Concert News

Preston Reed In London

10th Jul 2014

Preston Reed plays two special intimate shows this September:
25th September @Surya, London

Percussive fingerstyle master Preston Reed, who inspired such latter day flattop heroes as Andy McKee and Jon Gomm, is back and with a mind blowing new album!
Using the two-handed integrated percussive acoustic technique he pioneered in 1987, Reed fuses chord-based grooves, soaring melodic runs and polyrhythmic percussion that integrate the breathtaking potential of the guitar body. Preston Reed doesn’t need a band. He is the band.

Twenty-seven years after his idiosyncratic style was born, Reed’s seismic global impact has created a sea of guitarists playing in his style. Today at the height of his game, Reed’s recordings and live performances still define the sound of the pioneering compositional guitar genre he invented over a quarter century ago.

The decades since, have seen Reed touring globally. In 2012, the guitarist was an irresistible force, spellbinding the UK and Europe on the 50-date Guitar Masters Tour alongside Andy McKee. He sold out – twice – in Singapore, charmed Irish audiences, and dropped jaws in countries as far-flung as Croatia. That year, as a popular draw on the corporate circuit, Reed’s unique skills saw him requested by global brands including Nike USA, Revolution Growth and the Dubai-based GAC Corporation – while a set at the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh has since clocked over a million views. 2013 saw him perform in China, Mexico, South Africa, France, the UK, and Poland.

Preston’s live shows are full of contrasts, by turns explosive and sweetly lyrical. He riffs with the conviction and guts of a rock band, yet plays with the subtlety of the most delicate of jazz pianists. There are no fancy gadgets or gimmicky FX – just 6 strings (or occasionally 12), two hands and a daring and innovative musical imagination that crosses all boundaries.

With a career spanning over four decades this trailblazer still tours and records with a passion that flows into the hearts, heads and feet of his audience, don’t miss him!