John Smith

In the organizer's words:

John Smith was born in Essex, grew up on the Devon coast and made a name for himself in the bars and clubs of Liverpool. He has been a pioneer of British folk guitar music for twenty years, amassing over 100 million Spotify streams and playing his songs all over the world.

Smith is deeply rooted in the tradition of British folk and American guitar music, drawing inspiration from Richard Thompson, John Martyn and Ry Cooder. He has developed a transatlantic blend of fingerstyle and slide guitar techniques. His deeply romantic and vibrant songwriting, combined with his innovative guitar work, has earned him a loyal following. His honeyed voice and mesmerizing fingerstyle guitar are undeniable. Sometimes with a slide, sometimes with the guitar on his lap, sometimes detuning mid-song or pulling subtle expressions out of an array of effects pedals, Smith's passion for the instrument has made him a master. Whether as an album or a live show, he always takes the listener on a deeply emotional journey.

His career began with folk greats such as John Martyn, Davy Graham and John Renbourn, who described him as "the future of folk music". Since then, he has opened for Iron and Wine, Patty Griffin and Ben Howard and performed with artists such as Jackson Browne, Martin Carthy, Roseanne Cash, Gomez, Richard Hawley, Jarvis Cocker, Jerry Douglas, Glen Hansard and Rodney Crowell. In his occasional role as sideman, he has played guitar for artists as diverse as David Gray, Lisa Hannigan, Lianne La Havas, Joe Henry and Joan Baez.

His seventh album "The Living Kind", produced by Joe Henry, is a soulful and intimate exploration of emotional Americana-influenced atmospheres. John will release a new album later in 2025.

On November 25, John Smith will be stopping in Hamburg with this very album to play an intimate concert at the beautiful Hebebühne.

Price information:

The VVK starts on 30.4. at 10:00 am