“It was 20 years ago today” - or thereabouts - that the opening notes rang out at the first Frankston Guitar Festival.  Next month guitarists from all over Australia and around the world return for the Frankston Guitar Festival 20th Anniversary Weekend.

From October 6-8, Beach 162 will host blues sliders, rock shredders, folk finger-pickers and metal power-chorders as well as guitar makers, distributors and sellers.  Among the artists performing will be ARIA award-winner Jeff Lang, bluesman Lloyd Spiegel, Jimi Hocking (Angels/Screaming Jets), Roger McLachlan (Stars/Little River Band), Mike Rudd (Spectrum/Ariel), Sam See (Sherbet/Fraternity), Glynn Mason (Chain/Ariel), Phil Manning (Chain), Shannon Bourne (Chris Wilson Band) , Lindsay Field (John Farnham), Barry Roy (Jigsaw/Normie Rowe), Brenden Mason (Madder Lake/Ariel), Mike Elrington (The Advocates), Dave Diprose (Hillbilly Radio), Rob Pappalardo (Blues Head), and Swedish jazz virtuoso Anatholi Bulkin.

For a short but exciting nine years, the Frankston Guitar Festival attracted hundreds of players from Australia and beyond.  Oz legends Tommy Emmanuel, George Golla, Phil Manning, Ross Hannaford and Slava Grigoryan performed around the city, as did the likes of Martin Taylor (UK), Tony McManus (Ireland), Dan Crary (US), Beppe Gambetta (Italy) and David Lindley.  Since its closure there have been several unsuccessful attempts to resurrect the event, so this year organisers are planninga huge party to mark the festival’s 20th anniversary, and lucky punters have a whole weekend to catch up with and hear some of these superstars of guitar.

Tickets are limited and are on sale only from Beach 162, 162 Beach St, Frankston (phone 9783 7109).  Get into the rhythm at the Friday and Saturday night shows with a three-course dinner and show option on offer in the dining area. If you’re more into dancing and snacking, there’s finger food and show tickets for Friday and Saturday nights at the Beach 162 Garden Bar, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons will see individual artists on the Garden Bar stage - and perhaps even a few special guests as well!

Follow the action on Facebook at Frankston Guitar Festival.