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Californian based Gregg's first visit to the Festival and what a welcome he received. A full house again at Pacific Road to see what must be one of the most innovative guitarists of our time. Not only is he a great player but he even makes it more difficult by playing a right-handed guitar left handed but still strung right handed! In other words the guitar is in effect upside down. He later told me that this was how he learned to play and although he can play right handed he canıt play so well that way. Whatever the background this was a superb performance. The three-piece band was made up of Gregg on guitar and vocals, Norfolk based Adam Clarkson on Bass and excellent local drummer Chris Jacob on drums. Some may know Chris as the drummer with local band Funky Monks. During the night Gregg played two Stratocasters. His Hendrixesque style and influences are clear but Gregg is his own man and puts his own stamp on every song he plays. Also worth a mention are his excellent vocals which can easily be overlooked given his outstanding ability on guitar. In every sense this was a first class performance.
The two set gig comprised a mixture of self penned material and covers of great blues/rock classics such as Albert Kings Born Under a Bad Sign and Blues at Sunrise. His own material included several songs off his fine Lightning Strikes album and a couple from the older "Round One" album. Songs with plenty of feeling and variation such as Nocturne and my own favourite Between Heaven and Hell.
He is a guitaristıs guitarist without any doubt and he has played with many of the best over the years. Gregg is now rightly regarded as one of Americaıs elite session men. In recent times he has been the featured soloist on IMAX film Ocean Oasis.
Closing with a couple of Hendrix numbers resulted in rapturous applause. Gregg stayed on to sign CDs and chat to the audience. Very relaxed, very informal and all in all very impressive. His next stop is Ipswich were he will be running a guitar clinic and launching a new Carlsboro combo amp quickly followed by two more gigs in the south east before flying back to the States for a Jimi Hendrix birthday tribute at BB Kings Blues Club.
He hopes to be over in the UK again in Spring 2003. Lets hope he will return to Wirral for next yearıs festival.
Reviewed by Tragic Sally November 2002
Conclusion - A strange way to start with the end, but Gregg Wright is a very gifted musician who put on an exceptional show at Birkenheadıs Pacific Road Theatre. Obvious influences can be drawn between Gregg and Jimi Hendrix - both left handed, both play Strats, both are exceptional showmen, and both are guitarists supreme.
Thatıs the comparisons out of the way, so what are we left with? Judging by the crowds reaction and Gregg Wrightıs performance in Wirral, this a guy who is clearly his own person, has his own style and is a musician born to play the guitar.
Greggıs concert, part of Wirral's International Guitar Festival of Great Britain, was on a sunday, not the most rock n' roll of days, but after almost two hours of blistering guitar play all of the captivated audience forgot it was back to work in the morning. His two set performance kicked off with some blues based tunes, all with a hard edge yet retaining the delicacy of a master craftsman at work. He showed excellent craft and guile on his red Strat, before going into Nocturn, and the the Albert King classic, born Under A Bad Sign - he sang'If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all,' Fortunately all the luck in the world was on our side to be here tonight!. He mixed almost traditional blues licks with power based runs, so don't be fooled into thinking all Gregg Wright can do is play the blues - this guy has more depth then the Atlantic Ocean! His three piece band - featuring bassist Adam Clarkson and drummer and local boy, Chris Jago - offered great backing to the guitarist as their sound gelled and filled the theatre. Another Albert King song - Blues At Sunrise - followed, offering a more traditional blues sound, before ripping into the old Spencer Davis number, I'm A Man. Starting out faithful to the original song, it soon morphed into an extended jam featuring a series of Egyptian themes.
By now it was obvious to everyone around, that the performance was probably going to be one of the Festival's highlights, and it was unlikely to be beaten during the 10 day period. Time for a break, before the second set began with a rolling blues based number, leading into Hoodoo Man (with its very Tony Joe White feel), and featuring some lovely bottleneck. Mother (?) Makes a Gumbo was next, in which Gregg explained the delicacies of this southern dish - bit more notice Gregg and I'll bring over a bowl of Scouse (potatoes, onions, carrots, peas, meat and whatever you want) for you to try!!! Then - especially brilliant for me as big Cream fan - he then performed a breakneck version of the Robert Johnson classic, Crossroads. A House Divided next, soulful and emotive, before going into an extensive solo guitar break, in which Gregg played a plethora of styles. He told the audience, 'This is a guitar festival, so.....;
His guitar playing is astonishing, ripping out sounds, screeches, feedback - a masterful display reminiscent of (whisper it....Jimi Hendrix). Off the band went only to be encouraged back for an encore of Voodoo Chile. Again it started out cloned to the original, but soon Gregg Wright was stamping his own brand on it. Foe around 15 minutes he beguiled the audience before bringing the band back in and drawing it all to a close. Conclusion - If there is to be a better guitar performance seen at this years festival, it will have to go some way to beat Gregg Wright - a multi talented guitarist, gifted, dextrous, a guitarist which, if you have the chance, GO AND SEE HIM! Thanks Gregg for a great gig, come back next year, in fact, come back next week...move over Rover, Gregg's takin' over!!
Reviewd by Maddie 17th November 2002
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