joel hoekstra and brandon gibbs uk tour

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HOEKSTRA-GIBBS UK IRELAND TOUR

Joel hoekstra + brandon gibbs w/ special guest joey wit acoustic 28 may - 9 june, hoekstra-gibbs uk ireland tour dates, joel hoekstra + brandon gibbs w/ special guest joey wit acoustic.

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Unveiling the Hoekstra Gibbs Acoustic Tour 2024 

It’s a very pleasant 18 degrees Celsius in Bogotá today. Known as the melting pot of Colombia, this capital city is where all cultures from different regions of the country have a place. There’s simply a sense of inclusivity, togetherness and community. What also unites its residents is their love for music, with Bogotá having a reputation for having some of the most fiercely passionate fans within the rock and metal community. Tonight, heavy metal band Accept will be performing at the Royal Center in support of their new album Humanoid . Part of a massive South American tour, an incredibly exciting fact about this run of shows is that the band have welcomed Joel Hoekstra as touring guitarist deputising for Phil Shouse. It’s ahead of tonight’s show that we catch up with the Whitesnake and Trans Siberian Orchestra guitarist though interestingly not to talk about Accept. Instead we’re here to talk about what’s coming next which is another acoustic tour of the UK with Poison and Devil City Angels’ Brandon Gibbs. Following a hugely successful UK tour in 2023, Joel and Brad have decided to return for a massive 12 dates throughout May and June – and what an incredible experience this promises to be. There’s something very special and hugely powerful about a stripped down acoustic performance in an intimate venue and it’s ability to connect so emotively with the audience, and alongside a massive sense of fun, this is exactly what a Hoekstra-Gibbs show is all about. A busy schedule means that it’s been difficult for Joel to leave the confines of his hotel room but of course he has a huge smile and we are given the warmest of welcomes. We make ourselves comfortable and our conversation begins…    

Hoekstra Gibbs Acoustic Tour 2024

Heading back to the UK

Joel Hoekstra & Brandon Gibbs

The month of May sees you returning to the UK and Ireland with Brandon Gibbs to complete a 10 date tour. Before we specifically talk about these shows, let’s go right back to the beginning. When did you first meet Brandon and how did this incredible partnership come about?

I think it was maybe 2016 on the Monsters of Rock Cruise and they had scheduled a meet and greet with us together on one of the resort islands. I go out on that Monsters of Rock Cruise every year and I never leave the boat! (Laughs!) So they put me and Brandon together for that and they were playing some of his music and some of my music, he seemed like a cool guy and we just kind of made friends really quickly. It wasn’t too long after that when he hit me up saying he does acoustic shows and sometimes brings a second player and would I be into it. I said “Sure!”. It was something to do just for fun between Whitesnake tours and Trans Siberian Orchestra commitments and just whenever there was free time. He’s a very nice guy, a very talented guy and we get on great. The set just started drawing up demand because people could come to a smaller show and it draws the diehards essentially, the people who really care about me from Whitesnake or Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which if you came to one of those shows you may or may not have a chance to say hello. So I suppose there’s a certain charm to knowing that you’re going to go and see that person in a bar where there’s 150 people and you get a chance to hang a bit! It’s good to let the fans know how much you appreciate their support. You get the people who really care about you at the shows and that’s what I dig, especially these UK shows. We did this tour last year and it was just awesome. For me, as silly as it sounds, you play big shows and with big acts but to have it just be my name on the bill with Brandon’s, and you kind of wonder ‘is anybody actually going to show up?’ (Laughs!) and when they do it just feels magical! You realise that you actually have people who have been following what you’ve been doing and that just feels great. This is built on a good friendship - Brandon and I are good friends. He’s a super easy guy and when we travel it’s just the two of us - no crew and no band. We plug-in, the sound check takes 10 minutes and we play his music, my music, the music of the bands that we’ve been a part of and even some covers. It’s just a fun gig for the diehards and then you get to meet everybody afterwards which is cool!

People are used to seeing you mainly with an electric guitar. How much of a role does the acoustic guitar play for you on a day-to-day basis

There was a period when it was a lot more. Lately it’s only when I do the Brandon shows or my set on the Monsters of Rock Cruise. I took classical lessons for a couple of years in a proper school with classical guitar. Of course, I have an acoustic album that I put out ( 2008’s 13 Acoustic Songs – Ed ). I hadn’t planned on doing an acoustic album, that was just stuff that I was sitting around and playing on my sofa and I just thought I should probably record it otherwise I’m going to forget it someday and I would have no idea how to play this stuff that I’ve written. So that’s why I recorded that acoustic album of mine. Some of that stuff is part of my acoustic set on the Monsters of Rock Cruise every year which is kind of neat as it’s the only place where I ever play that material live. I love playing acoustic because you can get away with more chordal stuff. Something I really dig about playing rhythm guitar is different inversions. If you play some kinds of chords with a lot of distortion on the electric guitar it sounds like crap. If you play it clean or on an acoustic it sounds magical. There is definitely an advantage to playing acoustic with that. Chordally and rhythmically you can do stuff that you can’t with a heavily distorted guitar. Is it convenient for shredding? No. I’d like to think of some of it still translates and I do have a moment during the show where I have an unaccompanied solo, a little bit of shred if you will, and Brandon has something similar although his is more of a blues-based style. He’s more kind of slow-hand bluesy but it works really well. He’s really into playing foundation chords and foundation rhythm, and I’m into overdub rhythm and playing the fancy inversions. I’m into the fancier solos and he’s into the simple solos. We pair up kind of naturally. I don’t really enjoy singing lead. He has me doing a little bit of it in the show just to force my hand at it but I do really enjoy singing background vocals a lot, and he enjoys singing lead. Our skill sets just fit together nicely.  

