Gary Thomas Ex Cabins in the Forest embarks on a National Tour (2 - 18 April)

Ex- Cabins in the Forest singer/ guitarist Gary Thomas is a Music graduate of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. His unique mastery of his instrument and voice makes him one of the leaders of the acoustic music scene in South Africa today.

Jeffrey’s Bay

Venue: Potter’s Place

Date: Thursday 2^nd April 2009

Address: Oosterland Straat 18, Jeffrey’s Bay

Info: Call 0422932500 for bookings

Door: R50

Albums on sale

Port Elizabeth

Venue: The Old Cash Store

Date: Friday 3^rd April 2009

Address: 278 Sardinia Bay Road, Sardinia Bay, Port Elizabeth

Info: Call 041 3661211 for bookings

Door: R50 with meals optional

Albums on sale

East London

Venue: The Hamilton Club (with The Elevators)

Date: Saturday 4^th April 2009

Address: Clevedon Rd, Selborne, East London

Info: Call Cheryl on 0837973546

Door: R60

Albums on sale

Hogsback

Venue: Away with the Fairies

Date: Monday 6^th April 2009

Address: Bag End, Ambleside Close, Hogsback

Info: Call 0459621031

Albums on sale

Durban

Venue: Thunderoad Rock Diner

Date: Wednesday 8^th April 2009

Address: 136 Florida Rd

21:00pm

Info: (031) 303-3440

Door: FREE

Albums on sale

Pretoria

Venue: Café Barcelona

Date: Tues 14^th April 2009

Address: (Shop 24, Elarduspark Centre)

Barnard St, Elarduspark

20:30pm

Door: R30

Info: 0123453602

Albums on sale

Johannesburg

Venue: The Bohemian (with Shortstraw)

Date: Thursday 16^th April 2009

Address: 5 Park Road, Richmond

Door: R40

Info: 011 482 1725

Albums on sale

Venue: Back2Basix (with Us Kids Know)

Date: Friday 17^th April 2009

Address: 167 Perth Rd

Corner Kingsway and Lancaster Road, Westdene

Door: R40

Info: 011-726-6857

Albums on sale

Salt Rock

Venue: Vagabond Café

Date: Saturday 18^th April 2009

Address: Claremont Farm (Salt Rock, Sheffield Drive - opposite the entrance of Brettenwood Estate)

Door: R40

Info: 19:30pm. Tickets will be sold at the door for R40.00 (excluding drinks and dinner). Booking is recommended as space is limited. Please call Kerry/Andrew Strode on 083 618 5596 to make a booking.

Albums on sale

Durban

Venue: Alliance Franciase (with Guy Buttery)

Address: 22, Sutton Crescent, Morningside

Date: Sunday 19^th April 2009

3pm doors open. Music starts at 4pm. Two sets.

Door: R50

Info: 0722801949

Albums on sale

Cape Town

Venue: Deerpark Café (with Miss Texas 1977)

Date: Friday 14^th April 2009

Address: 2 Deerpark Drive

8:00pm

Two sets

Door: R40

Info: Drinks and food available. Coming from N2, take De Waal drive split.
Head as if you're going to Garden's Center. Turn left up Buitenkant Street and go all the way up until the road start veering left.

Info: 021 4626311

Albums on sale

Venue: The Waiting Room (with Inge Beckmann)

Date: Tues 28^th April 2009

Address: Long Street, Cape Town

Two sets

9pm

Door: R40

Info: 0724369403

Albums on sale

BIO:

Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, where he studied music at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Gary moved to Cape Town in 2006 and started psychedelic Nu-Folk duo Cabins in the Forest with Andy Jamieson. Two years on and Cabins had become a solid leading force in the South African acoustic scene. Based in Cape Town, Gary and Andy quickly created a renowned reputation locally and nationally for their explosive, intricate live performances. They played in most of the best venues in the country, every major festival and opening support slots for UK Ninja Tues Artist, Fink. The duo split indefinitely in late 2008 to focus on solo work.

Constantly writing songs that challenge both himself, his instrument and audiences, Gary balances meticulously crafted songwriting with dynamic vocals and contained improvisation. In 2007 Gary released his debut solo album, “Wooden Boxes and Thought Hunting”, selling mostly at a few solo shows. Now headed in a focused solo direction, this album will be unveiled to the public, selling at gigs, online and in stores.

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Live Review (Durban):

It’s common enough nowadays that you find all nature of technical trickery, Singers unplugged with pedals providing harmonies and drums. Gary Thomas is not that kind of one-man band, he is one man who comes on with the force of a band, he is an analogue trickster, and if all the tricks were to be taken away, as proven this gig, he is still a power unto himself.

In this resurgence of folk worldwide, these many men with guitars, it takes unique skills and talents to set a performer apart. Thomas wrings his song’s feelings out. Sure, at some points, if you’re not paying attention you could think the vocal constrictions are an affectation, but from whispering to squeezing sounds out between his teeth, from technical wizardry to banging and clicking on the guitar with his ring, he is doing everything to get us to feel all the myriad little emotions that rise and swell through the big motion of each song. Most people want their folk twee. Or at very least to be sorta gypsy kings-ish big flamenco many string type showing off. Thomas will do none of this. He just unpretentiously plays. He has an embarrassed swagger, an “I’m just here to play some songs and really am just one of you guys” feeling that comes off genuine. He has no pose. But really, have you heard this man play? How can he not at least have an inkling of his genius?

The genius lies in the details, his acoustic guitar skills are as close to as good as it gets, yet he doesn’t leave it there. He plays stomp box with one foot, gets percussion out of the guitar body and shifts tempo and mood making all his songs little journeys. Sorry, Big journeys. But it could all be gimmick; he could be using these tricks to hide the blandness that every open mike session regular impresario showers us with. But it’s Sunday in Durban at Yossi’s and this is meant to be an unplugged session. The support act snuck through quietly, but by the time Gary Thomas is into his forth song, the raw power of it has the neighbours complaining. The gig organisers are totally un-rock and roll about it and ask Gary to turn off his stomp box and mellow it out a bit.

So he is stripped down to just his guitar and voice. He makes a little joke, him, but it’s all copacetic as all the little things that seemingly make him unique are taken away. And he still, rocking and wailing quietly is a devastating hush, a straining bit of beauty. For Gary Thomas, however you dress him, is beyond a mere technical talent. He is a musician with a voice who does whatever it takes to bring you to a point of feeling his songs, beyond mere hearing. And even if we’re not quite sure what they mean, you can’t leave without having felt something akin to being between an imploding building and a blinding sunrise.

website: http://www.levi.co.za/musicmag/Category/Detail/Detail.aspx?ID=1052

- Nathan Zeno – 17 Feb 2009 Levis Music Mag

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Links:

www.myspace.com/garythomas

www.facebook.com/pages/Gary-Thomas/33956189343

Contact:

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+27 72 43 694 03