Fireworks in store from leading guitarist Don Alder

Guitar enthusiasts will have much to crow about when Don Alder plays the side bar in Monroe’s on Friday, December 2. Hailing from Vancouver in Canada, Alder won the Worldside Guitar Idol in London in 2011.  But this won’t be just a guitar wig-out, as Adler wisely plays some songs too.

“I try to make shows entertaining which includes storytelling, instrumentals, and I’m also a singer songwriter, so this mixes things up nicely for the show,” he says. “My goal is to take people on a number of journeys throughout the show.”

Don promises ‘guitar fireworks’ and is dedicated to the six-string. Is practice part of his routine?

“For what I do, my practice comes through songwriting,” he says. “I don’t practise scales or techniques to gain perfection, I’m an artist looking to express and while I have won all the top guitar contests, which requires a number of skills and discipline I feel it’s still mostly to do with the way I express when I play.”

Finally, is he expecting an influx of disaffected Americans into Canada after the US election?

“Well, apparently, they crashed the Canadian Immigration website the night of the election,” he says referring to disaffected US citizens. “Canada is a land of immigrants; we welcome all and we hope people adopt the open mindedness of Canadians and tolerance for each other to move forward together and not fight against each other.”

Doors for the gig are 7.30pm, tickets €12/€10 online.