Artist biography
‘He is among the very best in the world. I’m thrilled that he is part of this tour. He’s exceptional, I know you’re going to love him’ – Justin Hayward, The Moody Blues
Mike Dawes (ENG) is hailed as one of the world’s finest and most creative modern fingerstyle guitar performers.
His acclaimed solo music has gained over 50 million hits on popular video sharing sites and since the release of his debut album in 2013 he has toured almost every continent on the planet, with an average of 150 concerts per year.
Mike needs to be seen live to be believed. His ability to create the most unusual tones and textures simultaneously from a single acoustic guitar leaves fellow musicians stunned. Bass, melody, harmony and percussion all seamlessly produced using his signature technical yet intrinsically musical guitar technique.
His show is not just for guitar fans however, his entertaining and humorous rapport transcends the traditional guitar concert. Extraordinary virtuosity meets Monty Python via a one-man rock show. Mike has recorded with and taught multiple Grammy winning artists, appeared on film and TV soundtracks, released apps, written for the world’s best selling music magazines and in addition to his solo work, currently performs alongside and in support of the legendary frontman of The Moody Blues, Justin Hayward, the debut live DVD of which entered the US Billboard charts at #2.
Musicians including John Petrucci, Steve Vai, Gotye, Billy Sheehan and James Valentine (Maroon 5) have all spoken of their admiration towards Mike’s work.
Beautiful and sensitively played arrangements and compositions – Acoustic Magazine
A Young Virtuoso – Ken Bruce, BBC Radio 2
At 28 years of age, Mike has made a huge impact in a relatively short space of time. His persistent work ethic and entertainingly meticulous approach to composition and performance on a single instrument has seen raised smiles and dropped jaws all over the world. He is not a typical guitar player. On a single steel string guitar Mike is able to coax out the most unusual and subtle textures, whilst performing layers and layers of music simultaneously using complex micro-techniques led predominantly by the right hand.
In a style that is hard to illustrate, the young Brit combines rock, folk, funk and pop music in an instrumental concoction that leaves listeners both confused and intrigued. However, it’s his innate musicality and ear for melody that give listeners something different. Mike is able to utilise his advanced technical arsenal to achieve a musical and emotional end, a skill set often lacking in this instrumental category. In the live arena, his British humour and electric presence sprinkle an entertainment not uncommon in a comedy club. He does not take himself seriously, but the music is taken very seriously.
Mike is a rare breed of live musician. Without a spoken word he can evoke a rainbow of emotions with his music. With a spoken word he can brighten anyone’s day, English speaking or not. Throw in his staggeringly refined instrumental proficiency and you have a true, world class tour de force.
In June 2012, Mike Dawes released his first solo instrumental through the US label, Candyrat Records. This incredibly detailed arrangement of Gotye’s smash hit ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ took on a life of it’s own when it smashed through 1.5 million views in just one day online on YouTube. Since going viral, the video found itself on the front page of Reddit, Collegehumour and hundreds of popular blogging sites. MSN news featured Mike on the front of their US web browser whilst Gotye himself praised the arrangement as his favourite cover of the song, even inviting Mike to session at his studio in South Australia.
‘Astounding Virtuosity’ – Gotye
Before the release of his second full length LP ‘ERA’ in summer 2017, Mike released his typically intricate arrangement of Metallica’s ‘One’ through Metal Hammer magazine. This release smashed all previous expectations with a staggering 25 million views in just one week online.
Since releasing his debut album, ‘What Just Happened?’ back in April 2013, Mike has been able to follow up on his acclaimed arrangements and compositions with a vast world tour that has taken him to all corners of the planet. The release was critically praised with consistent 5 star reviews from physical and digital media outlets, as well as users of iTunes, Amazon and more.
‘Jaw-Dropping’ – Guitar Player Magazine (US)
Percussive. Melodic. Spunky. Sweet. – Minor 7th (US)
Mike Dawes’ debut album is nothing short of genius – Amazon (UK)
A perfect balance of emotion and technically superior skill, 12 out of 15 – Musik Reviews (Germany)
