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Jon Gomm - Don’t Panic (Performing Chimp Records)
What do the following musicians and singer-songwriters all have in common? Chris Lowe (Pet Shop Boys), Nick McCarthy (Franz Ferdinand), Graham Nash (The Hollies, Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young), Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span), Robert Smith (The Cure) and Roy Harper? Well, they were all born in Blackpool.
A little closer to home – Leeds, to be exact - but also via Blackpool, hail the likes of Little Boots, formerly of Dead Disco, Dave James (Cardboard Cowboy and The Lazy Darlings) and, the subject of this review, Jon Gomm. All stalwarts of the music scene in Leeds in recent years.
I first heard him play quite a few years ago now at The Royal Park Cellars. I was sat with my back to the stage when suddenly my ears were filled with what sounded like a 4 piece band on stage. Vacating my seat, I was after all supposed to be photographing the gig, I was surprised to see just one man and his guitar on stage. I was mesmerized from the very beginning as Jon strummed, finger-picked, detuned, retuned, tapped and knocked his way through his amazing repertoire.
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