By Adelaide Guitar Festival
Adelaide was recently awarded UNESCO City of Music status. With its Festival, Symphony Orchestra, Cabaret Festival, Guitar Festival, and as host to Australia’s world music festival Womadelaide. It also has a vibrant local music scene and on weekends practically every bar and pub has some form of live music.
Guitars in Bars is a fringe event of the Adelaide International Guitar Festival. While the superstars of rock, jazz, blues, classical and flamenco showcase their virtuosity, we journeymen also get to strut our stuff in pubs and hotels, with over 300 musicians in venues all across South Australia. I am lucky to be one of those local artists.
In moving to Australia I had to give up my London band, Sweet Thursday, and instead here I’ve worked on my songs and performance skills through the nurturing environment of the city’s open mic nights and participation in SCALA (Songwriters, composers and lyricists association) events. I was fortunate to be a winner in a recent SCALA songwriting competition with Gulf of St Vincent. So two weeks ago, I premiered my new show- with multi-guitars and technology instead of a band as part of Guitars in Bars at Boomers on the Beach, Glenelg – and was reasonably satisfied with (most of) the performance.
Next up, I have a gig at a proper music venue- the Edinburgh Castle. New skills, new songs, many of them relating to my new life Down Under, and an opportunity for reinvention, or rediscovery of my first love- music, and my greatest source of fun.
See also
Guitars in Bars 14 July- 10 August 2016
One world, one music, one love
Dr D in Oz 
Amazing to hear that you are pursuing music once again Down Under, Dr. It must have been hard leaving the band, but I suppose as a solo artist you get to experiment more til your heart’s content. Congrats on the songwriting competition. Sounds like the local music scene has embraced your stuff. Cheering you on 🙂
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Thanks! I can almost hear you here!
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Thanks man. I too am a musician making the move from the UK to Adelaide. I arrive in a few weeks time. Your post fills me with even more excitement, I’m so glad there’s lots to get involved in. Cheers!
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Thanks, there is! Good luck with your move- and drop by the Edinburgh castle Hotel on a Monday night! What’s your instrument?
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I’m a guitar playing singer-songwriter. Thanks, I definitely will!
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