Marcus Bonfanti

Having learnt his trade playing 3 sets a night, 6 nights a week, he is no stranger to live performing. Together with his band, featuring Scott Wiber (bass) and Alex Reeves (drums), he’s been playing shows up and down the country throughout 2010 to promote his current album What Good Am I To You?, which has already been credited as one of Classic Rock magazines’ Top 50 releases of the year.

28 years old Bonfanti was born and raised in London to an English mother and an Italian father. Self-taught as a guitarist, Marcus has already packed plenty in, from LIPA (the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) to top level session work, from school days as a trumpet player to learning guitar licks in his bedroom to the strains of Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog.’

Performing songs from his new album, Bonfanti’s supporting blues performance surpassed my expectations by a country mile! The young man has a rough-hewn baritone voice that suits the genre perfectly. His acoustic guitar work was up there with the best I’ve witnessed in recent years. Then there was the songs which were faithful to the blues tradition in both subject matter and sound.

He opened with a rendition of ‘God Only Knows’ with only his harmonica supporting a rasping blues vocal that surprised and delighted the audience. Then came the fabulous blues narrative ‘Devil Girl’ which impressed with its strong melody and slow reflective pace. Bonfanti closed on the gently rolling ‘Sweet Louise’ and a thinly desguised plea for CD sales via the mocking, glorious slide-guitar tones of ‘Give Me Your Cash’ - my album and performance highlight.

Bonfanti is a hugely talent blues singer/songwriter and I suspect is capable of impressing mightily over the pond. The audience loved him and I’m pretty sure most of them bought that CD!

More Exckusive Show Images Here:

http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/index.php/gallery/?album=3170&gallery=1709

SET-LIST

God Only Knows, Devil Girl, What Good Am I To You?, Now I’m Gone, Messin’ Round No More, Sweet Louise, Give Me Your Cash.