I would just like to explore with you the concept of acoustic guitar driven music. Some of the most powerful and emotive shows I’ve experienced are those where there is simply one or two people giving a stripped back acoustic performance, where there are moments of sheer power and also where you could hear a pin drop. What we have with Hoekstra Gibbs is absolutely that impact. Would you agree with that philosophy, and also which acoustic guitar artists have you drawn inspiration on throughout your career? 

I think it’s kind of cool just to hear the songs in a different light. For me, it’s one of the only outlets I have to play the Joel Hoekstra 13 stuff and for Brad it’s an opportunity to play some of his music. The biggest thing I think is honestly having that relationship with the fans. That’s the coolest thing about it. That’s the difference. It’s almost like we just plugged in in your living room or something. We are playing in these intimate venues for, like I said, 150 people or something like that and it’s such a big difference to seeing somebody on an arena stage. As far as acoustic artists that I’ve enjoyed, I’ve listened to acoustic players my whole life. There’s a long list, and I always liked, even when I was younger, when the rock guys put a bit of that into their style, whether it be Randy Rhoads when he did Dee with Ozzy and his classical work on Diary Of A Madman which is a quote of Leo Brouwer piece for those that don’t know. And definitely Rick Emmett from Triumph when he was incorporating the classical playing and had acoustic pieces on the records like Midsummer’s Daydream on Thunder Seven . Such a cool piece! And the neoclassical guys like Yngwie Malmsteen, All the way to the great players out there nowadays like Tommy Emmanuel who is just so mindbogglingly proficient on guitar. There’s a line on guitar when you can say ‘Well, nobody is the best in the world, it’s all just apples and oranges’, but then you watch Tommy Emmanuel play for a bit and you can say ‘Well, okay he’s probably the best in the world!’ (Laughs!) He’s unreal man! It’s like an extension of his body! He’s such an incredible player and I have so much admiration for him, he’s unreal. 

Well, getting back to this incredible partnership, as Hoekstra/Gibbs, and you mentioned 2016, you’ve actually been performing together for about seven or eight years now, and it’s wonderful to see how this has grown. My understanding is that you expected that these shows perhaps for reasons of simplicity would stay within the US but the demand from fans from around the world for international touring has been immense. What were your expectations and how does it feel to see the love for this partnership on such a huge scale? 

The coolest thing about it is that it’s all unexpected. We just got together to do these in our spare time and have a little fun, and it’s something that started to draw people. We were like ‘Whoa! People are actually turning up!’, and then, like you said, to have any type of international interest is like ‘What! Really!?’. We went to the UK last year with no expectations and it ended up being this magical experience. We didn’t have a one bad show. And every show there are people who are the diehards, and like I said, the best fans come out to these – the people who really care. So you want to give back to them, and it’s just kind of mind blowing to be honest. So we toured the UK, and then we did Europe last year and has even been some talk about Europe and of course coming back to the UK this year and then doing some more shows in the US. And we’ve been expanding when we’ve been playing in the US as well, we’re going to some different places this year. We have a run in Colorado that’s booked and I’m trying to do a run in Florida later in the year. It’s just fun and we have no delusions of grandeur. It’s a quality show to see. If I saw it I’d be entertained because it’s a nice variety, it’s organic and it’s real. It’s something we would probably do for free. Just to have it grow like that is kinda neat, you know? It’s not like we’re angling for something commercially. We are just two guys plugging in our acoustic guitars and having a good time and it’s a simple as that.

The Hoekstra/Gibbs shows comprise of the most amazing songs throughout your respective. Does it also include some original music that you’ve both written?

We are just getting the ball rolling on that. To put out some music that we’ve actually written together would be a nice step I suppose. In a way it’s kind of been charming because it shows how little calculated this has been that we haven’t even released music together or anything like that. It’s just something where we just enjoy playing the shows. But we are starting to get down to that. We really should release something together so we do have a song that’s in the works right now. Maybe that will be ready by the UK tour, I’m not sure.

Sounds exciting! When we look at the heritage of you both as amazing musicians and your respective back catalogues, how do you decide a set list for a Hoekstra Gibbs show?

The set list is always evolving and heavily down to just Brandon calling stuff. Like if there is certain stuff that we’ve done before and he calls it or wants to do it we just do it. I’m pretty easy-going with that stuff. I roll with what’s on the set, we do whatever is fun, and sometimes you’ve got to read the room. Obviously, it would be great to play all the originals but since I’m not playing Whitesnake currently I enjoy playing Whitesnake stuff just as much. It gives people the chance to hear some Whitesnake material played live in some type of setting, and people are hungry to hear it. Everything we do is just a nice balance between what people would want to hear and what we want to do. It’s not entirely self-serving, some of the stuff is in there for the fans – you are there to entertain people and it’s about them.

Just focusing on you for a moment, within these acoustic shows you still manage to take the time to wow the audiences with your virtuosity and mesmerising solo sections. You mentioned earlier how much you enjoy the more complex guitar elements and fancy inversions but to what extent is there part of you that thinks it’s important for you to give a performance for the guitarists out there?

