Mike Dawes

On 13 September 2026 at The Brook in Southampton, English fingerstyle guitarist Mike Dawes brings a percussive steel-string approach to a solo set. Building melody, bass and rhythm on one instrument, he moves between instrumental rock, folk and pop, reshaping songs and unfolding originals with tight dynamics and open tunings. After starting on electric, Dawes switched to acoustic in 2008, released an early EP in 2009, then the CandyRat debut What Just Happened? (2013) and Era (2017). He has shared stages with Tommy Emmanuel, Seth Lakeman and Newton Faulkner, and recorded Accomplice Series, Vol. 3 with Emmanuel in 2022, plus the live Shows and Distancing: Live in the USA (2020). His latest, Galactic Acid (2024), extends his arranger mindset. On stage, harmonics, tapped lines and driving grooves carry reworks and new pieces, with nods to collaborators like Petteri Sariola, Plini and members of Periphery, alongside his synth-pop detour with the group Nik Mystery.