Whelanslive.com presents
JOHN SMITH
+ guests
2012 has been an exciting year for John. As well as finishing writing and recording songs for his forthcoming new album, John has spent the year touring with Lisa Hannigan and her band, and doing some supports across Europe, US, UK, Ireland and more recently Japan. It was on this recent round of UK supports that John and Hawley formed a bond and Hawley extended the invite to John to join him on the Irish dates. John said Yes Please! John will be previewing new songs as well as material from his two previous albums, with more shows and album release plans to follow early in the new year. Don’t miss this early chance to catch this 30 year-old songster from Devon and his engaging performances. He is a dazzling and inventive guitarist with a jaw-dropping, unconventional percussive guitar style, and possessor of an unforgettable honeyed gravel growl of a voice that belies his age and background.
December Tour dates :
1 Derry, Nerve Centre
2 Belfast, Mandela Hall
3 Dublin, Vicar Street
4 Dublin, Whelans (upstairs)
5 Galway, Black Box
6 Cork, Savoy Theatre
What the critics say about John Smith :
“Spellbinding” – Time Out
“A guitar genius…He sounds as though he arrived 60 years ago but looks startlingly young, perched on a chair, quietly confident, charming and instantly engaging.” – The Sun
“One man, a guitar and an incredible voice…mesmerising” – bbc.co.uk
“He possesses a common name but a rare talent” – The Independent
“The playing style he adopts may cause your jaw to hit the floor…he has all the flair for the gathering storm that made Jeff Buckley so attractive…one hesitates to mention Nick Drake but well, one already has done.” – Word Magazine
“His performance was an object lesson in how taste and imagination always outweigh mere musical virtuosity…unexpected and daring” – The Sunday Times
“John Smith continually swoons audiences with his own strain of nu-folk. It is only a matter of time before he is enormous.” – NME
TICKETS
€10 available online from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or creditcard bookings)
AFTER THE GIG
Whelan’s Indie DJ from 11pm til late or you might even catch the end of the weekly Trad Session in the front bar (9pm, Free).