Description

Preston Reed is a one-man revolution. The New Yorker tweaks the nose of musical convention, pokes the eye of accepted wisdom, and burns the rulebook of the past.

Most great guitarists would be grateful to create a legacy of classic recordings, stand-out performances and blistering technique, but US-born Preston Reed has gone much further by inventing an entirely new way of playing the guitar. His influence is crucial for a new generation of guitarists including Andy McKee, who play in the style developed by Reed back in the mid-1980s.

Reed was a child of the '60s, and cites his earliest memory as The Rolling Stones' hit The Last Time, whose classic lick led him to early flirtations with the ukulele and a grounding in basic chords courtesy of his father. He wrote his first song at eight a number called The Lonely Night before a course of regimented classical lessons wilted his passion.

But fate wasn't finished with Preston Reed. At 15, the bug bit again, as Reed attended a Hot Tuna show in New York and was floored by the bluesy fretwork of Jorma Kaukonen. That night, his guitar was retrieved from the closet and took up permanent residence on his lap, with Reed drawing inspiration from acoustic legends like John Fahey and Leo Kottke, and developing his own voice along the way. He was still just 17 when whispers of his talent buzzed through the music circuit following a live debut in support of beat poet Allen Ginsberg at the Smithsonian Institute.

Starting with 1979's Acoustic Guitar, a volley of thrilling albums (15 to date) spread Reed's reputation, and by 1988 he had signed a major deal with MCA. But behind closed doors, the guitarist was frustrated. Though spellbinding by any standards, he felt his playing had reached a plateau due to the physical limitations of the instrument. Then the thunderbolt struck. Reed wiped his technique clean, stepped into the void and made his first attempt at the two-handed percussive fretboard attack that would change his trajectory forever.

The power and depth of Reed's original compositions are as unique as his execution, as blues, rock, funk and jazz meet, interlock and attack to create a sonic brew quite unlike anything you've heard before. Each piece is a symphonic tidal wave, yet Reed needs only one guitar and ten fingers to unleash it onto audiences across the planet.

Twenty years after he changed the face of the acoustic guitar, this trailblazer still tours and records with a passion that flows into the hearts, heads and feet of his audiences, and continues to push his musicianship to a place where other guitarists fear to tread. Nobody knows where Preston Reed's journey will take him next not even the man himself. The one thing we know for sure is that it'll be one hell of a ride.

Description

The Slaughtered Lamb, simple British cuisine: Fish and Chips, Sliders and Salads are the order of the day.
We have at least 11 draught beers plus ales and scored of craft beers in the fridges. Downstairs, our basement bar has events and parties every night.

During the week, we play host some of the finest folk musicians the world over. At the weekends we like to party with our DJs, the night and yourselves.

34-35 Great Sutton Street,

Finsbury,

Greater London,

England,

EC1V 0DX.

020 7253 1516