I’ve been at this a while and I think it just comes down to how I have my daily tasks on hand all the time that keep me on the guitar and keep me playing. I go about it in a very workman-like manner, knowing what needs to be done, whether that be recording an album, writing an album, playing a session for someone, teaching, playing a set, going and reviewing a set – whatever needs to be done in a day is what keeps me going on guitar. There’s always going to be some kind of bar that someone is going to have as to whether or not you are a good guitarist. I don’t really concern myself with it a ton, whether there’s a guitarist there and I’m impressing them. I’m more comfortable just knowing I am what I am. I go about it secure knowing that I’ve put a lot of effort and time on the guitar and I’ve built a career, and I also have no delusions of grandeur with that. I don’t expect people to leave going ‘That’s the best guitarist in the world’ or any kind of crap like that. I just want to go about doing what I do and then hopefully people evaluate your skill level appropriately. Sure, it sucks if you read that someone has said that you suck or something like that. That’s always like ‘Really!? I’ve been playing my whole life and I suck in your eyes?’ but that being said, there’s plenty of times I agree with them. My students will often say ‘Oh, I feel terrible and I’m not getting any better’ and I tell them ‘You know what, that feeling will never go away – there’s no point of arrival’. It’s not like you can play guitar in your lifetime and have some point where you go ‘I’m there!’. Music is infinite and there’s always something you can’t do or maybe wish you could do better. I wish I was so much better on guitar than I am. I guess the concept is simply that I’d like to be a lot better and I don’t worry too much about impressing the guitarists. I worry more about just being a professional and that helps keep me kind of grounded. You can lose track of it if you believe your own hype. People can fall into that hole trap of hearing people telling them that they’re great. It’s more about ‘Did you put in the work every day?’.

And of course, a really wonderful quality about these shows is that they see you very much as a vocalist as well as a guitarist. I think it’s another incredible way for you to express yourself as an artist and also for fans to see that other side of you too. You mentioned that lead vocals is perhaps something you aren’t completely comfortable with but how does it feel to be stood behind the mic stand? You certainly look incredible comfortable!

I’ve done it in the past. When I was in my bands when I was younger playing in bars, on occasion I would sing some of the stuff that I was comfortable singing and I do it a bit on the Monsters of Rock Cruise in my acoustic set. I have certain things that I’m willing to go out and sing and then there’s other stuff that isn’t in my wheelhouse. I definitely enjoy participating as a backing vocalist in the bands I’m in. One of the more interesting things about my story when I was younger was I kind of hung out with the thrashers, the real heavy-metal guys. They were my better friends than the hair metal guys. When I was a teenager, I had short hair of all things and I was in the hairband scene and I was a little bit shorter, maybe 5 foot 5, when I was in my first band so I didn’t fit in and the hairband guys dissed me because they thought ‘This guy he doesn’t look the part’. So I was like ‘Fuck you!’ and I made friends with the thrashers. One of my best friends was a thrash guitar player and they needed a singer so I said “I’ll give it a go”. So I joined his band only as a singer, not playing guitar. That was an interesting experience and I was actually gigging with them and doing live shows and one of the guys in our local scene, Dan Donegan, went on to form Disturbed, and of course they are huge. At one point Dan had expressed interest to me in coming down and auditioning to become the singer in Disturbed when they were forming, and today that is just such an hilarious thought! They ended up with David Draiman who is an amazing singer and I’d like say to Dan “I could’ve screwed the whole thing up!” (Laughs!) They’ve gone onto such huge stardom and I’m really happy for those guys. They are wonderful guys and Dan always was a good guy, even back then when we were in our local scene, and he is still a great guy even now. But yes, that’s something I did: sing in a thrash band of all things!

I think another incredible quality that you and Brandon bring to the shows is the connections you make directly with fans both on and off stage. And it was really interesting to hear what you said earlier about having opportunity to hang out and you recognise the fans as being the diehard fans. Also on this tour your offering VIP meet and greet experiences ahead of the show and where possible mixing with fans after the show. It seems to me that you’re putting the fans at the very heart of the forthcoming UK tour. To what extent do you think that’s a fair thing to say?

Yes, at the end of the day that’s the biggest thing. When people ask me if like the arenas or the small gigs, realistically it’s disingenuous when people who play arenas say that they prefer the intimate gigs. If they only got their career to a level where they were only playing intimate gigs they’d be cursing their lives going ‘How come I never got to be somebody and play in arenas?’. I love the big gigs and I love the fact that I’ve been able to have some gigs where I’ve been able to play for larger crowds. That’s amazing! However, I completely see the charm in stripping it down to the people who actually give a crap about who you are and your music and they actually start to follow you and keep in touch with you online. Those are the people that come to the shows and I think it’s really important on many levels to show that you actually notice that and you care. It’s what these tours are largely about for me – connecting with those people – and I think that’s a proper way to build a career. If you want to make a living playing music you have to understand that it works both ways. You have to show appreciation to the people who follow you and not just walk around with a big head and being full of yourself thinking you are ‘all that and a bag of chips’. None of us are! We’re just people who learned to play instruments. The rockstar thing is an illusion at the end of the day. So I think it’s cool to be able to get to that level where you can be in a small pub and you can just talk to somebody and say ‘Hey man, how’s it going?’, and have a one on one discussion. The goal for me was always to be a pro guitarist and never be a rockstar.

