On Thursday 31 October sees New York’s Preston Reed return to Southport and perform at The Atkinson.
To watch Reed perform is to witness the bending of reality. The New York master tweaks the nose of musical convention, pokes the eye of received wisdom and burns the rulebook of the past.
The power and depth of his original compositions are as unique as the man’s execution, as blues, rock, funk and jazz meet, interlock and attack in a sonic brew unlike anything you’ve heard before. Preston Reed doesn’t need a band. He is the band.
“Spectacular… the best one-man show this reviewer has seen since Springsteen… A terrific performer” Irish Independent
Since 1979, he has recorded thirteen albums and three videos and charmed audiences on three continents. He continues to tour with the same hunger and relish that informs his guitar playing. The secret, he says, is to relax and let the guitar patterns run by themselves.
Preston Reed has virtually reinvented how the acoustic guitar is played. He practices a flamboyant self-invented style, characterized by percussive techniques and simultaneous rhythm and melody lines that dance and ricochet around each other, giving his music a level of excitement that is unparalleled among today’s guitarists.
Playing an array of guitars from acoustic to electric to classical Reed’s vast range of explosively original music will forever change your expectation of a guitarist.
The most impressive thing about Reed’s technique, though, is that it doesn’t draw attention to itself. His compositions are far from abstract virtuosic displays; even without lyrics he creates vivid, engrossing scenes. Sometimes the effect is almost onomatopoetic.
Tickets for Preston Reed are £10 advance / £8 concessions and available online at theatkinson.co.uk or by calling The Atkinson box office on 01704 533333. You can also purchase your tickets over the counter during The Atkinson’s opening hours.
*Please be advised there is a £2 booking fee for booking over the phone and online bookings.
Posted on 29 October 2013 under General news
