwriter who hails from Hull. I met her through my good friend Garry Burnett. Carrie has the most amazing voice, plays a good guitar and writes fine thought provoking songs. She is also the proud owner of a Vintage Gordon Giltrap guitar, so she is also a woman of taste! She has just released her first solo album and it is a delight. She should have her own website soon, so do check her out. I have written a few well chosen and well deserved words for her site. She also has the most engaging little girl like honest stage presence. Hilary and I wish her well; in fact her CD is pretty much always playing in our house!

Visionary, Perilous Journey, Fear Of The Dark

The above three albums are being re released later this year on Cherry Red Records who are a subsidiary of the label that put out Ravens and Lullabies. There will be bonus tracks and archive photos to go with each album, and guess who has been asked to lay out and design them all? None other than Mr Oliver Wakeman...  Roll of drums. I can’t begin to tell you how please I am that Oliver is going to be a part of this massive early GG Prog Rock history. Watch this space for more information. A funny old life eh!

Front Cover Of Classic Rock Society Magazine

giltrap 4298

Well, we hoped for it but didn’t believe it would happen, but there we are on the cover of the magazine with a cracking two page interview with Steve Lamb. It’s great when a magazine truly embraces you, and I am proud to have been a patron for a number of years now, and a couple of years back I was asked to present the awards for the magazine, and last year Oliver was asked to do the same. It feels like being part of one big Prog Rock Family. Needless to say Oliver and I feel truly honoured to be asked to headline the Summers End Festival this year as part of our UK tour taking in dates with Barclay James Harvest.

A truly challenging time for me but my God I’m going to give it my best shot. We are going to be performing the entire album along with other pieces from mine and Oliver’s repertoire. Will keep you posted on progress. What a year this is going to be if good fortune smiles on us and allows us to give of our best. It has been many a year since I was on stage with a band.





Storm Thorgerson

In the same issue of the mag I read the sad news Storm Thorgerson had passed away. I had worked with Storm in the early 70’s when he along with his company Hipgnosis nearly designed an album cover for me, in fact they did and it was fantastic, at least the photos were, but for some reason it never got used. This album eventually became “A Testament of Time.” In the late 70’s I worked with Storm again on a video shoot for my single “Oh Well” where they had me running down empty corridors in St Pancras Station and bursting out of a freezing cold pond on Hampstead Heath!

Many of you will know of Storms masterpieces in the form of his design for the Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, and pretty much all of their iconic album covers. I still have a publicity picture from that period that Storm took of me in Kew Gardens. Heady days! Rest in peace Storm.

Guitar Practiced Perfectly
giltrap 4298

We nailed yet another fine interview for GPP at the tail end of April with Tristan Seume. Tris is such a great player and his interview and dazzling musical contribution can now be viewed on YOUTUBE along with Raymond Burley and Stuart Ryan.

Plans are afoot to interview John Etheridge, Jerry Donahue and Guthrie Govan over the next few months. We are building up a superb library of great players under the banner of GPP. For me it’s just an excuse to get my guitar playing friends up to our Staffordshire studios for a bit of fun and quality chat time.

The new updated website for GPP will be launched pretty soon! If you aren't already a member the newsletter below gives you the feel of what you can expect when you join.
David Quarmby writes:

Hi GPP Member,

Our next interview sessions and lessons have now been published…

Tristan Seume

As a soloist, accompanist, writer and session musician, Tristan Seume is one of the UK’s leading acoustic guitarists. Strongly influenced by folk, jazz and country, he has released two instrumental solo albums, You Just Know and Middle Child, featuring a mixture of original compositions, traditional tunes and a few choice covers, which can be purchased here. Tristan is interviewed about his guitar playing life by Gordon Giltrap.

Cyder House Blues, Tristan wrote this piece after his local pub changed things for the worst. A brilliant blues tune played during the GPP film session.

LarrysFavourite/Harpers Reel – A folk song played by Tristan during the GPP film session. This is especially interesting for altered tuning fans as its in Csus2 tuning.

Check out Tristan's music and latest album "Middle Child" on his website http://www.tristanseume.co.uk

Gordon Giltrap Videos - The Dodo's Dream

Gordon Plays the full Track

Dodo’s parts explained

The intro Section explained

To watch all our videos follow this link and log in to the members area to view http://www.guitarpracticedperfectly.com/index.php/videos

Enjoy & Play Well

Dave GPP


www.gordongiltrapguitars.com

We are getting dangerously close to putting the finishing touches to my new guitar website. Please feel free to view it, and if you have any quality guitars that are no longer being played then my good friend Trev Jones at  www.howlinriff.co.uk  is the man to contact and get your guitar superbly photographed and described and if necessary perfectly set up in readiness to sell on  to a worthwhile home.

There is going to be more interesting news about the site pretty much every month. So watch this space!

Guitar Of The Month
giltrap 4298

Where do I keep finding them I hear you cry?

Well, I found this one in my local favourite guitar store; PMT in Birmingham, and I swapped another guitar for it! This is a superb Jerry Donahue Fret King signature guitar. Based on a famous USA guitar but with many differences in as much as this was designed by Trev Wilkinson who designed my signature Electric Fret King GG Elise. As you can see by the photograph, this is a very pretty guitar and it plays superbly well. Jerry Donahue is one of the most respected guitar players in his field and is a master on tone who wouldn’t put his name to something unless it was 100% what he wanted.

Jerry has been heavily associated with Fender guitars over the years, and then went to Peavey and finally has come home to JHS and this Fret King guitar. If I ever use it is hard to say, but it’s just great to have it in my collection, and Jerry being an old friend is chuffed that I have a guitar in my collection that bears his name, and he’s a great guy as well.