BIMM GUESTS
Check out the latest special guest musicians and music industry professionals who have visited BIMM to talk to students and sign our Wall of Shame!
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		Kasabian’s Ian Matthews masterclass coming soon! Ian Matthew’s, Kasabian’s drummer has confirmed a masterclass at BIMM Brighton for the new term which starts in October. Ian visited BIMM Bristol earlier this year for a brilliant masterclass. More news to follow.

		Guitar Legend Jeff Beck - exclusive masterclass Living legend Jeff Beck came into BIMM Brighton for a very special masterclass. Unarguably one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Jeff’s career has spanned decades and shaped the way we think about and play guitar. He has earned international critical praise, received 4 Grammy Awards, played with the greats including Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jeff talked about some of his trademark techniques, picking up an off the shelf signature Strat going straight into a BIMM Marshall DSL 50 watt head and, with no pedals, demonstrated how he achieves one of the most recognisable tones in the world. Jamming with BIMM guitarists: Luke Machin, Sandy Buglass and Ben Poole, Jeff ran through ‘Cause We Ended as Lovers’, ‘Where Were You’ and ‘Blues Deluxe’. Gary Moore also popped into BIMM to say hello, and some lucky BIMM guitarists were invited to Jeff’s gig at the Dome that evening. Sandy even sat next to Jimmy Page!

		Billy Sheehan - Mr Big’s Bass Masterclass (June 10) Legendary bassist Billy Sheehan opened the masterclass with a stunning demonstration of his jaw dropping technique. He discussed how he got started in the music business and shared stories of his experiences both on and off stage. Billy advised our musicians on choosing the right equipment and showed his own setup and how his bass rig works in a live situation. Questions from the floor followed and Billy’s responses on playing alongside guitarists Paul Gilbert and Steve Vai and performing as part of a rhythm section were informative and highly entertaining. Prizes were given to musicians who asked questions and Billy rounded off the session by signing CD’s and have photos taken with BIMM musicians. An awe-inspiring afternoon!

		Ralph Salmins - A List Session Drummer (June 10) A-List session drummer Ralph Salmins held an inspirational masterclass at BIMM Brighton. Ralph has worked with some of the biggest names in the music business including Madonna, Elton John, George Martin, Chaka Khan, Bob Dylan, Robbie Williams and Bjork. He works extensively with the BBC and has recorded over 100 movie soundtracks such as Bridget Jones Diary, Moulin Rouge, The Last King of Scotland and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. He discussed all aspects the modern session industry and gave our musicians the chance, first hand, to see the skills that a professional drummer needs to succeed. His demonstrations of mastering click work, working with charts, musical brush playing and comments on self-management and reputation were fascinating whilst his explosive and colourful drumming style brought the musicians to their feet in applause. His honesty, work ethic and professionalism, mixed with an easy going attitude helped to make this one of the most successful guests at BIMM.

		Anton Brooks / Tony Dobson - Nirvana / Foo Fighters PR & Agent (May 10) Promoter Tony Dobson and press agent Anton Brooks came to BIMM Brighton to discuss their careers and experiences of having worked with Nirvana from the very start. Tony and Anton’s combined credits include Rage Against The Machine, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Cypress Hill, Ice T, Hole, Arctic Monkeys, Beastie Boys, Biffy Clyro, Hole, Muse and Mars Volta many amongst others. The pair spoke in detail about working with Nirvana - one of the biggest bands the world has ever seen. BIMM musicians heard antidotes of them playing pool with Soundgarden and Pearl Jam and dying Kurt Cobain’s hair blue in the bathroom of their shared house! They gave invaluable tips on how to get press interested in your band in the early stages, tips on working with promoters and some outrageous stories of artist demands at gigs! A thoroughly entertaining and amusing talk on a walk through life with some of the biggest and best players in the industry.

		Yes and King Crimson prog rock Drummer, Bill Bruford (Feb 10) Yes and King Crimson drummer, Bill Bruford enthralled our musicians with a witty and informative account of progressive rocks most successful drummers. Bill covered everything from the 1960’s London RnB scene to an acerbic look at the current structure of the music industry today. He closed the session taking questions from the floor expanding on his 41 year career and his recently released biography titled ‘The Musician in a Commercial World’.

		EMI President of New Music, Nick Gatfield (June 10) Nick Gatfield, EMI President of New Music of UK & Ireland and North America came into BIMM Brighton to share his vast experience on a number of music business related aspects. Nick has signed Radiohead and Blur amongst others and was formerly President of Universal Island Records Group. Artist signings during his time with the label include five times Grammy award winner Amy Winehouse, who sold nearly nine million albums on her Back to Black album. Nick discussed the new kind of deals EMI are offering - in the case of Deadmau5 - signing the artist as a brand. He talked about the many changes the music industry has faced since he first joined EMI as a musician from having been a member of 80’s soul rebels Dexys Midnight Runners. Fielding questions from a packed lecture room at BIMM House, Nick offered sound advice on getting your music heard, as well as artist development.

		Jamiroquai’s bassist, Paul Turner (Feb 10) Jamiroquai’s bassist, Paul Turner held a packed out masterclass in BIMM Brighton. He gave brilliant insights into his lengthy career which started with Take That. Paul spoke about how Gary Barlow helped him move from Birmingham to London to play for the band which lead to his gig with Annie Lennox, and ultimately his audition for Jamiroquai. He spoke about how Jay Kay writes songs, often singing bass-lines to Paul and how the new Jamiroquai album will have more of a ’live’ feel, similar to the first three albums. He gave an extensive demonstration of how he uses a multitude of effect pedals to create supremely funky sounds. Paul proved not only to be a fantastic musician but also a really down to earth and genuinely nice guy.

		Mark Cooper - Creative Head of the BBC and Later producer (Feb 10) Creative Head of BBC Music Entertainment, Mark Cooper, visited BIMM to discuss the opportunities within BBC for both developing and signed musicians. Mark is the executive producer for ‘Later with Jools Holland’ and the BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury festival and Carling Weekender. He has executive produced numerous documentaries on BBC1 including profiles on Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones and more. Accompanied by Stephania Minici, Production Executive of BBC Music Entertainment Television, they both spoke about the challenges producing television content on Glastonbury and Reading. They also explained how they go about selecting artists for Later with Jools Holland. Mark gave exclusive news about a series of exciting music documentaries coming up this spring.

		Night Of Vocals with Amy Winehouse’s band (Nov 09) On a cold November night BIMM Brighton warmly welcomed guests and musicians alike into the Komedia for a Night of Vocals. Compered by BIMM Director Kevin Nixon and tutor Jason Knight the evening was host to Amy Winehouse’s band. The UK’s leading session band performed with our BIMM vocalists with a series of soul classics and Amy Winehouse tracks. Lead by a Q&A with the band the guys gave insight into what it is like working with one of the most famous vocalists in the world. Backing vocalists Ade Omotayo and Zalon Thompson blew the audience away with their stage presence and vocal mastery whilst Musical Director/Bassist Dale Davis and the band spoke about their careers and songwriting. This was a truly memorable and stunning evening and many thanks to the band for taking the time out to visit us.