Supporting Australian guitar players and artists, while bringing the best guitar performances from around the world Guitar Gods & Masterpieces is a show for guitar players and guitar music fans that incorporates humour, entertainment and educational segments on all things guitar.
Broadcasting since June 2010, Guitar Gods is the only guitar-TV-show in the world entering its 20th season and over 230 episodes to this point. Featuring independent up and coming Oz talent and a huge flow of international and Oz A-List guests, that keep fans coming back for more interviews and jam sessions from their favourite players such as Deep Purple, Kiss, Def Leppard, Rival Sons, Airbourne, Wolf Mother and hundreds more.
Pearl catches up with Producer and celebrity Host Hack Wanger from TV Show Guitar Gods and Masterpieces.
PEARL: So tell us where the concept came for Guitar Gods and Masterpieces.
WANGER: Well over the years the TV industry has been in decline for presenting live music on TV as they are infatuated with Reality Karaoke TV, these shows do not support real music artists. When I was young I could see Tommy Emmanuel or Brett Garsed or The Baby Animals on various different TV shows. So one day I just said to myself – hey someone needs to make a guitar music TV show. So that was the reason for the concept as commercial TV stopped filming guitar music and even when they did it was still few and far between.
PEARL: Did you have any film background?
WANGER: No not at all, Could not even focus a camera. It was all just trial and error. I was given 1 week to make a pilot episode and then 4 weeks to start broadcasting. That was 4.5 years ago and have now gone past 230 episodes with only 4 repeats. We have a great sponsor in CMI and ESP guitars that pays for a lot of the expenses to keep broadcasting for the loyal guitar addicts out there.
PEARL: You seem to have an abundance of content to present.
WANGER: Well there is so much great talent in Melbourne alone, from all guitar genres. Rock bands like Toe Hider, Electric Mary, Dakara Dirt if given radio exposure would be huge, but have a better chance overseas. There is also incredible guitar talent here that Guitar Gods & Masterpieces tries to present along side international content.
PEARL: Who have been some of your fave artists to interview?
WANGER: There have been many; Steve Vai was a big moment as I have followed his career closely along with Joe Satriani, Tommy Emmanuel, Derek Trucks, Steve Lukathur, Glenn Hughes, Steve Morse and Joe Bonamassa. From a local level if ‘Blues God’ Geoff Achison hadn’t said yes to the first interview then there may have been no Guitar Gods and Masterpieces.
PEARL: What’s the future of Channel 31?
WANGER: At this stage we have until the end of 2015 as the Liberal Government has decided to sell the frequency. If people want to save c31 they can go and voice their opinion at i.CommitToCommunityTV.org.au
PEARL: What does the New Year bring for GGM.
WANGER: There will be an announcement soon for a very exciting project that can involve many people. Stay Tuned. Thanks for the interview and let me say what a cool magazine you are pumping out. – May The Guitar Gods Bless You!
Guitar Gods and Masterpieces broadcasts on c31 (Ch44) Wednesday’s at 9.30 pm, with repeats on Saturday 3.30am, Sunday 1.30 am and Wednesday 12.30 am. There’s some great previews on Youtube too!
[iphorm_popup id=”1″ name=”artist inquiry form”]Submit An Artist Booking Enquiry[/iphorm_popup]