Our closing thoughts...

As our conversation draws to a close, we reflect on what a special run of shows these promise to be. Two absolute icons from the world of rock coming together to play for the diehard fans in the most intimate of settings. It is with the highest recommendation is that we invite you to buy a ticket. Head over to www.joelhoekstra.com and  www.brandongibbsmusic.com, and in the meantime get a flavour of what’s to come on this incredible tour by checking out the fan filmed footage below. 

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Past Events

Here are the most recent UK tour dates we had listed for Joel Hoekstra. Were you there?

• Sat 8 Jun Ballymena, Diamond Rock Club Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Fri 7 Jun London, Islington Assembly Hall Winger Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Thu 6 Jun Ipswich, 0 Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Wed 5 Jun Liverpool, Zanzibar Club Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Tue 4 Jun Cannock, The Station Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs Joey Wit, White Skies
• Sat 1 Jun Bradford, Nightrain Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Fri 31 May Norwich, The Brickmakers & B2 Venue Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Thu 30 May Grimsby, Yardbirds Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Wed 29 May Newcastle upon Tyne, Trillians Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Sat 22 Apr Ballymena, Diamond Rock Club Hoekstra/Gibbs Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Fri 21 Apr Oldham, Whittles@Tokyo Hoekstra/Gibbs Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Thu 20 Apr Grimsby, Yardbirds Hoekstra/Gibbs Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Wed 19 Apr Newcastle upon Tyne, Trillians Hoekstra/Gibbs Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Sat 15 Apr Ipswich, 0 Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Fri 14 Apr Norwich, The Brickmakers & B2 Venue Hoekstra/Gibbs Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs
• Thu 13 Apr London, The Underworld Hoekstra/Gibbs Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs, The Mariana Hollow
• Thu 13 Apr London, Our Black Heart Hoekstra/Gibbs Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs, The Mariana Hollow
• Wed 12 Apr Glasgow, Ivory Blacks Hoekstra/Gibbs Joel Hoekstra, Brandon Gibbs

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Thursday 13th April 2023

HOEKSTRA / GIBBS – SHOW MOVED

SHOW MOVED FROM THE UNDERWORLD TO THE BLACK HEART: ALL TICKETS REMAIN VALID

Unity Tours brings Joel Hoekstra and Brandon Gibbs acoustic tour to the UK and Ireland beginning April 11 through April 23, 2023 performing 12 shows at various venues. Joel Hoekstra is best known as the guitarist for “Whitesnake” and “Trans Siberian Orchestra” along with a long list of other bands and projects he has worked with including Cher and Night Ranger. Impeccable guitar soloing and blazing riffs, Joel Hoekstra is without a doubt a guitar legend and one of top guitarists in the world. Brandon Gibbs is not only the front man for the super group “Devil City Angels” but also joined Poison in 2022 on the Def Leppard/Motley Crue Stadium Tour utilizing his searing voice on backup vocals. Brandon Gibbs is also known for his blues/rock style of guitar playing and his riveting songwriting. Joel Hoekstra and Brandon Gibbs duo is considered by many to be one of the best acoustic duos performing today. Expect a high energy show with blazing guitar riffs, storytelling, incredible vocal harmonies and a song selection of music from bands they have each been a part of, originals and rock covers making this a must-see show!

This is a 14+ event. 14 and 15 year old’s MUST be accompanied by an adult.

Upcoming events

HARM’S WAY

DROPOUT KINGS

PALM READER – THE FINAL TOUR | SOLD-OUT

Blackout Club

Camden Rocks Club

FEAR – CANCELLED

DEA MATRONA

KYLE FALCONER

THE CIMARONS

THE ICICLE WORKS

POPES OF CHILLITOWN

STIFF BIZKIT

Blackout Club – Camden Rocks Takeover

Camden Rocks Club – Camden Rocks Fest Takeover

THE DREADNOUGHTS

HANDSOME DICK MANITOBA

SMELLS LIKE NIRVANA UK

COMBICHRIST

SMOKING POPES

TROBAR DE MORTE

‘Never Forget Your Own’ in Memory of Zach Scott.

WISP | SOLD-OUT

KID BRUNSWICK

THE WYTCHES

THE OBSESSED

INFECTED RAIN

101% PANTERA

THE ANDY MCCOY BAND | CANCELLED

BLAZE BAYLEY

THE SLACKERS

LAURAN HIBBERD

BELZEBONG // MARS RED SKY // WEEDPECKER

CALL ME AMOUR

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS – SHOW MOVED

MÖTLEY CRÜDE

IN SEARCH OF SUN

THE KING BLUES | SOLD-OUT

HOUSE OF PROTECTION

SOPHIE LLOYD | SOLD-OUT

KINGS OF THRASH

THE DELTA BOMBERS

INTER ARMA & MIZMOR

DZ DEATHRAYS

PAUL DI’ANNO

DELILAH BON

GILBY CLARKE

6ARELYHUMAN

SUTCLIFFE NO MORE // ALT TV // BRIGHTER DEATH NOW

ORPHANED LAND

THE MENZINGERS | SOLD-OUT

KINGDOM OF MADNESS

THE HOME TEAM | SOLD OUT

LAWNMOWER DETH

TYLA’S DOGS D’AMOUR

JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE

KRAWALLBRÜDER

Carl Palmer

October 21st.

