Acoustic Heads Up Acoustic Heads Up GARETH PEARSON What inspired you to become a musician? My dad is a closet guitar player and has always been very passionate about guitar music, so I’ve been brought up with acoustic guitar and bluegrass. When I was about 14 years old, he showed me footage of the Australian virtuoso guitar player Tommy Emmanuel. I was completely blown away by his music and stage performance. Inspiration hit me and I wanted to learn to play the guitar immediately. You’re from Gwent but many of your guitar heroes come from the American South. What’s the connection? Tommy led me directly to the source of his influences – Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and Jerry Reed – but I’m influenced by so many musicians. If you enjoy listening to it and it moves your soul, that’s all that matters. up for me at The Stone Pony in New Jersey. I went on stage to a room full of gorgeous young girls. I was blowing kisses and winking away, even humping my guitar like Jimi Hendrix. I was playing pretty good but they weren’t digging it at all. After my set my friend informed me that I’d just played to a crowd of lesbian fans of Melissa Ferrick. What’s it like playing with Tommy Emmanuel? Touring with Tommy has been like heaven on earth for me. Travelling around and sharing the stage with your guitar hero night after night – it doesn’t really get any better. It’s a wonderful yet humbling experience when you’re in your master’s presence. Who else have you collaborated with? Jan Akkerman, John Renbourn, Andy McKee… I also opened for Ray Davies, who stood and watched my whole set from the side of the stage. Have you experimented with your guitars to personalise your sound? I tend to do quite a lot of coverage on the neck and I find it a whole lot easier when the strings are down low. I like the strings to hit the neck to get more of a snare beat out of it, which all adds to the groove. What are you up to at the moment? I’m recording a new CD. What are your aspirations, musically? At the moment I’m focused on trying to make a name as a solo artist. As for the future, I don’t know. I think it’s best if I just concentrate on the present for now. Graham Hazelwood He’s barely out of his teens but he’s already a rising star of fingerstyle country and bluegrass. Acoustic presents the prodigiously talented Gareth Pearson. How have you managed to progress so quickly as a performer? About five months after playing guitar I had quite a few Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed tunes under my belt, so my dad would take me to the Islwyn Guitar Club and other local folk clubs regularly. Playing the clubs was my life, and I would prepare and practise constantly. How do you get gigs? Promoters often contact my booking agent at NEM Productions. Others contact me through my website. What have been your best and worst gigs? I recently performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival to a screaming audience of 4,000 people who totally digged what I was doing and were really supportive. The worst one was this gig that Southside Johnny hooked Gareth Pearson is no average guitar player Gear Guitars Live: Maton EBG808 Artist, Custom Fylde Studio: Custom Fylde, Stonebridge OM-32 Mahogany cutaway (a copy of a 1968 Martin 000-18) Misc: Godin Multiac nylon-string guitar, various Matons, an old K Yairi Gordon Giltrap guitar H e is in fact a living record of just what can be achieved with an applied mind and a great passion for pursuing what it is that you love doing. Having only just begun playing the instrument from recent times, he has developed a distinctive style and execution to his playing that has earned him the greatest of accolades from world renowned players. In less than five years he has grown from a relatively unknown guitar appreciator to a fully fledged professional who now performs in many parts of the world. It is this self same drive and determination that has helped to catapult Gareth’s success. With influences such as Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel and Merle Travis, Gareth’s arsenal of techniques represents a broad gamut to be entertained by, even if one can’t quite see his fingers move, as they dance with such a great fluidity. These opinions of popularity are continuing to grow further as guitar greats including Jan Akkerman and Tommy Emmanuel have invited and requested Gareth’s company on tour. Add to this his characteristic vocal signatures and you have one of the world’s most developed new guitar players that has truly blossomed. Kit Dean Markley light-gauge strings LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI preamp AER Compact 60 amp Alesis Midiverb effects unit G7th capos Dunlop medium thumbpicks Wegens and D’Andrea pro picks Gareth’s Advice “Practise what you want to play, and don’t worry about the technical side of music at first. Sure, it’s important to understand that aspect, but the most important thing is to produce songs out of your instruments; something a listener can enjoy.” Genre Rip-roaring fingerstyle country Web Links www.garethpearson.com www.myspace.com/garethpearson 72