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"A welcome tonic to the glut of perfectly produced vanity excersises that passes for modern blues these days. It’s a raucous sounding album that has plenty of credibility in a modern blues market full of mediocrity." - Guitarist - Oct 2009
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"This certainly belongs in 2009 and not back in the 1900s. It is fresh, has a hell of an edge to it and just demands your complete attention." - Blues Matters - 2009 The Shetland Blues Festival is happening now! 6th Blues Festival held over 3 days - we went along to the Lerwick Royal British Legion last night to see 4 acts - King King, Gwyn Ashton's Two Man Blues Army, The Rumshack Blues Band and Kevin Brown. I had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for - kick-ass music, the best bands we've seen for years!! We were gobsmacked - only way we can describe how we felt. Shetland rocked last night!
Special mention to 2 faves - 'Gwyn Ashton's Two-Man Blues Army' - Welsh born, now lives down under; Gwyn's music - psychedelic indie rock blues with technique that would put ol' Jimi to shame. He's played with Mick Fleetwood, Van Morrison, Jeff Healey, to name but a few. He's a legend with nicotine vocals that rip and ricochet through the air; he roars, he gets down and dirty, his music packs a punch, kicks you in the head, smashes glass in yer face - leaves you shaking and wanting more...
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"Gwyn Ashton brought an array of not only great guitars to Miller’s stage but, throughout the gig, proved he knew how to put each one through its paces. He kicked off the performance on a resonator, bottleneckslide, stomp and a demonstration of his unique thumb picking style, with some beautiful deep southern Blues intro, before going into a blues-rock ballad. It wasn't hard to see, as that wonderful resonator and gritty vocal echoed round Miller’s, that we were in for an excellent night of fine Blues, with just a touch of that dry Aussie humour - especially as Gwyn insisted on photographing his audience, which brought rolls of laughter at his antics to produce a good photo!
Gwyn’s second number was again on resonator with slide, starting with a demonstration of guitar loop-technique, blending individual guitar riffs in a tapestry, which he transformed into a totally unique rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s 'Purple Haze', mixing traditional Mississippi Blues with blues-rock. Drummer Kevin Hickman joined Gwyn on stage at this point, and the pair went into a blues-rock number featuring slide and power drumming interspersed with some raw Blues vocal.
Gwyn is in the process of producing a new CD, and Miller’s was treated to a sample of what is to come. The first offering was 'Break', another blues-rock number, with a vocal worthy of Roger Daltrey, wailing guitar on resonator slide, great sustain, progression and some real power drumming from Kev. This was a first a rate number in the ilk of Zeppelin, Sabbath and The Who. ‘Million Dollar Blues’ was a twelve bar blues-rock number reminiscent of early Rolling Stones - superb guitar work, power drumming
with great fills. The second set opened with Gwyn changing to an electro acoustic twelve string, lap steel and harmonica number from the “Prohibition” CD. Drum driven, harp wailing, fantastic great delay and chorus, very much in the King Crimson
vein - great stuff! Why Gwyn Ashton is not getting as much exposure as he deserves is a mystery!"
