The Indonesian Jimi Hendrix

Once a week you can drop into a small, predominantly expat bar in South Jakarta, and join the other 20 or 30 people present who are enjoying listening to and watching a world class blues guitarist by the name of Gugun performing on stage with his bassist and drummer. A lifelong disciple of Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn, Gugun's setlist consists primarily of note for note versions of Jimi and SRV tunes, together with a vocal performance that is on par with the originals. An SRV-style hat and sunglasses completes the image, but this Indonesian guitarist is not a soul-less copycat trundling out benign covers of the original artists. Gugun is the real deal - a virtuoso showman who plays his ass off and never misses a beat, aided by the rest of his trio, who are also very accomplished in their respective support roles.

Gugun has played at various festivals and concerts around Indonesia, but I'm not aware if blues fans outside of Indonesia have yet had the pleasure of seeing him live. If that's the case, it's a crying shame, because Gugun would be right at home at any quality blues festival anywhere in the world. If you're ever visiting Jakarta for any length of time, I wholeheartedly recommend catching a Gugun Blues gig.