Dave Gunning

Genre: Singer-Songwriter Hometown: Pictou Co NS
www.davegunning.com

Wednesday, March 15   9:00 p.m.
Hilton 406   (500 E 4th St)

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Dave Gunning has quickly become one of Canada's best up-and-coming singer songwriters. Picking up the 2005 East Coast Music Award for Folk Recording of the Year for his fourth album, Two-Bit World, Gunning solidified his place in the East Coast music community.

2005 has been a jam-packed year for Gunning who, along with picking up his ECMA award and a second trophy from the Music Industry of Nova Scotia (MIANS) for Folk Album of the Year, performed the track 'Twitter's Song' on the nationally broadcast ECMA Awards Show on CBC-TV. He has toured extensively, with dates in the U.S. and Canada and was an impressive addition to a sold-out Gordon Lightfoot tribute show in Toronto this year. He was an official showcase artist at the 2005 North American Folk Alliance in Montreal, and an official showcase artist at Canadian Music Week (CMW) held in Toronto in March 2005.

A tireless troubadour, Gunning has released three previous albums, including Caught Between Shadows and Lost Tracks, both of which were nominated in the Roots/Traditional category at the ECMAs in their respective years of release. A favourite on the festival circuit, he has played internationally and at such notable events as the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, the Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Nova Scotia and Tonder Folk Festival in Denmark. A charismatic performer, he is known for infusing his shows with his own brand of humourous tales and touching commentary on the everyday, bringing a new vibrance and life to his songs. His recent tours with long-time friend and collaborator George Canyon have introduced Gunning to new audiences across Canada who have eagerly embraced his unique take on traditional sounds and his quirky on-stage tales.

Blending sensitive folk and innovative arrangements of traditional songs, Gunning has built up a solid fan following. This support was only enhanced when his video for his song 'Here She Comes A Running' from his Caught Between Shadows album was picked up by CMT Canada's Celtic Country program. The video, in typical Dave Gunning fashion, features a quirky mix of Maritime humour and pop song shine.

In 2002, recommended by fellow musician JP Cormier — whom Gunning had toured with in the Maritimes and Western Canada during 2001/2002 — he undertook a 22-date tour with Canadian music legend Stompin' Tom Connors. The pairing proved to be a good one, as the spicy East Coasters were a great mix. That same year, Gunning released the album Live, and picked up three MIANS awards for his skill as a producer and engineer and his studio, Riverfront Studios, was awarded Recording Studio of the Year. In 2003 the accolades continued as he was awarded the prestigious MIANS Musician of the Year award.

Gunning is currently touring to promote Two Bit World, which was produced by Jamie Robinson. The album, a brilliant collection of story songs, features such guest performers as Cindy Church, Charlie A'Court, and Gordie Sampson. Two Bit World has received rave reviews and has earned Gunning articles in publications as prestigious as Billboard and Country Music News. He has also had recent success in songwriting competitions, placing first in the Folk category in the International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA) for his song 'Prince of Pictou' (co-written by Jamie Robinson), and receiving an honourable mention in the USA Songwriting Competition.

Dave Gunning is a singer-songwriter on the verge of international recognition.