Gugun Blues Shelter
Previously called the Bluesbug, Gugun Blues Shelter is an Indonesian blues power trio that is a breath of fresh air in the seemingly dying Asian blues scene these days. Influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bettie Davies, and Led Zeppelin among others, the band forced many music fans to take notice of its powerful, flawless genre-crossing blend of blues that incorporate influences from rock, funk, and soul.
With the success of their debut album “Get the Bug” (2004), and their second album “Turn it On” (2006), Gugun (Guitar / Vox) and Bowie (Drums) returned to Indonesia after a highly successful tour of the UK in 2009 leaving Jono (Bass) to clear up loose ends before the team became re-united once again in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Band released their third album “Self titled” in March 2010. With the hit single “When I See You Again” the 9 track album went on to win numerous awards including ‘Favourite Blues Song’ in the Indonesian Cutting Edge Music Awards 2010 (ICEMA 2010), TRAX Magazines “Best Local Album 2010” and also featured in “Rolling Stone Magazine” top 20 albums of 2010.
The group has made 3 highly successful tours of the UK and Northern Ireland between 2007 and 2010 featuring at both the “Belfast Jazz & Blues Festival”, The Annual “Colne Blues Festival” and also the “Skegness Rock & Blues Festival”. In March 2010 the band were invited to play alongside Buddy Guy, Jools Holland and the Buena Vista Social Club at the Timbre Rock & Roots Festival in Singapore.
The successes continued into the new year of 2011 as the band scored a record deal with the prestigious independent “Guitar Driven” record label “Grooveyard Records” from New York, USA. The Compilation album “Far East Blues Experience” consists of hand-picked tracks from the previous 3 albums, re-mastered and re-packaged under the Grooveyard Label. The album was released in early January 2011 and is already receiving rave reviews from the blues rock community both in the USA and worldwide as the album is available to order via amazon.com and amazon.co.uk
October 2011 the Band released their 6th album entitled “Solid Ground” with the legendary Grooveyard Records based in Rochester, New York. This is the 2nd of two albums that the band has released with Grooveyard this year. Solid Ground’ featuring 10 all new songs and taking the bands vibe into a new “progressive / funky” direction.
The only Indonesian blues band to share the main stage with The Killers, Bon Jovi and Adam Ants at the Hard Rock Calling Festival in Hyde Park, London had their first US tour in November 2012. 6 cities within 11 days, they went to Reggie’s Music Joint- Chicago, The Southern – Charlottesville, Hard Rock Cafe – Washington DC, Whisky A Go Go – West Hollywood, Rockit Room- SanFrancisco, Webster Hall – New York
Gugun Blues Shelter International Stages:
- KL Blues Festival 2008 – Malaysia
- Singapore Timbre Arts Festival 2008 – Singapore
- UK Tour – August 2008 (Colne Blues Festival, Belfast Big River Jazz & Blues Festival)
- UK Tour – January 2009 (Skegness Blues Festival, 229 club London, BBC World)
- Singapore Grand Prix Race Event – September 2009
- Jakarta International Blues Festival – 2009
- Java Jazz Festival 2010 – Indonesia
- Singapore Rock & Roots Festival 2010
- Java Rockin’land 2010 – Indonesia
- Jakarta International Blues Festival 2010 – Indonesia
- Shanghai World Expo 2010 – August 2010
- Shanghai World Expo 2010 – October 2010
- Java Jazz Festival 2011 – March 2011
- UK Tour, May – June 2011
- Hard Rock Calling, Hyde Park, London – June 2011
- Java Rockin’land 2011 – September 2011
- Jakarta International Blues Festival 2011 – December 2011
- Festival Indonesia 2013 – September 2012
- US Tour – November 2012
Source: Gugun Blues Shelter
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