Saturday March 1st saw day one of the return of the Melbourne Guitar Show after a taking a twelve-month hiatus. A change of location to the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds also showed another change in the comeback of this missed and loved annual showcase of not only the latest technology, current craftsmanship, styles and trends in all things amplification, acoustic, bass, electric guitars and accessories.
I was invited to attend and check out the revamped guitar show and everything it had to offer on the opening day of the two-day event. This is my third Melbourne Guitar Show so I knew what I was in for in some ways.
58 vendors and stalls graced the atrium and main hall of the Showgrounds building. A mecca for everything guitar heads could want. With just about every brand thinkable represented the main hall was simply buzzing with people of all ages. It’s also amazing to see so much Australian product on show. While the number of vendor stalls seemed smaller than previous years there was still just as much to catch your attention and have you intrigued. Perhaps it was the new surroundings that made it feel a little different. A wander around the stalls was simply not just a single wander, I found it took me several laps to truly take it all in.
At times the main room was chaotic with what seemed like a million fingers playing all at once. So many sounds, styles and such a broad demographic of players and enthusiasts. Regardless of age or skill level there was certainly something very special about this event. It was a gathering of a community and that is always an amazing thing. It’s funny how the hourly fifteen-minute no amplification rule changed the atmosphere in the room.
From a vendor’s perspective it was “The Fender Experience” that was the standout of the vendors for me. A large sized separate room that was dedicated to all things Fender. Amps, guitars, basses of all kinds. An impressive showcase of the Fender Custom shop and what they are able to produce and customise was mind blowing. The most impressive thing about this space was the performance area that showcased Fender endorsed artists solo, duo or band.
There were well constructed workshops that were informative and well attended covering topics of songwriting, guitar maintenance, technology and appealed to all ages and may have even left traditional purists with a fresh outlook to technology and approaches. While it felt strange getting just a taste of what these workshops were offering, I have to admit the two songwriting ones were captivating and engaging.
With so much to see and hear, the vendors and workshops were the meat and potatoes of the day. The icing on the cake were the performances on the main stage. This year along with The Fender Experience there was plenty to take in and just so much talent on display across the two areas. In a way I’m grateful that the number of performance areas had been reduced as it was always a struggle to get around all of the performances at the Melbourne Guitar Show’s previous home as I would find myself engaged in an artist in another room area while missing out on others. So, the focus here was sharp.
Unfortunately, I missed one of my favourite performers Kathleen Halloran who started the day on the main stage. From those I spoke to she was simply amazing which came as no surprise. While the main stage was not only for performances it also provided a fun way to learn about musical history.
The Australian Musician 30th Anniversary interview with Paul Dempsey of Something For Kate was a great look into his career, and unfortunately I couldn’t stay for the whole interview I did indeed want to hear more. Hopefully the whole interview will pop up online soon.
The Rock Academy showcased some of our most talented young musicians as they played their way through a set of covers and if I’m not mistaken some original material. Celebrating its ten-year anniversary The Rock Academy Australia has offered a four day workshop that puts upcoming talent together and in a real rehearsal environment with the aim of playing live shows. It touches on the key things it’s performers will need to know to build successful relationships and careers. This initiative while it is mostly aimed at teens also has the Rock Academy Masters for the more mature player. This is an amazing programme which is simply shaping tomorrow’s rock stars. In all honesty it is safe to say from the performances I saw Australian music has a very bright future with a deep pool of talent waiting to fill venues and our ears with their music.
My first visit to The Fender Experience was to see the exceptionally talented Cassidy Paris accompanied by her bass player, father and Wicked Smile guitarist Stevie J. Not only did we get a short set of 3 originals and a cover medley done acoustically, but we also got the whole story and connection to Fender. How Fender was amongst the first to support Cassidy in her musical journey. It’s stories like Cassidy’s that inspire. The performance showcased Fender’s Acoustasonic guitars with both Cassidy and Stevie playing them and promoting the fact that they will be heading overseas with them for Cassidy ’s headline tour of the UK April through June this year. An amazing performance.
A quick stop by more of the Make Music Room and their workshops again before I headed back to the Main Stage where I caught the Phil Ceberano, Brett Kingman, Marcel Yammouni ultimate guitar tone challenge. This was a blast as the trio explained tone and how it has changed from the first guitar amps and the pioneers of rock guitar. All three had their own stories to tell, insights and understanding of tonal history. Jamming on well-known riffs and explaining how things have changed, how sounds/tones were formed and how the modern times now allow you access tones that have shaped the evolution of rock guitar, and how accessible those tones are. This was such a fun performance and by the end of it Phil Ceberano had me truly believing that tone is all in the fingers, others may disagree.
While the stage was being set up for the Main Stages final act Dallas Frasca I took another stroll around the booths, caught up with some familiar faces for a chat and took in the stalls that were chaotic during the peak of the day. I even snuck back up to The Fender Experience but unfortunately, I missed the solo bass performer that had been on. I guess that’s possibly my only negative on the day is that The Fender Experience didn’t have a schedule of who was performing. I hope next year they change that as it was such a great little space.
The time was nearing for Dallas Frasca to take to the stage, so I took my seat as she finalised her soundcheck. Now for anyone who hasn’t seen Dallas Frasca live, this is something you need to change immediately. I first saw Dallas probably a decade ago and was completely blown away by her voice and guitar playing. If you love your blues led dirty rock n roll dressed with a super soulful, powerhouse voice then this lady is one for you.
Dallas has always been innovative. From her use of loops whether they be guitar or vocal based she certainly knows how to structure a song. Her customise dual output guitar is able to simultaneously deliver her guitar parts as well as seat a low-end part that just makes her playing so huge. Accompanied by Josh Barber on drums you got what I would call the premium Dallas Frasca experience. Her set was just so engaging, her playing mesmerising and the songs; well, they speak for themselves. Although she had just recovered from a bout of Covid that she admitted knocked her around a little, but you couldn’t tell from the performance.
In wrapping the day up, seriously there is so much to do here at the new look Melbourne Guitar Show. Its return has been highly anticipated as it’s one of my favourite events of the year. By no means am I a musician, I’m just a guy that appreciates it all. It excites me that this event is so inclusive and speaks to the individual while creating such a safe space to inspire, learn and showcase the talent that is amongst us on every level.
Bring on MGS 2026.
With thanks to Jack at On The Map PR for the media access.
