ROB THOMPSON

Rob Thompson is one of the most talented and passionate blues rock export to come out of Port Elizabeth in the last ten years. A real triple threat as guitarist, singer and songwriter,Thompson’s heart lies in performing blues rock music. His energy and determination to play this genre and keep it alive is evident through his innovative, yet still vintage blues rock sound. After picking up the guitar at age 17, Thompson quickly fell in love with the instrument, going on to study at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University focusing on jazz and classical guitar. Not limited to purely blues and rock, Thompson has proved to be a truly multidimensional artist, his talents spanning a number of genres including latin, flamenco, classic rock, rockabilly, folk, pop-rock, and classical Indian music. To this end, he has performed with various artists and groups associated with these genres such as Albert Frost, Guy Buttery, Robin Auld, Dave Goldblum, The Jack Rabbit Slims, Stuart Reece Band, Black and White Dogs, Gitanos De La Duende, and the Four Winds Folk Club, the oldest of its kind in South Africa. This enthusiasm and dedication helped propel him towards his debut as an international blues artist. In 2011, having played guitar for only six years, at the age of 23 Rob completed his first tour of the USA, performing a number of shows across the country as well as touring with acclaimed American blues legend Ray Fuller. Throughout his career Thompson has been influenced by a wide variety of artists including Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Albert King, Joe Bonamassa, ZZ Top, John Lee Hooker, Dan Patlansky, Paco De Lucia, Deep Purple, David Bowie and Brian Setzer.