Location: Sax / Zagreb / Croatia
Concert date: 10.11.2011
Attendance: 200
Ticket price: 50 HRK with the clinic, 30 HRK for the evening part only
Last week, the Zagreb music scene was all about the 1st Zagreb Guitar Show. The three-day event (a drummers’ battle on 8.11. and a bass master night on 9.11.) wrapped up on 11.11. with the final of the guitar master competition and clinics by Guthrie Govan and Phil Hilborne.
We got to Sax club in the center of Zagreb right after Phil Hilborne’s clinic ended and just before Guthrie’s was about to start. There were around 70 people in the club, all hungry for the guitar wisdom of the virtuoso Guthrie Govan. Guthrie is one of the best-known guitarists on the rock/fusion scene of the past decade, so the big interest in his clinic is no surprise. At 6:30 PM, Guthrie walked onto the stage modestly, picked up his guitar and started talking. He said he started playing guitar at the age of three, that he doesn’t remember that time himself, and that he’s always been curious about different musical styles. Guthrie is a guitarist who’s incredibly well versed in technique and improvisation, and you can’t overlook his theoretical knowledge either, which is why he finds his way around so many different styles so well. He showed off various skills a guitarist can pull off with just a guitar, no effects or pedals. His opinion is that you get a better feel for the instrument if you play without a pick. In general, the feel of the instrument and its parts was the central theme of the clinic. After a short and fun intro, he invited the audience to ask questions, and he then answered them at length for a whole hour. I admit his answers hooked me even though I don’t play guitar myself, because he told his stories in a really interesting way, demonstrated everything as he went, and was hilarious in his answers too, so we laughed at him like he was some kind of stand-up comedian. The audience was happy at the end and rewarded Guthrie with a big round of applause.
I didn’t expect the clinic to be the most interesting part of the guitar show for the next few hours, but unfortunately that’s how it turned out. Next came a rather bored presentation of Marshall amps by last year’s Guitar Master winner for Croatia (of which this year’s Zagreb Guitar Show is the continuation), Ivan Ivanković. Hardly anyone listened to it; most people were enjoying a relaxed chat about the clinic (thank god the presentation at least wasn’t loud) or had gone out for some fresh air.
After a short break, the club started filling up after eight in the evening for the night program. The acts started following one another like on a conveyor belt. Modern Rock Institut, the band Side Effect, Hedras Ramos – a finalist of British Guitar Idol, and Ivan Ivanković all had their turn. At times, with the pretty serious crowding in the club, it was already hard to keep track of when people on stage had swapped and who was playing.
Then came the performance of the five finalists of Zagreb Guitar Master 2011. After their short sets, the jury, which included Hilborne and Govan among others, picked the winner, Ivan Špelak Jitz from Zagreb, who got a Sterling guitar as his prize.
After another short break, Guthrie Govan on guitar, Vincenzo Maurogiovanni on bass and Alen Frljak on drums took the stage. Guthrie said right away that this lineup had never played together before today and that they’d managed to learn exactly 2 and a half songs. Together they played Guthrie’s songs Fives and Waves (in between, Guthrie jokingly asked whether they should play that other half of a song too), and then Phil Hilborne joined them on stage on guitar. What followed was an unbelievable jam mishmash of everything, from the intros of various cartoons to totally improvised bits and covers. Guthrie and Phil grinned from ear to ear the whole time they played, constantly eyeing each other with curiosity, like, what’s coming next, who’s going to start playing when,… They drew the audience into the fun and excitement too. While playing they showed off all their guitar-shredding skills, along with a huge feel for the instrument and a knack for entertaining the crowd, which started saying its goodbyes and heading home in the early morning hours.
It was an interesting night, but for my taste, overcrowded with different performers. Most of the people who stood on stage played 3 songs at most. In the future it would be better if, before the finalists’ performance, there was just one quality band or one virtuoso with a full repertoire.
photos: Greg Žagar
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