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"This is blues/rock guitar assault of the highest order and I fu*king love it! The album roars into life with 'Meltdown At The Hoo' - an instrumental name-check of every blues/rock style you've ever heard - and is followed by ten blistering tracks that every fan of the genre will gorge on like a hyena at a lion-kill. Nine of the eleven tracks here are self-penned; the exceptions being incredible versions of Robert Johnson's 'Crossroad Blues' and Blind Willie Reynolds' 'Outside Woman Blues', both made famous by Cream, both blowing Cream's efforts clean out of the water." - Alan Jones, Get Ready To Rock - 2009
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".......a great album (Two-Man Blues Army). Much better than all the other limp blues guitar CD's people keep sending me. Please pass on my congratulations to Gwyn." - London promoter/venue booker, kept nameless for obvious reasons! - 2009
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"Two-Man Blues Army is a masterclass in rocking garage blues, a feast of big riffs, killer guitar tones and searing vocals. More importantly, the record crackles with the raw, spontaneous energy of a live show, something often absent from many modern blues albums." - Guitar Buyer - 2009
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"The album (Two-Man Blues Army) roars into life with a raucous onslaught of soupy, swampy, scruff-of-the-neck revved up Hendrix-y electric guitar, as the appropriately-titled "Meltdown At The Hoo" hits top gear and hammers away at your senses! The whole album of killer tunes represents a definite melding of traditional blues-meets-the-21st century." - Gear magazine - 2009
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“(Two-Man Blues Army) Equipped with just guitar, vocals and drums, this duo march into battle taking on every blues-rock trick in the book, successfully blasting them to a new level. The duo format leaves plenty of room for Gwyn's muscular licks that induce the 'wow' factor time and time again. No-nonsense, brutal and invigorating.” - Guitar & Bass - 2009
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“A two-piece blues avalanche for fans of records how they used to make 'em. There are plenty of sonic and tonal highlights for blues-rockers to get their teeth into. From the high-octane Texas-style blues of Meltdown At The Hoo to the slow menace of One-Way Ticket to The Blues, The standout moment being Cross Road Blues, where a hypnotic tremolo riff builds to a haunting harmonica-led breakdown. This raw showcase of a telepathic duo exploring their blues is well worth cranking up." - Guitarist - 2009
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If you like yer blues bold, raunchy and rockin' then you need to get a copy of this stunning album by Gwyn Ashton. One of the quiet and unassuming blues-sters currently on the big scene, real nice guy Ashton shows just what can be done with contemporary rock/blues. Sitting nicely astride the invisible fence that separates raw blues from hard rock, 'Prohibition' will suit both camps equally well. Just listen to how Ashton makes his vibrant and explosive axe growl, wail, cry and laugh, adding depth and feeling to emphasise the lyric lines - stunning! 'Prohibition' is solid gold from start to finish. Ashton has called on friends and 'brothers in arms' Chris Glenn and Ted McKenna as his mainstay band here and with a bit of extra help from Don Airey and Liz McLaughlin the sleeve notes reads like a who's who of modern blues. So, with all that wealth of experience and Ashton's natural bent for solid rock'n'blues, this just had to be something very special. Oh, and it is!! Ballsy and dynamic, 'Prohibition' touches spots that most albums can't get close to. It just keeps on comin' at yer like a tenacious terrier that, once it's got a hold it just won't let go. Ashton's gritty vocal delivery is precise and emotionally charged - heart and soul stuff beautifully woven into the superb tapestry of guitar laden songs that just kick ass. And, what guitar! Ashton shows his true colours here; he proves that he's a match for anyone with his beautifully poised, expressioned style.
Generally hard rockin' and up-front 'Prohibition' begs to be played loud but, it's not all in-yer-face stuff - Ashton slips in a couple of real gritty, acoustic based 'chunes' for good measure and some aural respite. It all works incredibly well. Superbly packaged and presented, 'Prohibition' leaves nothing to chance - this is indeed the total 'package' - the mutt's nuts! Guitar driven blues rock is not only alive and well but thriving in the hands of the mighty blues warlord that is Gwyn Ashton. But please, don't just believe me; go grab a copy and give it a try for yourself - it's a stunner!
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If you watched Life On Mars on the telly recently, you'll be aware of the resurgence of all things '70s - and one of the big things in music, particularly in the early seventies, was the blues-rock power trio. And here's Gwyn Ashton with an absolute belter of an album, which doffs its cap to the power trio genre, (Taste and Rory Gallager in particular) yet manages to sound contemporary at the same time. It's some trick - and it works. Ashton is an Australian-born guitarist of real power and he's put together a band with Chris Glen (ex SAHB, Ian Gillan, etc) on bass, and, perhaps more importantly, Ted McKenna, who toured and recorded for over three years with Rory Gallagher, on drums. There's no mistaking the Rory connection - he's got a battered Strat, a love of the blues, and hell, he even looks like Rory - but forget any ideas of this being some sort of tribute band - he's very much his own man. There's twelve tracks on offer here and it's all killer no filler as someone once said. The album kicks off with the classic blues/rock rifferama of 'Get Up, Get Over It' which sets the tone for what follows. There's blistering fretwork from Gwyn all over the place, but for me there are four standout tracks. A great cover of Rory's 'Secret Agent' gives a strong reminder of what we've been missing since Rory passed away, 'Ain't My Style' has a classic Stevie Ray Vaughan riffalike, and 'The Road Is My Religion' which I rattled my brain to remember what it sounded like (don't be put off when I tell you it's Bon Jovi's 'Wanted Dead Or Alive'!). However the track that takes the biscuit is 'Rest In Paradise (for Stevie), which, when I read it was a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan, I got that sinking feeling that it was going to be one of those maudlin ballads full of sanctimonious, claptrap lyrics that have you reaching for the sick-bag. How wrong can you be - it's a superb, wholly instrumental tribute to SRV which has familiar Stevie licks weaving in and out all over the place. I don't think Stevie could have had a better epitaph than this.