Joel Hoekstra and Brandon Gibbs

September 29, 2024

About the Artist

Whitesnake’s Joel Hoekstra and Devil City Angels’ Brandon Gibbs have joined forces to form a powerhouse acoustic duo, playing limited dates in between working with their many other successful projects. Their live duo performances are intimate and high-energy, featuring a wide variety of material from bands that each has been a part of, along with innovative, original music and great stories from their respective careers. These two's energy and stage presence make this a "must-see" show. Their mix of song choices leaves the audience begging for more, as there is something for everyone. Both Brandon and Joel have a long history of bands they have either been a part of or performed with, including Whitesnake, Devil City Angels, Poison, Night Ranger, Cher, and Trans Siberian Orchestra, to name only a few. While this show has an intimate vibe, don't let that fool you; the sound is more significant than ever, with these two guitar extraordinaires bringing it home every show!

All About The Rock

Joel Hoekstra and Brandon Gibbs – Bannermans – Edinburgh – 11th April 2023

Back into the Scottish capital for an acoustic heavyweight set from Joel Hoekstra (Nightranger) and Brandon Gibbs (Cheap Thrill, Devil City Angels). 

Edinburgh is the 1st stop of this UK and Ireland tour and what an opening night it was too. The sound was fabulous and the crowd was ravenous. The setlist was garnished with absolute belters from Brandon Gibbs albums and Joel Hoekstra’s 13  records. There were so many highlights from the show. But the biggest one was the acoustic guitar solo from Joel Hoekstra. It’s no wonder this guy was chosen to play for Whitesnake, Cher, and The Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The audience was in fine voice and lifted the roof off Bannermans especially when Brandon and Joel broke out  Every Rose Has It’s Thorn by Poison, The Doors, Love Me Two Times and the Whitesnake standard Is This Love. It was incredible. 

Brandons vocal is outrageous. So much power and passion. It’s easy to see why Poison gave him a call to cover for Brett Michaels on their stadium tour for a few shows. 

After rattling through track after track of classic tunes from both artists’ repertoire they finished with a tremendous version of the Whitesnake classic Here I Go Again, Joel and Brandon left the stage to rapturous applause. 

Joel and Brandon are 2 guys that love what they do and have been screwing around with each other for the past 6 years. The acoustic gigs showcase these outstanding musicians perfectly. 

The support acts were top-notch as well.  Mario and Markie Morávková were firmly out of their comfort zone as a stripped-back duo. Taking tracks from Aliah Temporah s albums Prismatic and Dragonfly Effect as well as tracks from Marios The Darkstar Calling album. I look forward to seeing Markie and Mario back with their full band but I certainly wouldn’t hesitate in seeing them acoustically again. I literally had shivers from her voice

Having recently just heard the album The Abandoned Parade from The Mariana Hollow I was intrigued to see how such a hard-hitting album would be transposed acoustically. Turns out it’s really well. Admittedly it was a full band with just the guitars being acoustic, they were still stripped back and sounded great. Fingers crossed a few acoustic tracks will be recorded live as they’re so good. 

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Joel Hoekstra tour dates 2024

Joel Hoekstra is currently touring across 1 country and has 2 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, after that they'll be at Iridium in New York (NYC).

Currently touring across

Upcoming concerts (2) See nearest concert

Mountain Music Festival

Past concerts

Upstairs At Whelans

Diamond Rock Club

The Music Room

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Joel Hoekstra and Brandon Gibbs Bring their Acoustic show to UK and Ireland

Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Trans Siberian orchestra) and Brandon Gibbs (Devil City Angels, vocal work for Poison) are bringing their acoustic show over to the UK and Ireland in April 2023!

The UK and Ireland tour is an exceptional high energy affair that features the inimitable musical skills of both, interspersed with tales from their respective careers and one or two surprises. This is a highly interactive show and has been a fan favourite since its inception. Expect well known hits from their extensive band history along with covers from some of the rock royalty that has influenced their musical careers.

Smaller venues have been carefully selected to add to the ambience and laid back vibe, so tickets will be likely to sell quickly.   Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to get up close and personal with Hoekstra/Gibbs, and be a part of this original and innovative show.

England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland….get ready

Ticket Link; www.wegottickets.com/event/56618 4

Event Page; www.facebook.com/events/1200563357560955

One of the best acoustic duos you will ever see!!

Hoekstra/Gibbs Joel Hoekstra Brandon Gibbs Music Predominate Entertainment LLC

Website; www.joelhoekstra.com

Website; www.brandongibbsmusic.com

Facebook; www.facebook.com/JoelHoekstraandBrandonGibbs

Facebook; www.facebook.com/JoelHoekstra13

Facebook; www.facebook.com/bgibbsmusic

Full announcement coming soon!

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Joel Hoekstra And Brandon Gibbs On Friendship, UK Tour & Career Highs

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Interview by Victoria Llewelyn

JOEL HOEKSTRA AND BRANDON GIBBS DISCUSS THEIR FRIENDSHIP, THE UPCOMING UK SONGS-AND-STORIES TOUR, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE CAREERS WITH SOME OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST ROCK BANDS.

Although conceived fairly recently, the Hoekstra-Gibbs duo acoustic shows have blossomed into a particularly special experience, both sharing a wealth of material from the bands they’ve played in over the years and adding their own characteristic touches to bring a new life to some familiar classics.   Combined with tales from the road, the show is soon to reach the UK to be performed in specially chosen small, independent music venues and is sure to delight fans across the country.

