A bitterly cold Easter in Slough belied the warmth and amazing talents lurking inside the Arts Centre where the 2008 TommyFest was taking place. A small venue which felt very comfortable and friendly, Graham Steel had done a wonderful job of making this happen and he deserves a big vote of thanks for this.

I strode in alongside Tommys'daugher Angelina and her mother on the Friday night concert -which only just adds to the whole warmth, compassion and humanism of the guy and how this spills over into the event, and drowns everybody there. Most 'artistes' don't giveaway their closest feelings, but Tommy has a knack of being able to share this side of human nature, and his vulnerability, his highs his lows, both through his songs and his genuine repartee with his audience.

The sound is brilliant, on stage are a jumbo cutaway and a jumbo tuned to 'G' and on he walks immediately blown away by the audience reception, with his main instrument the 808 'mouse' and straight in to the the haunting and beautiful 'since we met' inspired by Claptons 'Tears in Heaven'. Here follows song after song, lick after lick, a gattling gun of sheer magic fired at a riveted audience. He sings and plays songs dedicated to his daughters, Angelina who he accounts next day was reduced to tears with this and 'diggers waltz', with some favourites added in like 'cannonball rag'.

However I got the feeling that Tommy has changed direction. He did not rely on the old favourites such as 'Blue Moon' and 'Beatles medleys'-although he performed an amazing rendition of 'somewhere over the rainbow' as it was requested- instead he captivated everybody with material from the last album to and songs we can only hope are on the next. A song called 'Jack magic' about a guy he met whilst he was ill, playing magic tricks, is awesome and I can only tell you your fingers are going to be busy this next year.

My feeling is with age and probably a bit of a health scare - I understand this, I am exactly the same age as Tommy (within days) and have had major health problems and got over them- his journey as a musician has altered course and will reveal yet more of this fascinating Australian.

At the end of April he has a cd, a dvd and an instructional dvd coming out, which he related were recorded in California over a three night gig. During the day the camera crew recorded the instructional dvd and at night the live performance, with no less than six motorised cameras, positioned at all angles. The instructional dvd has the option to zoom in on his fretboard and slow the playing right down - without losing pitch!!

On the Saturday both me and my son Joe, enjoyed some 'open' performances in the bar by some very talented players- there must have been more Matons in Slough than Kangaroos in Wannaroo- and then spent the afternoon in Tommys company, which was such a pleasure, -and exhausting 'cos you're hanging on to every word! He answered questions on how to play various pieces, his 'kit', the settings he uses, his 'percussive' technique, all sorts of stuff with both patience and humour. But most of all, and this, for me anyway, was the vein running through the weekend, his compassion and love that is born from those fingers tirelessly playing those beautiful tunes that move people so much. We have all been struck silent by a piece of music somewhere some time, and Tommy has the ability to do that to you with his, where does it come from and how does it affect your life? I felt this deepness in his playing and his communication. Put it this way if he was out to converting you, I'd join up man!

All in all, more inspiration to make me continue playing and writing in my own little world. Having one or two conversations with Tommy, he let me have a play on 'mouse', what a wonderful little guitar, battered and played and loved. The neck is perfection and obviously so worn down by the man, an additional mic inside, and for those of you 'Tech' guys, it has virtually no action and sounds like a fret saw acoustically but plug it in.......
I managed to sneak some video, and am going to seek permission as to if I can Utube any of it, so keep your eye out because its absolutely brilliant. What more can I say, except maybe save up hard and get to a Tommyfest, G'day.

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