This July, James Daubney will be performing as the featured act of the open mic event, Live and Lyrical. Come and see him, and the other local talent that Newbury has to offer.
Find out more about this great local act, and the exciting open mic night, which is taking place this month at the Corn Exchange.
James' acoustic guitar style captured the audience at the last open mic night, and now he's back to perform at the next Live and Lyrical , which is being held on Thursday the 24th of July. James plays the guitar in a completely new way, expertly combining percussion and melody to create an exciting sound. All the featured acts are chosen from performers who have taken part in previous nights, and really showcase the best of Newbury's talent. Previous acts have included a poet and a comedy duo, and we are really pleased to invite James back to once again entertain the audience with his unique guitar style. James will be opening the show, and will also perform in the second half of the evening. You can hear James' music by visiting his You Tube Account or his Soundcloud. More infomation on James is also available on his website.
We hope to see you at the open mic evening, which is on Thursday the 24th of July, 8pm at New Greenham Arts. For more infomation on how to book, visit the Live and Lyrical page.
We were lucky enough to interview James, where he told us about his sound, his musical background and his inspirations:
Having seen you perform at the last Live and Lyrical we are fascinated by the combination of rhythm and melody that you work together when playing your guitar. As we have done a terrible job of describing what you do can you explain your guitar style to anyone who hasn't seen you play before.
I started as a classical guitarist but have also explored other styles. A few years ago I discovered the flamenco style and grew very fond of it. What I loved most about it was all the new techniques involved in the genre, which included playing the guitar more rhythmically and percussively.
I would say my current style portrays my classical roots combined with flamenco techniques; it’s a very modern approach to the instrument.
At the last Live and Lyrical you performed one cover and one piece of your own. Where do you start when writing a piece? Tell us a bit about your process.
I have no particular process when it comes to writing my own pieces. It usually involves trial and error. I experiment by creating ideas based upon chords and melodies. The ideas that interest me will be used and developed further. Once I have created lots of these I will then try and combine them together resulting with the basics of a composition. I also usually take a voice recorder with me so I don’t forget anything!
When did you start performing and what else are you up to at the moment?
I’ve been performing since I started playing the guitar (8 years old) but have only started taking it seriously in the past couple of years.
Recently, I moved to London to try and pursue a career in music. Here, I am playing as much as possible as a soloist and an accompanist at all sorts of events including shows, weddings, café/bars etc. I teach the classical guitar and have also just become involved in writing with a saxophonist I met at University.
If our Live and Lyrical audience are inspired by hearing you what other guitarists could they seek out and listen to?
Well my inspirations are guitarists such as Tommy Emmanuel, Paco De Lucia, Antoine Dufour, Andrew York, Van Larkins and Andy McKee. These guys all represent different genres of the acoustic guitar e.g. Paco De Lucia was the world's leading flamenco guitarist and Andrew York is very well known for his modern classical style.
They all have such fantastic and unique playing styles, and are able to write beautiful compositions which is a real talent.
What do you get out of performing at open mic nights like Live and Lyrical?
For me, I find that they are a useful opportunity to try new things. This may involve playing a new piece for the first or even performing for the very first time in front of a live audience. If you are serious about performing then it’s also another gateway of creating exposure for yourself. The more events you do like this, the better you are going to get so there is nothing to lose!