All in all this is a great album and if blues/rock fretmeistery is your thing, well, what more can I say - buy it!
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Dear Gwyn,
thanks for last night. That's the third time i have seen you in Bewdley and you just get better each time. Where did you get that version of Black Night from? It was so good so different. Hayden, England
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| Hi Gwyn.
Just a quick note(A MAJOR).Oops sorry,i couldn't resist. Anyway,when are you back in Yorkshire England? It would be good to see and
hear you play again. When you were last in leeds i dont think we realised how fortunate we were to have you there. Regards, Ray, England
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| Hi there!
Thanks for playing such a fantastic gig on 25th March in Lohr/Germany! It was really awesome! Very tight Rythm Section! And of course thanks for your autograph on my cd! I´m very impressed of your style of playing the blues and hope to see you again soon in germany! BTW:Sorry for my bad english. Best wishes Markus, Germany
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| Must contact you to tell you how much I enjoyed your gig when you played before Tony Joe White in the Mean Fiddler.
I purchased Beg, Borrow and Steel that night and must say the album is absolutely brillant. I will be buying the other cds that you
have out. Keep up the brillant work, I'm looking forward to seen you play again sometime. Regards,
Christy, London, England
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| Just like to thank you for a great gig on Saturday up in Ballyshannon. Definitely one of the best gigs I've been
to. My girlfriend (Mary-Ellen) and two other friends of mine went on to Dorians and had a great night there as well. I don't want to sound like I'm kissin' your arse but the album hasn't been off the stereo! Unbelievable playing and unbelievable guitar tones. Thanks for including the gear you use on each song. It's a great idea and more people should do it. Brian Meakin band on Sunday night were good and then we went straight to Dublin to see Carvin Jones on Tuesday night. Have to find a job now but worth it for the week we had. Again thanks for a great gig and for hangin around with us after it. Hope to see you back in Ireland again before next years Ballyshannon. Dave, Ireland
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| Hi Gwyn! First I like to apoligize for my bad english, hope you can read it anyway...My name is Andreas, I'm 20 years old and from Switzerland. I play Guitar since 3 years and really like your way of playing! I've saw you once live in Switzerland, in the Andy's Pub...maybe you remember? It really was a great show!! So why do I write this mail? Recently I bought your album "Beg, Borrow & Steel" and was really impressed by the acustic song "Uluru Sunset"! I really would like to play it by myself, but I couldn't figure our much! I don't know, is it possible to tell me how you tuned your Duolion/acustic Guitar on this song, or if possible to send my a tab of it? That would be awesome! All right, don't wanna waste your time any longer...thanks very much in advance! It would be great to see you again once at a show in Switzerland! Best wishes Andreas, Switzerland
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| hi i've been to the concert you gave in erfurt and standing right in front of you i could see this crazy little thing you seem to have build which you used during your acoustic for creating the beat. and i just wanted to ask, if this little wire under the shells (?) is a piezo-pickup? is there anything more about it I should know? i want to build one for myself. thx by the way, great concert Robert, Germany
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| Hello Gwyn, I just returned home from your gig at the Albion Hotel Parramatta (NSW), 22/5/05. I had my 15 yr old son with me (Alex). We really enjoyed the gig, you are a great talent. We heard about you from an ad a Sydney Music Mag (Drum Media) and did some research on the net. I am a big Rory fan and my son is following in my footsteps. So we thought we'd check you out........... sensational.......!!!!!!!!!! At the gig I heard you mention that you were doing some gigs with some of Rory's old band....... will there be some in Australia (Sydney)? If not will some of it be recorded....????? Thanks again.....especially enjoyed your version of "Out on the Western Plain"......... Please send some info about your CD's and where we can check them out......(We tried to talk to you at the Albion but you seemed to be busy) Looking forward to seeing you again Cheers Marc & Alex, Australia
