Unfortunately nobody was able to come along, so I went on my own. Hamburg is about an hour by train away, so it's not too bad. Of course it's more fun to go to gigs with friends, but I'd rather go on my own, than miss a gig like that! I arrived at 20.45 and the room was already filled with people sitting on chairs and podiums. I knew the room was going to be partially fitted with chairs, but I didn't expect so many seats..but then that was rather good, because being a rock/metal fan I really don't mind standing during gigs (and having easy access to the bar ;-)) and people sitting down mean better views from anywhere... Beer in hand and smiling I stood on the right-hand side of the stage, eager for the show to begin.
Andy McKee was the first to make an appearance, he welcomed us and said some introductory words before Antoine Dufour entered the stage. He played the guitar sitting down on a chair on the left wing of the smallish stage, some equipment and a computer on a table to his left. Antoine started off with a cover by Don Ross that was really groovy and a good opener. I was eager to take some photos and videos, having bought a new camera the month before, but the sight was too obstructed by a guy who didn't really care what was going on behind him, so I didn't make any videos from where I was standing at that point. Antoine's gig was really enjoyable and he showed some amazing talent! After he had finished his set I decided to try my luck somewhere else.
Next was Preston Reed, meanwhile I had changed places and stood at the railing of a balcony behind the stage. That was much preferable to the swaying tall guy in front of me. And Preston stood on the right-hand side of the stage, leaning towards the middle, so I could see rather well...and he was amazing! The tapping techniques he used caused a few jaws in the audience to drop I'm sure! His set was a mix of very rhythmical and quick songs and some ballads. But all of the pieces came with many surprises and turned me into an instant admirer. Wow! That set really was my personal highlight of the gig!
Finally Andy McKee hit the stage, he stood in the middle and I was still standing on the balcony, so I could see him from behind. He played some of his well-known songs like Drifting and Africa, and it was also fascinating to watch him play! Since my beer was empty and I figured there might be different places in the auditorium that could also be good, I wandered downstairs to the back of the audience. I caught a glimpse of Andy from the front, got a new drink and enjoyed the rest of his set from there.
I thought the gig would be over at this point, but we were in for a surprise, since Andy, Antoine and Preston then teamed up to play together! I wandered back to the right-hand side of the stage where I now got a good view. The two or three songs they played rocked and you could clearly see how much fun they had playing together. Finally a fantastic guitar evening ended, the way home was really long and a little difficult, but it was so worth it! So if the Guitar Masters gigs are somewhere close to you, don't miss the opportunity to see three great guitar wizards on stage, it was a unique experience and really awesome!
I haven't said a lot about the music, because I find it a little difficult to describe it, but I made a film of the clips I took during the gig, so see for yourself :-) [it's available in HD] Enjoy!
