Arriving at Caulfield Race track on a rainy Melbourne day amongst a tide of umbrellas and rain coats. On entering the venue the first thing noticeable was the onslaught of ‘sound’ coming from all directions on the ground floor.
It’s a guitar show after all, so you’d expect some guitar noises. There were lots of distorted fast guitar sounds going on – it sounded like they were all auditioning for something. Waiting to be discovered, maybe?
The Jack Bruce BassThere were lots of items on display, both new and old technology, from guitar straps to the latest in electronics. Guitar effects pedals are still popular. It seems that the artwork on the pedals is just as important as how they sound these days.
On to the quieter ‘acoustic’ first floor. This is where you’ll find acoustic guitars, mandolins, ukuleles and the like although there were also collectable electric guitars on display. Some highlights included Jack Bruce from Cream’s original EB bass guitar and a nice 1955 Fender Telecaster.
Martin Cilia & Barry Roy Martin Cilia & Charles Cilia (no relation)It was also a great opportunity to catch up with old friends, Barry Roy was on fire at the Sunburst Music Stand, Charles Cilia (no relation) had some great new guitars on his stand. Brad at The Speaker Factory stand had some nice Quilter guitar amps.
There were various performances and workshops with both national and international acts covering a variety of topics and music styles from bluegrass to punk, something for everyone.
All in all The Melbourne Guitar show was a well executed event, well worth attending. Now finding the exit is another story…