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| Just like to thank you for a great gig on saturday up in Ballyshannon. Definitly one of the best gigs I've been to. My girlfriend (Mary-Ellen) and two other friends of mine went on to Dorians and had a great night there as well. I don't want to sound like I'm kissin your arse but the album hasn't been off the stereo! Unbelievable playing and unbelievable guitar tones. Thanks for including the gear you use on each song. It's a great idea and more people should do it. Brian Meakin band on Sunday night were good and then we went straight to Dublin to see Carvin Jones on Tuesday night. Have to find a job now but worth it for the week we had. Again thanks for a great gig and for hangin around with us after it. Hope to see you back in Ireland again before next years Ballyshannon. Dave, Ireland
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| GWYN. JUST WANTED TO DROP A QUICK NOTE TO SAY HOW MUCH I ENJOY YOUR MUSIC,AND YOUR E-MAIL UPDATES. I FIRST READ ABOUT YOU IN "GUITAR TECHNIQUES" MAGAZINE,AND YOU SOUNDED INTERESTING.(I'M ALSO A SUCKER FOR STRATS). I LIVE ON THE EAST COAST OF CANADA,AND YOUR C.D.'S ARE NOT AVAILABLE HERE... SO THANKS TO A FEW TRAVELING FRIENDS WHO DON'T MIND SHOPPING FOR C.D.'S WHEN IN THE U.K. I EVENTUALLY GOT ALL THREE OF YOUR C.D'S. I'D LOVE TO SEE A DVD SOME TIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE(SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE COMPATABLE FOR NORTH AMERICAN VIEWING OF COURSE). KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.KEEP THE E-MAILS COMING,AND TRY GETTING SOME MORE PHOTOS ON YOUR WEB SITE. THANKS AGAIN Shawn, Canada
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| Hello Gwyn, Was visiting Ballyshannon during the Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival and saw you and the Band of Friends doing this fantastic gig on Saturday evening. Thank you for that. You and the rest of the band did a great job. You made this trip so special. Hope you enjoyed it,too. Bye, bye, Dorien Schlief, The Netherlands
Dear Gwyn,
went to see Vanilla Fudge together with ten friends most of whom remembering them from long time ago. Had no
idea about a special guest.
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Although I am a huge Rory fan I have to confess to being a little ignorant of the current blues scene and
consequently I have never heard of Gwyn Ashton. Very much my loss. Saw him at the above Rory tribute gig.
What a guitarist!!! What a show!!! This years tribute was far superior to last years and that was mostly down
to Gwyn. A must see in the future in his own right. Thanks Gwyn.
Frank Carroll. Newarthill. Lanarkshire
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Just back from seeing Gwyn playing at the Rory Gallagher tribute night in Glasgow 28/8/04.Just wanted to
say that I have seen a lot of great guitarists (Blackmore, Page, Moore, Morse to name a few) and I have to
say this guy is a genius of the fretboard and a great personality in to the bargain.A thoroughly enjoyable
night. Haste ye back. Gwyn Trevor Fotheringham, Ayrshire, Scotland
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Hello Ashton. well i send this mail to u on behalf of me and some other guys to say that u were unbelievable
at the Volos Greece show the other day. We were unaware of u but now we are big fans. Also FANG IT is great!!!
Keep up the great job and we hope to see u again soon someday!!!!!
Kostas, Greece
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Well, for the first time I saw Gwyn at MARYPORT BLUES FESTIVAL, just totally blown away
what an absolute joy. Needless to say i will be purchasing some cds, met the guy after the gig
what a nice bloke.
Dave, Cumbria, UK
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| It was about 11 days ago that you came over to Cowtown (that's Ft. Worth) to play for us happy
few over at the 6th Street Grill. I don't know exactly how you got talked into that, but I just wanted to follow
up and tell you how thrilled I was that you were there. I was the guy who played after you and I was there with a friend who was also paying attention to your technique. As far as we could tell, you used most every known technique-- and even if there was one or two you didn't employ, we felt sure that you had those mastered too. You are the best slide player I have ever seen and/or heard. Thanks again and best wishes! P.S. Oh how I wish I could be in Prague! Ben Benson, Texas, USA
Hi Gwyn,
Dear Gwyn,
I saw you live performing with the Band of Friends, in a pub in Eindhoven (Holland) on the 30th march. As a Rory
Gallagher fan for over 30 years it was a phantastic experience for me. Of course it was great to see Gerry,
Brendan, Marc and Lou so close, I even could talk to them.
