Adelaide Guitar Festival is giving audiences a backstage pass to South Australia’s vibrant live music scene with the announcement of an online video series showcasing some of the state’s most talented guitarists. New videos will appear weekly on Adelaide Guitar Festival’s Facebook page from Friday 17 July, until the virtual event concludes on Sunday 9 August 2020.
Professionally filmed in the wings of Adelaide Festival Centre’s Festival Theatre, The Backstage Sessions will feature 15-minute sets from Adelaide Guitar Festival favourites along with accomplished emerging artists. Audiences will be treated to candid performances set against the unique backdrop of memorabilia collected from previous Adelaide Festival Centre productions.
“After the loss of this year’s festival, we’ve looked for alternative possibilities for engaging some of our incredible local artists in a series of mini-concerts which capture the intimacy and joy of these rare collaborations,” said Adelaide Guitar Festival Artistic Director Slava Grigoryan.
“This is an initiative which we hope to continue long after social-distancing restrictions are lifted, and we’re seeing our audiences again ‘in the flesh’. We hope you enjoy watching these as much as we enjoyed making them!”
Spanning rock, jazz, blues, classical and experimental, the line-up for The Backstage Sessions includes Chris Finnen, Cal Williams Jr & Kory Horwood; Kelly Menhennett & Band; The Tom Kneebone Trio; Mike Bevan & Alain Valodze; The Django Rowe Quintet and The Yearlings featuring Slava Grigoryan.
“This month was set to see the biggest Adelaide Guitar Festival yet, with performances scheduled to take place across the state from 1 July to 9 August. So to revel in the spirit of the festival that would have been, we’ve created something very special for guitar enthusiasts,” said Adelaide Festival Centre Artistic Director & CEO Douglas Gautier AM.
“This is an important opportunity to support South Australian musicians at a time when they have faced significant challenges in making a living out of what they do best. We hope The Backstage Sessions encourages more initiatives to help the local music industry recover from what has been a very difficult year so far.”
The Backstage Sessions’ videos can be viewed from Friday 17 July 2020. For more information, visit: www.adelaideguitarfestival.com.au for details.
Image: Slava Grigoryan – photo by Nate Schilling