"South Australia's greatest contribution to blues-rock" - billboard.com
"Australian-born UK resident compensates for a bass player deficit with superb technique and an array of swampy, edgy and high-octane, riff-based tunes – think Rory Gallagher jamming with the White Stripes.
Ashton also tears apart Hey Joe, Purple Haze and I Just Wanna Make Love To You, spitting out the bones and reassembling them as compelling, barely recognisable Frankenstein’s monsters.
This show is so entertaining that it’s tough to imagine any genuine fan of the blues, or of wider taste, failing to be bowled over by its immediacy and power." -
Dave Ling - Classic Rock Nov 09
"This certainly belongs in 2009 and not back in the 1900s. It is fresh, has a hell of an edge to it and just demands your complete attention." - Blues Matters (UK)
"This is blues/rock guitar assault of the highest order and I fu*king love it! Nine of the eleven tracks here are self-penned; the exceptions being incredible versions of Robert Johnson's 'Crossroad Blues' and Blind Willie Reynolds' 'Outside Woman Blues', both made famous by Cream, both blowing Cream's efforts clean out of the water." - Alan Jones, Get Ready To Rock - 2009
".......a great album. Much better than all the other limp blues guitar CD's people keep sending me. Please pass on my congratulations to Gwyn." - Well respected London promoter/venue booker, kept nameless for obvious reasons!
"Two-Man Blues Army is a masterclass in rocking garage blues, a feast of big riffs, killer guitar tones and searing vocals. More importantly, the record crackles with the raw, spontaneous energy of a live show, something often absent from many modern blues albums." - Guitar Buyer
"The whole album of killer tunes represents a definite melding of traditional blues-meets-the-21st century." - Gear
"A welcome tonic to the glut of perfectly produced vanity excersises that passes for modern blues these days. It’s a raucous sounding album that has plenty of credibility in a modern blues market full of mediocrity." - Guitarist
“This duo march into battle taking on every blues-rock trick in the book, successfully blasting them to a new level. No-nonsense, brutal and invigorating” - Guitar & Bass
"Gwyn Ashton brengt bluesrock van het hoogste gehalte, teruggebracht tot de pure en zuivere essentie. Hij grijpt je dadelijk naar de keel. Loslaten doet hij niet meer totdat de CD voorbij is. Liefhebbers van wat minder stereotype, maar des te ruigere zuivere bluesrock, even luisteren!" - Rootstime - NL
Gwyn Ashton begint bij iedere nieuwe CD meer te klinken als George Thorogood maar dan met een beetje meer diepgang en minder feestmuziek.” - Mania - NL
“Een gave bluesrock schijf met een snufje traditionele blues.” - Bluesmagazine - NL
“Behalve vaardig op de gitaar is Gwyn ook handig met de effecten” - Revolver - NL, Oktober ’09
"Prohibition is a strong, powerful and dark, energetic and charged with electricity Blues-Rock ... probably the best Blues/Rock album of 2006" (Review at Bluescat)
NEW - LIVE CONCERT FOOTAGE
GWYN IN PRAGUE - SOLO CONCERT AND INTERVIEW ON CZECH NATIONAL TV:
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/308292320030001-blues-ze-stare-pekarny-solo-pro/
TWO-MAN BLUES ARMY AT BIRMINGHAM NEC: '08
http://www.licklibrary.com/videos/gwyn-ashton/929/music-live-2008-gwyn-ashton
GIG OF THE WEEK
Influences
Freddie King, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, R.L. Burnside, Beatles, Stones, Ben Harper, Easybeats, Hendrix, Cream, Yardbirds, Hank Williams, Johnny Winter, Chris Finnen, Kevin Borich, CCR, Tony Joe White, AC/DC, Dick Dale, Elmore James, Son House, Robert Johnson, Leadbelly, Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton, Free, Led Zep, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher, SRV, Buddy Holly, Les Paul, Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Skip James.
Sounds Like
DOWNLOADS
And when you do buy the CD, PLEASE don't copy it for a friend. When you do this just ONCE, you've not only broken the law, but you've also stolen 50% of my sales. I don't make a lot of money from this and if you want artists to continually produce music for you to enjoy, it's not fair to share it around. If you download mp3s of this album, please do it from a recognized legal site.
Thank you.
MERCHANDISE
T-shirts M L XL only - £15
BADGES only with CD, Shirt or photo order
Two-Man Blues Army - £12
Prohibition - ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2007 - Guitar and Bass magazine (UK) - £12
Forging its own unique, unparalleled style: an explosive mixture of alternative blues,
turbo-charged 50s-70s garage rock, 60s psychedelia and swamp delta blues,
Gwyn Ashton’s Two-Man Blues Army goes into battle head-on, with a cutting-edge
sound unlike anything out there today. The combo features award-winning Aussie
guitarist Gwyn Ashton and Brit powerhouse drummer 'Killer' Kev Hickman.
With an ambitious contemporary approach to the blues, plus experimental, riff-laden, edgy,
high-octane songs they crash their way into the alt. music scene and blast down the
boundaries between the blues and indie rock. Drawing inspiration from the great rock and
blues acts from the past, the duo has firmly established its own distinctive identity, bringing
the blues into the 21st century.