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| Hi there, Being in possession of the "Feel the heat" CD, and having spent 3 weeks on a course in Stevenage which was due to come to an end on Friday 6th, I was delighted when I discovered you were playing at a pub in the town on my last night there. I persuaded 5 of my colleagues on the same course (40+ music freaks like myself) that we should spend our last night getting a good dose of blues rock, and so we witnessed what can only be described as a fantastic gig. The band were red hot, and Gwyn's playing was top drawer. In fact, the final number, "Knocking on heaven's door" made one of my colleagues cry, it moved him so much. As a long time fan of Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Duane Allman etc, all I can say is that Gwyn deserves to be hailed in the same way as these other guys. Keep on giving us the great live music, and try to get to the Midlands some time, preferably Warwick / Leamington Spa, where I live ! Cheers Steve Thorne, UK
AmCham 10-th anniversary of July 4-th: American Chamber Of Commerce, Bulgaria Hubert Sumlin, who fell through a window onto a stage at the age of 9 and played for 23 years as Howlin' Wolf's guitarist, is the man whom Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and countless others list as one of their greatest influences. We last saw him a year ago at The Old Vic in Nottingham when we were treated to a night of Howlin' Wolf classics. In contrast this time, with the exception of "Sitting on Top of The World" and "Little Red Rooster" complete with howling hounds from the audience, he stuck mainly to post Wolf compositions. Arriving on stage wearing a grey suit, white fedora, Gwyn Ashton tee shirt and an enormous guitar-shaped tie, Hubert looked every inch the epitome of an old time Bluesman. He was later joined on stage by Gwyn Ashton who visibly enjoyed every minute of trading licks with the maestro, it seemed as if they could have played all night and we could have happily watched. A great weekend was had by all and we hope to see you at next year's Bury Blues festival. www.bluesfreepress.org.uk Australian Gwyn Ashton has guitar hero stuff and taste, too. His electric numbers run at about Rick Derringer intensity (hear "Trouble’s Knockin'"); the acoustic cuts ("Leaving" for example) have snap and delicacy. Comparisons to Rory Gallagher are not unwarranted." Tom Hyslop, 'Blues Bites'. Blues Revue, US
"The latest edition of living blues mag has a review of Gwyn Ashton's CD. The review
compares him favourably with Rory Gallagher. He is doing well in Europe, playing many
festivals and has received an endorsement from Fender Guitars. It is always great to hear
of another local bluesman making good on the world stage"
Have you seen this guy play? He's currently playing the London/Bedfordshire/Milton Keynes area in England. One of the best blues players I've seen. Gwyn is one of the most amazing guitarists I have seen. It is a real loss for us that he
could not find a way to continue playing over here, but definitely a gain for the UK. He has
a couple of CDs out, at least one of, which should still be available (probably as an import
for you), or maybe Gwyn has some himself. Pass on the regards of the Melbourne Blues
Appreciation Society if you get the chance to talk to Gwyn, and wish him the best for us)
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| Armed with a National steel guitar and an arsenal of blues originals
written in convincingly authentic style, yet another product of Melbourne's fertile blues
scene marches forth. In fact, this is Gwyn Ashton's second CD. "Beg, Borrow and Steel" also
launches him on a journey across the continents, via New Zealand, the USA (where he has a gig
at Martha's Vineyard) and on to Europe. On this CD he is ably supported by other Melbournians, including Ken Farmer on drums and the amazing Anthony Harkin on harp, plus Chris Farmer on double bass and the Reverend Mick O'Connor on Hammond, to retain the acoustic ambience. Gwyn plays and even sings a little like Johnny Winter on the National- and that's definitely a compliment. The arrangements are simple and uncluttewhite, yet they groove. The only cover on the album, Muddy's "I Can't Be Satisfied" is played with panache and I venture to say that Muddy would have liked it. There are occasional forays into ordinary acoustic territory, including the pretty, non-blues instrumental "Uluru Sunset" but it is Gwyn's slide on the National steel which is exceptional. Sometimes these things all sound the same, but Gwyn makes it sweet or pensive or rocks it up - and the outcome is a fine acoustic album. Mike Garner-New Zealand Blues Society |