TAMAS SZEKERES

DE DRUPPEL, ZEIST, NETHERLANDS, 18 SEPTEMBER 1998

 

Hailed as the Guitar King of Eastern Europe, Tamas Szekeres played an evening in a standard-sized pub called "De Druppel" in the centre of Zeist. No concert venue at all, really, which basically meant that there were a few more inebriated people as the evening wore on, and I had the constant idea that most people were there more because it was for free rather than because they liked Tamas.

Assisted most capably by Barend Courbois on bass and Mike Terrana on drums, Tamas treated us to about two hours of instrumental guitar music culled from his various non-classical albums. I have always had a hard time remembering the titles of most instrumental tunes, but he played at least two songs off "Blue Syndicate", one from his latest ("Guitarmania II"), "Ice Princess" off "Guitarmania I", as well as several songs off "Guitar Tales" and "Guitarmania". Mike got a rather long drum solo that was fascinating despite its rather overt length, and Barend's bass solo was as brilliant as or even better than back in the times when he was in the instrumental rock outfit WCW. Tamas himself, however, rarely smiled at all, seemed not to be having such a good time at all, and just worked himself through the set in a serious and stioc fashion.

I enjoyed the evening quite a bit because you could experience undoubtable guitar craftsmanship from up close, together with the awesome talents of Barend and Mike. But Tamas ought perhaps to move around a slight bit more, stop looking as if he'd rather be somewhere else. It's such a shame that his demeanor sparks little enthusiasm, because he's one damn fine guitarist.

RK

 

Written October 1998

 

Go to the Official Tamas Szekeres Home Page

Back to the Main Menu