'Are You Experienced' in Brazil

Just back from an amazing week in Brazil with 'Are You Experienced'. The band were invited to play at the launch in Rio de Janeiro of the film, 'Hey Hendrix', made by Pedro Paulo Caneiro and Roberto Lamourier during our commemorative weekend last September.

In amongst very many memorable experienced was a jam session the band did with Brazilian guitarist, Pepeu Gomes, at George Israel's studio for broadcast on MTV. Gomes was voted top Latin American rock guitarist by the prestigious Guitar Player magazine and he showed us why, trading Hendrix licks and tricks with John Campbell for an hour or so.

Alas, unless you live in Brazil you probably wont get to see the show but there's a strong possibility that Gomes will tour the UK later this year, and hopefully play with AYE somewhere.

Pedro Paulo and Roberto's film, incidentally, will be screened in the UK at film festivals later this year too. Watch this space for details of both events!

Hendrix Film

Our weekend commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's death last September was recorded for posterity and is part of a Brazilian film looking at Jimi's time in London.

The film will be shown on national Brazilian TV and has been entered for at least 5 film international festivals, including several in Europe

You can see a trailer for it, recently posted by the producers, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCWx784jfQc

Most non-Brazilians watching this will not appreciate that the musicians being interviewed represent the cream of Brazil’s rock talent. The film is to be officially launched in March with a concert featuring many of these stars playing Jimi's music.

Working in London with the Brazilian TV crew, and rock star Pitty, was 'interesting' to say the least, and there's a great back-story to the making of this film. But that's for another time... The picture accompanying this blog is of Pitty with the legendary John McCoy, trying on one of Hendrix's stage jackets inadvertantly left at John Teeside club in 1967.

The Hendrix weekend was so well-received, by the way, that we'll be repeating it this year with John Campbell’s 'Are You Experienced' playing at the Troubadour on the night of September 17th. It'll be the next best thing for those who can't be in Rio for the film launch!