Alister Turrill is a Blues performer whose playing style blends a true form of blues with complex song writing that sets him apart from other young artists.
He’s shared the stage with Blues royalty such as Jeff Lang, Geoff Achison and Lloyd Spiegel on several occasions and has supported music legends like Tim Rogers, Ash Grunwald, Kim Churchill, Steve Smyth, Tim Freedman and Shane Howard. His laid-back musical style and laconic manner belie a craftsman who knows exactly what he is doing phrase by phrase and why it makes sense.
A recent appearance at The Castlemaine Blues Club gave the opportunity for us to get to know Alister Turrill.
“Dad lent me a copy of the greatest hits of Jimi Hendrix when I was young which I still listen to today and think is fantastic. Jimi inspired me to play the guitar and led me to the Queenscliff Music Festival” Alister is also a great fan of Neil Young and says listening to his album Harvest was another key moment in his own musical awakenings.
“I can still remember hearing Xavier Rudd in concert for the first time when I was twelve. I had never seen anything like the energy he put into his show and it completely blew me away.” Alister is also that rare type of musician who gets almost as much enjoyment out of supporting his musician friends than he does from his own performances. His tips for young musicians starting off is always to experiment and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. “That’s how you learn your craft. The best thing about being a musician is the feeling at a show where everyone in the room are all completely into it all at once. That shared consciousness that everyone is on your side and we are all in the moment.”
Alister Turrill is performing at The Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival 7 th to the 10 th of November
2019, for all the latest updates check out www.bendigobluesandroots.com.au
