Tommy Emmanuel – Colston Hall, Bristol
Saturday December 5th
Tommy Emmanuel is a remarkable guitarist, a virtuoso in fact, but more importantly he is a performer. The Australian has been playing guitar since the age of four, professionally since the age of ten, and until recently still managed to exceed three hundred shows a year. During his remarkable career, he has played alongside Eric Clapton and Les Paul, and recorded an album with his idol Chet Atkins.
Stylistically, Atkins’ finger-picking style is a good starting point in describing Emmanuel’s playing. Yet Emmanuel has moved beyond traditional finger-picking to incorporate melody, rhythm, bass, and drum parts simultaneously through a series of innovative techniques. The acoustic guitar is pushed to its limits by Emmanuel. December’s show at the Colston Hall promises to be special, as at long last Emmanuel is offered a UK venue grand enough to house his talent.