‘East Anglian singer Adrian Nation is tall and at a guess, is probably regarded by women as rather handsome. If the film industry had got to him before the music industry did, he’d possibly have cornered the market in playing Saxon kings.’ Martin Newell, Suffolk Life

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May 15th saw Adrian taking part at the Big Scary Face Show at Royston Heath, Cambridgeshire, a one day mini-fest organised to raise funds or UNICEF.

There were some big names on the bill such as Paul Moran, Van Morrison’s keyboard player and musical director. Also there with his band The Rodford Files was Jim Rodford, legendary bass player with The Kinks, founder member of Argent and who has also done his time with The Animals and The Zombies. Quite a pedigree!

But Jim certainly has an ear for acoustic music too, after hearing Adrian’s set he said “This guy is just fantastic, in fact world class.”

This Thursday the 3rd of March Adrian will be performing a live session on BBC Bristol during the afternoon show with Peter Rowell ahead of his gig at The Futures Inn later in the evening.

Adrian will be interviewed on Oban FM on Wednesday 1st December at 5.45pm and will also be playing live in the studios of BBC 5 Counties Radio with Sue Marchant on Wednesday 8th December at 9.20pm.

Once we get to a certain age most of us can look back and pin point the turning points in our lives. A few, the lucky few, know at the time when they’ve passed one. Guitarist and songwriter Adrian Nation is one of those lucky few.

In 1986, at the age of 16, shortly after having picked up a guitar for the first time, he passed The Arts Centre in Colchester where a gig was taking place. Intrigued by what he heard he snuck in and saw on stage Isaac Guillory. Unbeknownst to Adrian, Guillory was one of the best flatpicking guitarists of his generation who blended folk and blues in a memorable and individual style; influenced by his musical upbringing in Havana and Florida yet uniquely his own.

It certainly proved memorable to the wide eyed 16 year old who hadn’t realised such sounds could be produced by 6 strings and a soundbox. Over the following years what he’d seen that evening proved to be a constant inspiration to Adrian Nation, so much so that when he released his debut album in 2003, 3 years after Isaac’s death, the first track, Diamonds In The Stream, was a tribute to him. Eventually Diamonds came to the ears of Guillory’s widow Victoria whom Adrian later met at a gig he played in Newcastle.

Shadows of Guillory’s style drift through Adrian’s playing and presumably this must have been evident to Victoria Guillory as she and Adrian have played together several times since meeting, most notably at The Sage in Gateshead and this coming November in Durham Cathedral where they will play Isaac’s songs, circling a chain that began nearly 25 years ago.

Before that however one more link in that chain remains to be forged. On the 11th of this month, Adrian will return to the source of his life long inspiration with a gig at Colchester Arts Centre. Support will be provided by the excellent Lady Bird and The Larks and The Slopes.

Tickets are only £5, available at www.colchesterartscentre.com, by e mail at info@colchesterartscentre.com or by calling 01206 500900. It should be an excellent evening; whether or not it proves to be a turning point…well you’d better ask any 16 year olds you see sneaking in.