Dave Gibb

HAILING from the village of Wanlockhead in Dumfries and Galloway Dave describes himself as a left-handed, balding, middle-aged songwriting folky from Scotland’s highest village.

A superb guitarist with a style that is as distinctive as it is effective, a voice that can carry traditional and contemporary songs and a songwriting ability that produces songs ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, he is an established performer throughout the acoustic/folk club, festival and concert scene.

Having realised that he was never going to be the new Rory Gallagher Dave drew his early inspiration as a guitarist from such ‘heroes’ as Paul Simon, Richard Thompson, Bert Jansch and anyone else who plays acoustic guitar, and he continues to pick up influences from more contemporary players.

His playing has evolved into a sound and style that is all his own. Bluesy, folky, jazzy or straightforward head-down-and-stuff-the-subtlety finger picking styles are all in evidence.

Lyrically Dave is a storyteller and troubadour and is determined to maintain the art of storytelling through song. Musically he draws on both traditional and contemporary sources, especially the finger picking styles of the heroes and is one of the more accomplished guitarists on the folk circuit.

The not-too-serious songs reflect his somewhat cynical view of the world and its inhabitants. As a result his songs have titles as diverse as The Leaving (about the highland clearances) and Mentally Degoolified (about the neutering of his cat) and subjects that range from the death of John the Baptist (Caravaggio’s Eyes) to what life must have been like as a chamber pot emptier living on the banks of the Yangtze River (Better Life Next Time).

Hailing from Scotland's highest village of Wanlockhead, in Dumfries and Galloway, singer-songwriter Dave Gibb was an early winner - more than a decade ago now - of a Danny Kyle Open Stage Award at Celtic Connections. Since then, he's cemented a reputation as one of the most dependable entertainers on the folk club scene, meanwhile releasing no fewer than eight albums, most recently this year's Story Song. That proved an apt title both for his often narrative-based material, inspired either by real events or his inquisitive imagination, and his performance style, which alternated the music with plenty of anecdotal, variously tall tales and occasionally ribald banter.

Deploying a mix of Scottish and American balad styles, Gibb's well crafted compositions ranged absorbingly in subject matter and mood, from the regretful, anti-romantic Vagabond Road to the impish Ballad of Dora Knoyes, paying tribute to a famous Edinburgh madam; from the lazy, mellow Sunday Song to the vividly drawn Privateer, anatomising different forms of piracy.

Gibb's warmly earthy voice also lent itself to a diverse handful of covers, among them a grittily immediate opening rendition of the traditional Twa Corbies, Mississippi John Hurt's Hesitation Blues and an affecting version of Cyril Tawney's Sally Free and Easy, its subtle intensity evoking echoes of Bert Jansch. Restive, fluently nimble acoustic guitar accompaniment completed the package, spanning blues, ragtime, fingerstyle and jazz - the last emerging in a touchingly simple understated love song for his wife.

The club welcomed Dave Gibb all the way from bonnie Scotland. Dave is an excellent guitarist and song writer. His performance was out standing, his wonderful songs complimenting his guitar playing prowess. Easily the best playing we have heard this year. Dave will be back again in a year or so, folk singer song writers like Dave don’t come along every day.

Everyone was delighted and much cheered up by Dave Gibb’s two-half set at the ACE Centre on Friday May 20th. Here’s one comment:

‘I am stepping out this morning with a renewed sense of well being and a silly grin on my face as I recall Dave Gibb’s most engaging and entertaining performance last night – it was an absolutely brilliant evening. His easy fusion of blues, jazz and folk finger work on the fret board, coupled with a truly “west coast” sense of humour and timing had us all totally absorbed and rolling in the aisles – in many cases at the same time.’

Need more be said? Thanks Dave!

We had an excellent night with Dave Gibb up at the Memorial Hall. A nice mix of new songs he’s written, some old favourites (Avalon being one of mine) a lot of humour and some sparkling guitar playing. For those who are not already Gibb-devotees I should mention his gorgeous arrangement of Burns’ ‘Green Grow the Rushes Oh’ and a breathtaking version of ‘Lady Eleanor’. Dave is an excellent songwriter, but he offers other material as well.

The wizard o' Wanlockheid on another welcome visit to the club. The man is a left handed guitarist who can make others feel like giving up. Dave is now gaining the recognition he deserves all over Britain. Sometimes humorous and sometimes wistful or sad but never dull...that's Dave.

Singing in a warm, soulful voice, ably self-accompanied on guitar, he won himself plenty more new friends with a set that mixed mellow, folky ballads with hard-edged country-blues numbers and a sprinkling of comic material.