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Gary Thomas
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http://http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gary-Thomas/33956189343Blurb
“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”.
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. 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” on mp3 format, selling mostly at a few solo shows. Now headed in a focused direction, this album will be sold at shows, online and in stores.
Live Review 27.12.08:
It’s hard to separate Gary Thomas from the music of his previous endeavor Cabins in the Forest. From his solo material it’s obvious he was a driving force behind the project, no matter what is said about the collaboration. But when Thomas picks up a guitar he is a force. Period.
By the time Gary Thomas is about to get on stage a storm is thundering about us. The roof is leaking and the building feels as if it’s about to give it’s last performance and blow away. But when he steps on stage and begins to play, the walls close in, the outside goes far away and we are drawn in by the sheer violence with which he wrings music from his guitar. It occurs to me that Gary Thomas singing is so close to the way he looks - sometimes angelic, sometimes Neanderthal. It’s as if the words have to be pulled up from inside him some how, and he is fighting them.
The material he performs is gathered higgledy piggledly, even when he is announcing when this or that was recorded, we are not quite sure, “Buy my CD outside, even though I’ve only played one song from it” (The excellent, ‘Mockery of Wine’ check out his Facebook fan page to hear it), the rest of the material is from an abandoned album as far as I can tell. But none of this matters. It’s Gary Thomas and a guitar. You don’t need to differentiate between the songs, you slide down in your seat and let the music wash through you. You let him take you where he wants to go. That’s not enough for some girls and they end up in the lobby, an annoying backing track of giggling.
To them it all just sounds the same. And that it would seem is what Gary Thomas is all about. His excellence is not in individual radio friendly melodies, (I doubt we’ll hear any of this on the Power Hour or whatever) but in his continual building toward some kind of physically emotional dam break. Even though he tries to break it with self depreciating statements between songs there’s no doubt that he has total conviction in his music. His guitar style is mind-blowing, banging and strumming and clicking and hooting and howling.
“And this song is called ‘Two Chords’ because it has, err, two chords. If you were looking for a lyrical reference don’t expect any help from me”, as he launches into another quiet attack. You see, Gary Thomas is not just a musician, he is the real definition of an artist. The music speaks for itself, you like it or don’t, this does not concern him. It merely comes from him. And while his work with Cabins seemed to be filled with a musical tension and release, on his own Gary is all about soaring release, long may we be drawn in.
- Nathan Zeno
- Levi’s Music Mag December 2008
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. 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” on mp3 format, selling mostly at a few solo shows. Now headed in a focused direction, this album will be sold at shows, online and in stores.
Live Review 27.12.08:
It’s hard to separate Gary Thomas from the music of his previous endeavor Cabins in the Forest. From his solo material it’s obvious he was a driving force behind the project, no matter what is said about the collaboration. But when Thomas picks up a guitar he is a force. Period.
By the time Gary Thomas is about to get on stage a storm is thundering about us. The roof is leaking and the building feels as if it’s about to give it’s last performance and blow away. But when he steps on stage and begins to play, the walls close in, the outside goes far away and we are drawn in by the sheer violence with which he wrings music from his guitar. It occurs to me that Gary Thomas singing is so close to the way he looks - sometimes angelic, sometimes Neanderthal. It’s as if the words have to be pulled up from inside him some how, and he is fighting them.
The material he performs is gathered higgledy piggledly, even when he is announcing when this or that was recorded, we are not quite sure, “Buy my CD outside, even though I’ve only played one song from it” (The excellent, ‘Mockery of Wine’ check out his Facebook fan page to hear it), the rest of the material is from an abandoned album as far as I can tell. But none of this matters. It’s Gary Thomas and a guitar. You don’t need to differentiate between the songs, you slide down in your seat and let the music wash through you. You let him take you where he wants to go. That’s not enough for some girls and they end up in the lobby, an annoying backing track of giggling.
To them it all just sounds the same. And that it would seem is what Gary Thomas is all about. His excellence is not in individual radio friendly melodies, (I doubt we’ll hear any of this on the Power Hour or whatever) but in his continual building toward some kind of physically emotional dam break. Even though he tries to break it with self depreciating statements between songs there’s no doubt that he has total conviction in his music. His guitar style is mind-blowing, banging and strumming and clicking and hooting and howling.
“And this song is called ‘Two Chords’ because it has, err, two chords. If you were looking for a lyrical reference don’t expect any help from me”, as he launches into another quiet attack. You see, Gary Thomas is not just a musician, he is the real definition of an artist. The music speaks for itself, you like it or don’t, this does not concern him. It merely comes from him. And while his work with Cabins seemed to be filled with a musical tension and release, on his own Gary is all about soaring release, long may we be drawn in.
- Nathan Zeno
- Levi’s Music Mag December 2008