Strum-thing for the weekend!
FANS of acoustic guitar music, and aspiring guitarists, should head to Llanbedrog, near Pwllheli, at the end of this month.
The Llŷn Guitar Festival will take place from Friday, September 29 to Sunday, October 1, at Plas Glyn y Weddw, offering a weekend of tuition and workshops with some of the UK’s finest guitarists for keen students, as well as a series of evening concerts.
The £125 weekend ticket includes all workshops and performances, table reservations, and an evening meal at the Glyn y Weddw Arms, including a set from Carrie Martin and other guest artistes.
The numbers will be limited to ensure that students will have plenty of contact time with the teachers.
The exact nature of the tuition and workshops can be tailored to suit students’ needs, so do get in touch early to discuss your aspirations.
Masterclasses will be presented by Martin Simpson, Dave Cousins of The Strawbs, Gwyn Jones and Paul Brett.
Festival director Brett is one of the world’s leading 12-string guitarists, with Cousins’ successful musical career going back to 1967 with The Strawbs, while Simpson has had 45 years as a professional musician and is widely acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic and slide guitar players in the world.
The Saturday evening concert will include The Strawbs, Martin Simpson, Ben Smith and Jimmy Brewer and Keith Newby. The Strawbs’ memorable hits include Lay Down and Part of the Union, with seven consecutive Strawbs albums making the Billboard Top 200.
Simpson’s interpretations of traditional songs are masterpieces of storytelling.
His eclectic solo slows com- bine elements of British, AfroAmerican and old-time music, and his own songwriting has produced gems including the truck-stop epic Love Never Dies and the moving Never Any Good and One Day.
Smith and Brewer were originally two of the “local talent” acts chosen to support Joan Armatrading on her tour in 2012 and, after finding they had a natural affinity for each other’s styles, started playing as a duo three years later.
Newby is a brilliant all-round entertainer and a guitar teacher.
After the Saturday concert there is a late after-concert guitar session at the pub, open to all who attended the festival. ● For more information and to book your place, visit www. llynguitarfestival.org.uk.
Evening concert tickets at £20 are available from Plas Glyn y Weddw or on the door, subject to availability.