Legendary Ozzy Osbourne Guitarist, Gus G, visits BIMM
The rock and metal touring circuit has seen many talented musicians over the years – and one of the hardest working guitarists has got to be Gus G.
Having toured with Ozzy Osbourne, Arch Enemy, Dream Evil and Firewind, the determined shredder has well and truly earned the title of guitar hero! So you can only imagine our delight when the in-demand rocker accepted our invitation to speak at BIMM Manchester for what turned out to be an unforgettable masterclass.
Naturally, our students and lecturers were eager to find out more about Gus G’s impressive music career and his stint as a successful solo artist. Thankfully, the talented metal star was all too happy to oblige.
Gus G covered a broad range of topics, including the qualities he looks for in fellow band members, his warm-up strategies. The pioneering rocker even shared a few details about what it’s like to work with the Prince of Darkness, before opening up about his first big break, which came 12 years ago while performing at Ozzfest:
“It was the first time I’d been paid for touring and had a full crew including a guitar tech. I thought to myself ‘this is how I want my band to work one day’. So as soon as I finished that tour, I started work on how I could reach that level,” he explained.
Gus G talked candidly about the importance of staying grounded and not taking certain luxuries for granted. He also spoke of his ‘addiction’ to the guitar rather than drink and drugs.
The masterclass was entertaining and insightful and even featured two spectacular live performances of songs from his solo work. This was a real treat for our audience, many of whom have followed his professional career from the very beginning.
We caught up with several of our BIMM students after the masterclass to get their thoughts on the session.
“He gave us some fantastic tips, what got me were his genuine responses, especially the details surrounding his hard work when he was my age,” said Sam Morton-Bennett.
Georgia Welshy praised Gus G’s spectacular live performances, saying:
“I have never heard a clean solo sound so dirty in my life.”
Our sentiments exactly, Georgia!
Gus G truly is an outstanding metal guitarist and a true master of the craft. The masterclass was hugely entertaining for both our students and BIMM lecturers.
