INTERVIEW by Stewart Dennis

DAN Patlansky has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with in Blues-Rock, last year’s “Intro-Vertigo” gaining widespread critical acclaim.

Now, after touring with King King last year and Joe Satriani in 2015 he returns to the UK , the tour kicking off at Mr Kyps in Poole, one of his favourite gig venues, on Saturday (April 15).

It’ll be a far cry from the worst gig he remembers playing at a small town in his native South Africa 15 years ago: “It turned out we were booked to play the annual spring dance, within two songs the crowd were leaving making an ominous slitting action with their thumbs across their throats, it was quite terrifying to be honest”.

This tour could be the last opportunity to see Patlansky performing live with his precious 1962 Fender Statocaster: “I could never afford to replace it, it cost me next to nothing 20 years ago, it’s become a part of me but sadly I think I might have to retire it soon. It’s becoming a real logistical nightmare touring with it, there is a particular rare wood on the guitar called Brazilian Rosewood. You now need exotic wood papers to get it across borders, the wood wasn’t illegal when the guitar was built in 1962 but try telling that to a customs official when you’re travelling abroad”.

With so much sentimental value it is a risk he is getting less willing to take, especially after the guitar had to be abandoned in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit: “I thought it was floating down the Mississippi somewhere”. A year later he was reunited with the precious Strat when his New Orleans band were flown in to play a festival in Cape Town and arrived with the guitar unscathed: “I almost pushed a tear (when I saw it again) man”.

Although Dan is currently writing for a new LP due out in 2018, fans are unlikely to hear any new material yet: “We normally try new songs out on an audience but we are touring Intro-vertigo on this tour and I just don’t know how far along the songs will be by the time we hit the road”. What you can expect is energetic blues guitar rock and his style of extreme dynamics, very loud to very soft. Influenced by Jimi Hendrix he is also quite the showman, “I think that’s important, a live show goes beyond just hearing music, it’s also a visual thing, that’s what a show is about. I realised that early on touring in South Africa, I did it on one particular show and the reaction was fantastic so I thought I have to keep doing that. He (Hendrix) took it to another level but at this stage I don’t think I really have the budget to set my guitar on fire”. Even without the Pyrotechnics it will still be a cracking show. Dan Patlansky plays Mr Kyps on Saturday April 15 supported by upcoming British Blues guitarist Ash Wilson.