In celebrating their first year, Gibson Garage London have begun another exciting week and with everything going on, it is hard not to overuse the word iconic. Brian May was there this week, and tonight is Jam For Jack and the launch of the Jack Bruce Foundation. MetalTalk will be back again on Saturday for the acoustic festival, but as Lee Bartram, Head of Commercial, Marketing & Cultural Influence EU at Gibson, told MetalTalk, this whole project was two years in the making.
“Once we knew the Gibson Garage Nashville was so well received, it made total sense for London to be next,” Lee told MetalTalk’s Steve Ritchie. “The development period was certainly an adventure as the team got to grips with what’s required to open a retail store like this. However, once we started to get guitars on hooks and the events started, the excitement kicked in, and we all knew we were involved in something very special.”
Looking back at the original press release before the opening, it looked good on paper. But my first visit did not prepare me for how special the entrance at road level alone looked. The Gibson Garage is a really great concept and is welcomed by visitors from abroad, too.
“With the store being just a stone’s throw away from Oxford Street, we are in a key shopping location for London and all the visitors that brings,” Lee says. “The Gibson Garage London has the perfect product for those visiting the capital who want to take home a momento of their visit. Of course, guitars are our main attraction, but the exclusive t-shirts, stickers, key rings, guitar accessories, and parts are all there, too. We have everything for everyone.”
Walking around, I noticed that the layout is magnificent, and you can get a sense of the marvel of the Gibson range. Forthe ‘non-pro musicians’, such as the respectful guitarist who just plays at home, there is some wonderful news. “Our goal is to get as many guitars into as many hands as possible,” Lee says. “Every guitar on display can be pulled down, plugged in and tried out. We do not ‘survey’ the visitors before handing them the guitar. So, as a result, everyone gets the same attention and focus.
“Every one of our Garage Pros is an expert in not only Gibson but guitar in general, with some being qualified guitar tutors. So we are able to cater our approach to your experience and assist you in making sure you get the guitar that’s right for you.”
The first time one goes downstairs is an immense experience, too. Here, there there are other aspects of the wider Gibson brand. When you look at the Epiphone range, these are wonderful. I’ve had a black Epiphone El Capitan Acoustic Bass since the early ’90s, and it’s a real quality beast.
I asked Lee if Epiphone is sometimes unfairly judged online. “Epiphone has a huge fanbase and is, in fact, the older sibling to Gibson,” he said. “I would say that the majority of Gibson player’s guitar journey was influenced by Epiphone in some way, so it is vital that we make sure the brand is accessible to all players to keep that going.
“Epiphone has its own history, models and heroes, so it’s very much its own brand, and we treat it as such. Epiphone caters for all styles, musical genres and standards of players, and when visitors head down into the basement, they get a true representation of the brand and what it has to offer.”
Speaking of quality, the acoustic stage downstairs is a wonderful size. I’ve been there to watch The Almighty and Ricky Warwick sessions. The sound is spectacular, and it is obvious that this is something that has been thought through properly.
“Before it was The Gibson Garage,” Lee said, “our marketing teams occupied the same space. That basement venue has been used for many years, and it has always received the same feedback. It is truly an underground space to experience intimate and unique shows and performances.
“Within the various Gibson brands, we are able to cover everything needed for a live performance, and with our Mesa Boogie and Gibson amps always available as a backline, artists are able to turn up knowing we have everything covered within our own brands.”
It will be very interesting to see the artists on Saturday for the all-day acoustic festival. For me, this may well be the highlight of Gibson Garage Fest Week, as the range of artists across the day makes this a mouthwatering experience.
“The acoustic sessions have turned out better than I could have imagined,” Lee says. “We host weekly events for artists to come down and showcase what they have been working on. Everything is free, and we advertise all the events through our GibsonUK Instagram channel.”
“We have also been fortunate to partner with Busk In London to become an official busking venue for them. We host live performances through their amazing network of artists in The Gibson Garage London. I believe we have created a ‘Nashville’ vibe in the centre of London, where you can experience live performances in the middle of the day.
