Mike Dawes is a 23 year-old English virtuoso guitar player known for
composing, arranging and performing multiple parts simultaneously on one
instrument. He began his musical adventure at the age of four, when his parents
introduced him to The Blues Brothers. In his early childhood he experimented
with keyboards before picking up his first electric guitar at age twelve. Mike
switched to steel-stringed acoustic guitar in 2008.
His
early influences were Michael Hedges, Pierre Bensusan, and John Gomm. From late
2008 to late 2011 Mike performed hundreds of instrumental concerts at venues
and festivals throughout the United Kingdom both solo, and with concert harpist
Amy Turk. He has performed alongside and shared the bill with a large selection
of well-known musicians including Tommy Emmanuel.
He released a
unique and technically virtuosic arrangement of “Somebody That I Used To Know” by
Gotye that went viral, gaining acclaim from the international music community.
The likes of MSN News and Reddit all featured him on the front page of their
websites. A headline on the US MSN Browser spawned a huge influx of American
fans while Gotye (Walter de Backer) himself publicly praised the arrangement in
numerous international publications.
For you guitar
hounds, he plays guitars made by Nick Benjamin exclusively. I think you’re
going to like him.
Boogie slam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuRBGpEHcnI
Somebody I used to know: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1bzUaf_gvU
So long Michael: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUA6t9swkVo&feature=related
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZSzmim4brk&feature=related
Celtic tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXLCq1b7-4s
The impossible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYksCAhjthk
Scotch Pancake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5pYjVjBo7E
Lounge Bar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmkvJL38_Jw
The violet and the bee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSkKUlVwtfI
Superstition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAaGdOfTA6c
I suggest a 2007 Eguia Reserva Rioja ($10.00) while you
listen to Mike. I often shop wines at Costco and this one caught my eye. Ten
dollar Riojas are generally reliable wines, but this one was way more than
reliable. The wine is dark purple with a nose of red fruit and spices. The
pallet is full of red raspberries, black cherries, and dark plums accented by a
bit of oak. The finish is clean and elegant with mild tannins. It certainly
didn’t taste like a $10.00 Rioja, but it goes great with the guitar virtuosity
of Mike Dawes.
Cheers!
