FAST-RISING BLUES POWERHOUSE Brooke Mason (a.k.a. Eddie 9V) remembers a great piece of advice he got after a gig. “Somebody came up to me and said, ‘Just breathe, man. You gotta look like you enjoy playing the guitar.’
“I thought about it, and I realized that I tend to hold my breath when I’m soloing,” he continues. “It’s like I’m caught up in this tense emotional state. Make no mistake: playing shows is hard work, and there’s a lot of stress involved. I like a certain amount of fight and danger when I play, but on the other hand, I should enjoy it more, too. I need to be in the moment when I’m playing, particularly when I’m soloing. So yeah, I need to breathe.”
Currently on tour to (Ruf), Mason took time out to dispense some of his own nuggets of guitar-centric advice.
