Who are you listening to at the moment?
With so much really great music being put out now, it’s hard to keep up! Most recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Joey Landreth, Scott Henderson, and my favourite at the minute – Ian Thornley. He’s the front man/lead guitarist of the band ‘Big Wreck’ and is one of the most versatile musicians I’ve ever heard. His guitar playing is absolutely outrageous and his songwriting is phenomenal. ‘Ghosts’ is my favourite album of theirs – especially the title track and their cover of ‘War Baby’. I’d recommend them to anyone!
Why do you love Dublin?
There seems to be something always on across Dublin at any one time. Whether it’s matches in Croker or the Aviva, gigs in town or even mini pop-up festivals – there’s always a good buzz around the city. The amount of amazing musicians in Dublin at the minute is really something else and because the network is so close, you’re bound to bump into someone you know at almost any given gig. One of my favourite gigs to go to is Donal Kirk & Co in the Leeson Lounge on a Monday night (it used to be in JJ’s before it sadly closed down a few months ago). It’s incredible to get to watch the likes of some of the best players, such as Anto Drennan and Jimmy Smyth accompany Donal and not to mention it’s free in!
Why Guitar?
From an early age my uncles – Gerry, Mark and Joe – would sit me down and get me to listen to music like Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Pink Floyd, Queen, and Dire Straits. So I suppose my fascination with the guitar and all the sounds that can be available began there! It’s one of the most versatile instruments when you think of all the styles that have guitar to the fore in them. It’s also pretty personal in the way there’s so much involved and that’s kinda the beauty of it I guess.
Interested in studying guitar here at BIMM Dublin? Discover more about our courses here.