  MGM: Joel Hoekstra and Brandon Gibbs, you have such incredible careers behind you in the music industry – Joel, we saw you last year touring the UK with Whitesnake, and Brandon, you’ve been equally busy having joined Poison on their 2022 stadium tour with Def Leppard and Motley Crue as a vocalist. Alongside all this you’ve constructed this beautiful ‘tales by the fireside’ type tour of acoustic songs and stories from your lives in music. Targeted at small venues for an up close and personal experience with the audience, how did this come about, and did you expect it to be such a popular event?

  JH: We’re both Iowa boys, I was born there but I’m currently in New York City, and Brendan is in Iowa now. Maybe that’s one of the reasons we get on so well! People have the impression we’ve known each other all our lives but we actually met each other on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise six years ago.

BG: One of the guys that organizes that cruise had paired us up together to do a meet and greet, where the fans could jump off the boat for a day. Great White were doing one also, Joel and I did this together and I hadn’t met him before. I knew all about him. I wanted to meet him, and then I got the slip under my door – ‘This is what your itinerary is today’. We went to do the meet and greet, and they just so happened to have a Devil City Angels record playing, so I was like, yeah, that’s some of what I do! We traded numbers, and once the cruise was over, a promoter actually asked us if we would think about doing acoustic shows together, and we just started doing them. And here we are, maybe six years later.

JH: It started out kind of casually. Brandon asked me if I would be up for doing it, and I’m usually up for anything that’ll make me better as a musician, as long as I enjoy the people I’m working with. Anything that provides me with real world opportunities to get better at music, not just practicing scales at home or things like that.

We did great, and I enjoyed the shows. We have a nice, cool, casual thing that clicks! We can go out, and it’s just the two of us with no crew, no band, and we get on great, and the shows have a cool chemistry because of that.

The shows are this wonderful mashup of Brandon’s experience with Poison and Devil City Angels, Brandon’s solo music and my solo music, and of course, some Whitesnake, because of my history and involvement with the band, and then some covers that we both dig. We each play some solos. You get this cool mix of storytelling with acoustic playing to songs that are more artistic driven, and important to us.

BG: We’ve spent a lot of time together, especially on this last run, we did nine shows in a row. Like Joel said earlier, we don’t take out a crew. We usually have a merchandise manager somewhere, but we don’t take out a crew, so we’re very hands on with our instruments. We’re changing strings in the hotel room, telling jokes. I have a great time. We’re both dads, so we have that in common. And of course, our love for the guitar. And we have a lot of mutual friends, so we could talk right up until we go on stage.

JH: We started off really casual about these shows, and they have picked up momentum; we never pushed them but all of a sudden more people started showing up. There’s been more demand for it. I think people are starting to see it as something that we do, we each do, and our fan bases are wanting to see it, and the next thing, it’s going international. It’s very exciting. We’re taking it around the world now. I don’t think either one of us would have thought we’d be coming to the UK and Ireland, and to know that tickets are selling, and people are eager to see the show, that’s thrilling.

MGM: How would you describe these shows and what are your feelings about how different they are from that which you’re usually known for?

 JH: The vibe of the show is like sitting in a living room with two guys, they are intimate and cool; it’s not meant to be some grandiose rock show with smoke and pyro and all that kind of stuff. It gives people an opportunity to hear us banter between songs. You usually get to hang out with us and meet us also. This has all been very organic, nothing has been forced, it has grown by itself. It’s going to be exciting to tour the UK in such a manner for me, because I’m used to the big venues with Whitesnake and such, and that’s wonderful. I love that, but it’s also cool to really connect with the people that come; these are, like the real fans, the people that really are into us and follow our music. These are the people that you want to spend time with and connect with. There are people that actually have our solo music, and want to get to know us a bit, so to have that opportunity to hang out, it’s a little bit more like every night’s a casual party, and Brandon and I are playing your party.

BG: I would say it’s like dinner and a movie with Brandon and Joel. We’re proud of the show we put on. Here’s an Iowa thing – ‘if you build it, they will come’. That’s what we did, and not really intentionally, we didn’t set out to do anything like this, we just lassoed the momentum, and we’re very grateful for that.

We didn’t expect to go overseas or have any of these plans, but this year it’s just opened up we’re blessed, and we’re going to run with it. We’re having a great time doing it and again, meeting people and hearing the stories of how they came across our music or shows that they’ve been to. And Joel is such a wonderful guitar player. I feel like I get a private lesson from him every single evening, so I’m getting better!

JH: It’s a microcosm of my entire career. I stay open to ideas and try to put the work in, try to do a good job, try to respect these gigs, respect the people that are showing up. I rehearse and work hard to make sure I know everything, and we try and give people the best show we can. That’s the way my entire career is working. Some things go like this and fade, and some things just go like this. You can find yourself doing some really cool things in music if you just put in the time and are willing to stay open minded to ideas.

MGM: In completely stripping back your on-stage personas, despite the warmth that must come with being close to your most dedicated fans, do you get a sense of vulnerability going out there as just yourselves with your guitars?

