MATT WOOSEY BAND

Out of the blocks, Matt created alchemy with the bare minimum of equipment, needing only his neck-tingling voicebox and fluid acoustic guitar chops to command a drunk or transient crowd. “When I listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rory Gallagher or Roy Buchanan play electric,” he reasons, “I just can’t add anything to that. For me, playing acoustic guitar in an inventive way that’s different to anyone else is the most powerful thing I can do. I like to do things that turn heads, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the songs.”

In a world where mainstream musicians make all the obvious moves, here is one artist who travels without a map. “I have a real fear of repeating myself,” he says. “My music has to be creative and artistic. It has to keep pushing things forward. I just want people to come with me on my journey, whatever changes I take.”