Ashton leads the band with his soul-infused swampy songs, searing vocals and trademark fiery axemanship. He's in his element with a wealth of vintage guitars,
amps and analog effects that get wheeled into the gigs - the only way to achieve the 'real' sound. Fellow blues soldier Hickman is a young impassioned, maniacal
drummer who provides the perfect counterpoint to Ashton's guitar wizardry. Together they serve up a demonic brand of blues, carving a notch in a world full
of predictable, homogenized music.
Ashton is no stranger to the world stage as he has
spent more than 15 years touring the globe, opening
for artists as diverse as BB King, Buddy Guy, Mick
Taylor, Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, Robin Trower,
Vanilla Fudge, Wishbone Ash, Van Morrison, Jeff
Healey, Tony Joe White, Johnny Winter, Mick Taylor,
Ray Charles, Pat Travers and John Hammond. He has
also been invited onstage with Mick Fleetwood,
Hubert Sumlin, Marc Ford, Jon Paris, Canned Heat,
Robbie Blunt and Mark Stanway.
Ashton has been praised by such luminaries as Robert
Plant, Johnny Winter and Eric Johnson and regulary
conducts blues guitar workshops in schools.
In acoustic mode, Ashton's one-man-band show is a blend of alternative swamp blues and boogie, all played on his resonator, lap-slide, 6 & 12 string guitars, harmonica and a homemade foot stomp board.
Ashton has not only produced his latest album, "Two-Man Blues Army", but was also MD, producer, arranger and played all the bass and guitars and did all the backing vocals on Peter Parker's "She's So Shy" and "There Goes Love", although Parker has removed all information about everyone who was involved and taken credit for the entire project.
Over the years Ashton has played onstage with Mick Fleetwood, Hubert Sumlin, Marc Ford, Jon Paris, Canned Heat and has opened for Rory Gallagher, Ray Charles, Robin Trower, Vanilla Fudge, Wishbone Ash, Van Morrison, Jeff Healey, Tony Joe White, Johnny Winter, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, John Hammond and Pat Travers.
He also appears and gives tutorials in numerous guitar magazines, has two of his songs in movie soundtracks in France and Asia, conducts masterclasses in Australia and Europe (inc GIT and Guitar X, London) and performs live on radio and television worldwide.
HISTORY
Welsh-born Gwyn Ashton migrated to Adelaide, South Australia in the ‘60s, picked up a guitar at 12 and from the age of 16, played every bar, festival and seedy biker show imaginable. Aussie audiences are tough and like their rock & roll loud, hard and fast. This is where Ashton learned how to play his ass off. Entertain or be beer bottled!
He relocated to Sydney in the ‘80s, playing stints with Swanee and Stevie Wright. With
his own band, he carved up stages nationwide – some in the middle of nowhere, fronted with chicken wire, sometimes driving for days through the outback to get to the next show.
In the 90s he moved to Melbourne, played with Jim Keays and Mick Pealing, recorded
his first 2 albums and opened for Junior Wells, Rory Gallagher, Steve Morse and Albert Lee.
Following record company advice to base himself where the best record sales were
happening for him, in ‘96 Ashton was UK bound to have a crack at the European market.
Promoting his album Feel The Heat, Ashton’s band opened for UK rock icons Status Quo on their 15-date British arena tour in ‘99. This included dates at Birmingham NEC and Wembley Arena.
In 2000 Ashton recorded Fang It! with Gerry McAvoy and Brendan O’Neil, former Rory Gallagher rhythm section now with Nine Below Zero. He then fronted Band of Friends, replacing ex Motörhead and Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson.
This was a tribute to Rory, with Gerry, Brendan, Lou Martin, Mark Feltham and Ted McKenna who all played with Rory over the years.
Gwyn Ashton is endorsed by: Fender (Australia), Vigier Guitars (France), Busker Guitars (UK), Fatboy Guitar Parts, Vintage Guitars, Jacques Stompboxes (France), National Reso-Phonic Guitars, Seymour Duncan Pickups, Hiscox Cases, Koch Guitar Electronics, Graph-Tech Industries, Award-Session and Dunlop Strings.
Discography
*† Feel The Heat - '93
Beg, Borrow & Steel - '96
'99 Appears on: Classic Rock 11/12/1999 - Classic Cuts No.7 [Various Artists]
* ** Fang It! - 2000
2000 Appears on: Classic Rock 21/12/2000 - A Right Earful! [Various Artists]
'03 Appears on Blues Guitar Heroes [Various Artists] - France
†† Prohibition - '07
'07 Appears on: Classic Rock - Bone Rattlin' Blues [Various Artists] ROC108/08/07
'07 Appears on: Classic Rock - Hollywood Rocks [Various Artists]
Two-Man Blues Army - '09
†Album of the Month Oct ‘98 Guitar & Bass, FR
*Amazon France Top 100 albums - 2000
**Album of the Month - Sept 2000 Guitar, FR
††Album of the Year 2007 - Guitar & Bass, UK
Pressure Makes Diamonds - Jim Keays - '93
Real Australian Blues Vol. 2 - '94
Resonator - Jim Keays - '07
She's So Shy - Peter Parker - ’07 - MD/lead guitar/bass guitar/backing vocals/arranger/producer
Gwyn Ashton - Two-Man Blues Army's Friend Space (Top 11)
Gwyn Ashton - Two-Man Blues Army has 4709 friends.
Thanks so much for the add ! You rock out! Hope to see you and Gerry Joe together sometime here in AZ. Add Jzheeem to the percussion and see what kind of magic you can all make together!