JH: There’s a lot to be said for the intimate show and it being acoustic, too, which strips it all the way back, takes a lot of the veil away. It comes down to asking yourself are you happy when you’re out there? Do you find yourself happy with the situation? And the answer, for me, has always been yes. With us, every single time I’ve gone out, I’ve come home and been like, you know what, I had a good time. It’s nice to just show up with a couple of acoustic guitars, do our thing, be able to feel more casual with the fans, it allows us to be more of ourselves than some of the more grandiose things that I do.

BG: I think Denzel Washington said – ‘Fail Big!’ We’re naked up there, but by God, we’re going to do it big. We’re going to fail big if we do, so we’re not scared.

MGM: We’re seeing a lot more of these smaller, acoustic shows in recent times, with performers such as John Corabi, Ted Poley and Kip Winger. Is this becoming the new trend for the recognised rock giants do you think, or is it because we’re all getting older and can’t stand for six hours in a packed stadium any more?

BG: At the end of the day, we’re songwriters and we’re blessed to work with great bands; Joel with Whitesnake and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, myself with Devil City Angels and Poison. I’ve got to run with those guys for quite some time. Sometimes it’s good to go back – this is about introducing who you are, about writing songs, and you don’t have the big hoopla. You’re basically hoping and praying that this group of people are going to love what you personally put out as an artist; in order to do that, you go back, you start again and that’s exciting. We started this project playing honestly, we played bars. We’re happy to do it, play bars. And the next year we’re doing some theatres and then a few years go by, and we get to come see you guys and play some wonderful places in the UK. I think maybe there’s a lot of us trying to find what our sound is and explore who we are along with these great blessings of playing with other bands. It’s kind of like being a kid again.

 I get to go introduce new music. I don’t know if it’s a trend or not or if people are trying to just explore what they have inside and haven’t been able to do before. Also, we finally have an opportunity to play our solo stuff as well as the stuff from the bands we’ve been with, to kind of go back to the drawing board.

A taste of what to expect

JH: It’s evolved organically, like the rest of the show. I don’t know that we’ve ever really discussed it. There’ll be times where I’ll chime in and just start talking to Brandon and he’ll be like, oh, Joel’s talking. The next show, he’ll probably know, oh, Joel might say that thing again before this song. Brandon has done far more acoustic solo shows than I have, and so he already has his flow. I’ve just found ways Tetris myself in there, to figure out, okay, how can I do that instead of his way and throw in a bit of my personality. I think that’s something that’s different for me, for a lot of fans that know me, they don’t ever get to hear me speak on the microphone between songs. I don’t do that with Whitesnake, I don’t do it with TSO. I didn’t really do it with Night Ranger, I never did it in Rock Of Ages. All these gigs that built my name and built my career are not necessarily things where people get to hear me talk at all. I get to sing lead here and there at these shows, and that’s something I don’t do anywhere else either. It’s showing a little bit of a different side, too.

Brandon is a far better storyteller than I am, he can talk a lot!

BG: That’s my problem. I talk too much! Before each song, I think to myself – all right, where was I at mentally when I started writing this song? And that’s usually the precursor to the song. I have an interesting background with my twin brother. We were in a band together and those memories of traveling around in a van before he went off to become a law enforcement officer, I have a song about, that I talk about. Sometimes we don’t rehearse this stuff, so you’ll catch me laughing a lot because Joel will say something that I hadn’t heard him say before or come up with a funny story. We learn a little bit more about each other each gig because it’s off the cuff, it’s from the heart.

MGM: You do play some very nice guitars between the two of you. Do they get their own tour bus and their own hotel room?

BG: I’ve been rolling with my Gibson J 180 custom for about six or seven years well, since the start of this project, really. I also have a Gibson L-4 cutaway that we use for a backup. Joel is with Taylor, is that right?

JH: Yeah. I’ve had a long-standing relationship with Taylor that really began with Jack Blades. Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw had a relationship with them, so when I joined Night Ranger, that became the introduction – the band basically works with Taylor, are you cool with that? I said – I’m cool with anybody that’ll give me the time of day. Who am I?

They’ve always been really cool to me. Tim Godwin over there has been awesome, and Robin Stout, they’ve had my back for many years. I’m taking a Builder Series out on this tour that I’ve been digging on. I could try and go with something a little thinner, but I like having a real acoustic guitar on me. Something about that I kind of cling to, I wouldn’t choose a Chad Atkins or something like that where there’s no sound hole. I like the feeling of actually playing an acoustic on these shows. It’s authentic, and as long as it plays well and I don’t feel like I’m compromising anything there, I can still pull off some virtuosity at times if I need to.

Brandon’s got more of a blues-like, soulful approach. Our styles, they complement each other nicely. We sound different from each other, but that’s the beauty of it. He’s great with the foundation rhythms on the majority of the songs and real solid; keeps the pulse of the song going. And I’m good with all the little fancy ornamentation around it, the higher chords and whatnot, to complement some of that. And, of course, he’s concentrating on singing lead the majority of the time, too, so our styles fit together really well.

MGM: When putting your set list together, how did you decide what you wanted to play? You include songs from your other bands, some covers, some solo material. Was there anything you particularly wanted to try out an acoustic version of, or play around with to see what you could come up with?

BG: We’re on it right now talking about that! We want to build the song list and maybe have some different things to pull from this year, but certainly some of the older stuff will be in for the UK. Sometimes it just comes down to cool covers that we might both like, too.

Taster number two

MGM: You seem as surprised as anyone at the unexpected success of these shows, so congratulations on scoring such a hit! What, for you, is the best thing about doing them?