“The team are always working on new formats and ideas, and I certainly want to expand the performance element further.”
What impresses me is how Gibson are embracing the opportunity to support musicians. “The work we are doing with Busk In London really emphasises the amazing work being done to support local and UK-wide artists,” Lee says. “For methis is extremely exciting and a way for us to help artists get their music and message out to new fans. We will build on our live programming in 2025, so please stay tuned to our Instagram page for more information.”
It will also be interesting to see how Gibson expand this facility in the new year. The sound quality of each show has been exceptional, and this alone stretches the options wide open. Could a live album be on the cards? Or something more social media-orientated?
“We have discussed so many exciting opportunities,” Lee says. “We can take this format in different directions for sure. Recording is something we can explore, but I would also love to see where we could take live streaming through our social platforms. That would be something extremely cool to promote the artists even further.” Lee emphasises there is more to come.
The Anniversary week looks great. Tonight’s Jam For Jack is going to be a wonderful evening of music and a chance to see an iconic instrument up close. How excited is Lee for this? “I remember my dad would always come home with random cassettes and CDs,” he says. “He wasn’t an ‘album’ guy but appreciated great tracks, so when ‘greatest hits’ and ‘best of’ compilations started to gain popularity he was in his element.
“One day, he came back with Cream of Clapton, which instantly became my standard soundtrack for the bus ride to school. I had already gained an appreciation of guitar, but when I first heard Crossroads I started to understand what bass playing was really all about. Jack Bruce was a phenomenal musician who inspired generations of bass players. To be able to celebrate him and the Jack Bruce Foundation is an honour for Gibson.”
Helping to launch the Jack Bruce Foundation is a great example of how Gibson also sees its role in the wider world. “Supporting initiatives like this is a massive focus for Gibson globally,” Lee says. “Through our Gibson Gives initiatives in the US, we are able to assist and leverage fund-raising efforts to raise awareness for like-minded charities and foundations. The Jack Bruce Foundation is a great cause, and we are honoured to play a small part in its launch. We will be on hand to offer any help and support in its journey.”
The all-day acoustic festival looks great, too. The Wild Things look good for MetalTalk, as they toured with Kiss, but in the environment downstairs, any acoustic band or solo artist is going to sound good. Lee is looking forward to everyone.
“It is an amazing, varied lineup, which I hope will be enjoyed by all visitors that day,” he says. “For our one-yearanniversary, we wanted to dial up our acoustic sessions to 11, as best as we can for an acoustic performance, of course, and bring a full-day festival to The Gibson Garage London to showcase the awesome artists that we work with. This is going to be epic.”
For Lee and the team at Gibson Garage London, it has been a great year. You only have to ask him what his highlights were to get a glimpse into just how epic these last twelve months have been. “There really has been too many highlights,” Lee says.
“It would almost be unfair to pick just one, from the opening event where we welcomed Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi and Sir Brian May, the launch of our Gibson Jeff Beck Yardburst guitar, our ongoing partnership with The Teenage Cancer Trust, the launch of our Gibson Gallery which saw beautiful photography on display from Gerard Mankowitz and Sharon Latham through to the introduction of our Busk In London partnership its been a huge year.
“If you were to push me for one certain moment though, it’s probably that first day open and selling the very first guitar from the Gibson Garage. The customer was a great guy who actually was just starting out on his guitar journey. He works locally and saw the development of the Garage every day on his way to work. He knew he wanted to be part of our opening celebrations. That customer has been back many times, has a great relationship with our sales team and knows us all by name.
“That’s really what The Gibson Garage London is all about, building relationships through a shared passion of music.”
For the next 12 months, the focus of Lee Bartram and the whole Gibson team is to drive things forward, and this makesfor a mouthwatering prospect. “We’re always looking to top the last time,” Lee says, “whether that’s events, performances or product. We are always seeing where we can take things with the Gibson Garage London.
“2025 is going to be a huge year for live music in the UK and we have some very exciting projects in the works. So please keep checking in on us to see what’s going down on Eastcastle Street.”
