Reeves Gabrels & Bill Nelson launch and discuss their new album 'Fantastic Guitars'

Event information

Reeves Gabrels, long-time artistic partner of David Bowie and The Cure’s current lead guitarist, and Bill Nelson, the musical innovator and legendary force behind Be Bop Deluxe present the results of their joint musical genius in an album which draws a complex picture of layers and sonics. The musicians will be discussing their prolific careers, the events which led them to join forces, and the creative processes behind the collaboration.

Bill Nelson said:
“Reeves and I have known each other since his Tin Machine days. We spoke about a possible collaboration many years ago but our geographical distance and relentless work ethic inevitably made this difficult. Fortunately, due to his recent status as The Cure's lead guitarist, Reeves has been able to spend much more time in the UK than previously and in 2012 we began making inroads into creating the 'Fantastic Guitars' album.
Conjured out of thin air in my tiny home studio, a couple of days at a time over a two year period, this project has been wonderfully joyous for me. I had long admired Reeves' formidable musical gifts but have to admit that entering into a collaboration with him was not without nervous trepidation on my part. Guitarists tend to be somewhat competitive although I don't think either of us wanted it to turn into a 'fastest guitar in the West' style shoot out.
Once we began to record however, the real surprise was how naturally our styles blended, complemented and contrasted each other. The added bonus, for me, was that I got to spend quality time with a warm, thoughtful and generous artist who I'm honoured to count as a much cherished friend.
However, 'Fantastic Guitars' is far more than just the sonic embodiment of our friendship, (though it is that too.) It is 'six-string cinema,' a paean to the passion we both have for the guitar and the magic of music itself”.
Bill Nelson, May 2014

Reeves Gabrels said:
“it all began with stuart monks.
back in 1989 stuart was doing guitar set-up work for me in london. one day, while picking up a repair, he casually mentioned his friend bill nelson.
bill had been a huge influence on me and as a young guitar player bebop deluxe was on a very short list of my favorite bands. after i regained my fan boy composure i asked stuart if he would mind giving me bill's phone number.
i have never asked bill what he thought of the strange american who rang him up and invited him down to that tin machine show in bradford.
i will always remember his first words to me in the hotel bar in leeds where the band collected after the show...
‘you are quite the hooligan.’

through the years and geographic changes that followed bill and i stayed in touch via letters and phone calls.
a few years later someone invented the internet and random compliments made by one of us about the other would make its way through the ether.
occasionally, the idea of ‘doing something’ would pop its head out of the odd paragraph, see its shadow, and then disappear for another year.
third and forth parties would bounce our possible collaboration back and forth in the form of zeroes and ones.
the bowie years passed, i became a member of the cure and once again found myself playing a festival in leeds.
post gig, in august 2012, it all fell into place over a sunday roast at a pub in york.

in truth, what you hold in your hands is a series of conversations between two friends masquerading as songs. they are stories that are at different points commiserative, tangential, aggressive, telepathic, gentle, abrupt, provocative, and sweet. they are unfolded and shared here for you to enjoy in the same way that such fantastic tales have been presented by members of our guild for ages... with joy, love, humour, and respect.

welcome to our world.”

reeves gabrels may 2014

‘Fantastic Guitars’ by Reeves Gabrels & Bill Nelson is released on the Sonoluxe label on 7th July 2014.

http://www.billnelson.com/

Reeves Gabrels fansite: http://www.reevz.net/

Twitter: @reevesgabrels
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Reeves-Gabrels/15925779642
and https://www.facebook.com/bill.nelson.54943600?fref=ts

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