BG: I’ll tell you, we truly weren’t expecting this, and because of the attention that this tour is getting in the UK, some of the shows in the United States are picking up. I just got a call today that one of our shows in Indiana was sold out, and it was close to being sold out the last time we were there, but now it’s sold out. I so want to thank you guys.

JH: These shows, they make me happy. You ask yourself – are you happy in a work situation or are you not happy in a work situation? I come away from all of this happy, feeling like, yeah, I had a good time, you know, and that’s what it’s all about. At the end of the day, you need to have a hole in your head to get into playing guitar if you want to get rich. I mean, there’s so many easier ways in life to get rich. So, at the end of the day, I’m in this because it’s what makes me happy. It’s in my soul to be a musician so long as I’m happy doing it, and that’s been the case.

BG: Anytime you can work with somebody that has a great attitude, it’s not work anymore. We try to wake up every day, get the coffee and give it another go, and we don’t try and recreate the show the same way. It’s just a natural thing. And that’s exciting, too. What’s going to come out of this show this evening? More laughs, more music, maybe some different riffs that we surprise ourselves with, what’s not to love? We get to travel the world and meet people like yourself and play what we feel like playing. That’s our reason.

Tickets for the Hoekstra/Gibbs UK shows are onsale now

https://www.songkick.com/artists/10250773-hoekstragibbs

Tour dates – April 2023

11 th – Bannermans, Edinburgh

12 th – Ivory Blacks, Glasgow

13 th – Underworld, London

14 th – Brickmakers, Norwich

15 th – The Music Room, Ipswich

16 th – The Patriot, Newport

18 th – The Station, Cannock

19 th – Trillians, Newcastle

20 th – Yardbirds, Grimsby

21 st – Whittles, Manchester

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JOEL HOEKSTRA And BRANDON GIBBS Announce Acoustic Duo Tour Dates

August 8, 2022, a year ago

news hard rock joel hoekstra brandon gibbs whitesnake devil city angels

Whitesnake's Joel Hoekstra and Devil City Angels' Brandon Gibbs will be hitting the road this fall with their "Campfire Tour" for a limited number of dates, beginning September 22 in Annapolis, MD.

This powerhouse acoustic duo doesn’t get the chance to tour together very often - as both Hoekstra and Gibbs are constantly in demand for other projects - so when they do, it's exceptional. Their live duo performances are both intimate and high-energy, featuring a wide variety of material from bands that each of them have been a part of, along with innovative original music, and great stories from their respective careers.

The energy and stage presence that radiates from these two make this a "must see" show. Their mix of song choices leaves the audience begging for more as there is literally something for everyone. Both Brandon and Joel have a long history of bands they have either been a part of or performed with, including Whitesnake, Devil City Angels, Poison, Night Ranger, Cher, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra to name only a few. While this show has an intimate vibe, the sound is bigger than ever with these two guitar extraordinaires bringing it home every show!

Joel Hoekstra & Brandon Gibbs - Campfire Tour dates are as follows:

September 22 - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head OnStage 23 - Vineland, NJ - The Landis Theater 24 - Pawling, NY - Daryl's House 25 - New Hope, PA - New Hope Winery 28 - Broad Brook, CT - Broad Brook Opera House 29 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall

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• May 1, 2023

Janelle's UK & Ireland Tour with Joel Hoekstra & Brandon Gibbs

I had the incredible opportunity to tour with Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Cher, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and Brandon Gibbs (Poison, Devil City Angels, Cheap Thrill) as their media manager for their April 2023 tour in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Hoekstra/Gibbs performed 12 shows in 13 days. We began in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished the tour in Dublin, Ireland. Czech Republic singer, Markéta Morávková from Alia Tempora joined the tour as the opener for all shows with her Mexico-based guitarist Mario Del Rio (also from the band The Darkstar Calling).

Check out my photo galleries on the Hoekstra/Gibbs' Facebook page HERE .

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“The Campfire Tour” with Joel Hoekstra & Brandon Gibbs

September 27, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm.

Joel Hoekstra -Guitarist (Whitesnake , Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and Brandon Gibbs- Guitarist, Vocalist-(Devil City Angels) will be at 89 North on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Doors at 7pm, Show at 8. Joel and Brandon bring you an exciting acoustic set, which has a cool-vibe feeling combined with an interactive show. They bring the best hits from groups they’ve worked with -Whitesnake, TSO, Cher, Night Ranger, Devil City Angels, Cheap Thrills and Special Guest of Poison, along with covers of those who have influenced them over the years. Its always a great show, as they include story-telling that goes along with the songs and the surprises they put in along the way. This show is a fan favorite and has limited runs due to both musicians busy schedules. This Long Island date will be the first that Joel and Brandon will play and it is sure to be a packed house! Great music, venue and an experience that leaves the audience wanting more. Joel and Brandon will also have a ” Meet and Greet” with fans after the show. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased on the 89 North site https://89northmusic.com/

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HOEKSTRA/GIBBS

Whitesnake’s  Joel Hoekstra  and Devil City Angels’  Brandon Gibbs  have joined forces to form a powerhouse acoustic duo, playing limited dates in between working with their many other successful projects. Their live duo performances are both intimate and high-energy, featuring a wide variety of material from bands that each of them have been a part of, along with innovative original music, and great stories from their respective careers.

HOEKSTRA/GIBBS LIVE @ Daryls House, NY

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