The Adelaide International Guitar Festival returns to the Festival Centre in Adelaide from the 29th of November until the 7th of December 2008. Glancing over the line-up and the concerts planned, has caused my heart to race and had me reaching for the phone to book my accommodation and flights. I am locked in for the week and you should look at getting you and your guitar and your friends down for 10 days of amazing artists and gigs.

Last year we had Jorma Kaukonen and Jeff Lang as artists in residence and performances by Bob Brozman, Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Anne McCue, Ernest Ranglin Dave Hole, Luther and Cody Dickinson and many others. It was a marvellous inaugural event. Now we have round 2 of the only International Guitar festival on this continent and it looks to be another splendid time in the city of churches.

Rolling Stone rated Derek Trucks as one of the top 100 guitarists (and the youngest, now all of 29 years young) of all time and if you saw him join Eric Clapton last year you now know why. Coming exclusively to Adelaide for the festival will be The Derek Trucks Band and this should be something that any guitar loving person should not miss.

The Derek Trucks Band is a fantastic amalgamation of musicians and it will be a jaw dropping presentation of their professionalism, ability to jam and interaction when they perform live. Derek has been on the road this year with Clapton, Santana and the great sounding Soul Stew Review which combines members of The Derek Trucks Band, his wife Susan Tedeschi, a horn section and his younger brother Duane Trucks on drums. How does he keep all of this together and make it real with a family (2 young children) and a band that has been together for over a decade now?

Derek said, “I’ve been fortunate that the other projects I have been involved in I fully believe in. So, it is not like you are out on the road and you are phoning it in. I really bring a part of what I do to the table and it makes it a hell of a lot more fulfilling. Then, when you get back to your own project, it only feeds it. Something like the Clapton tour it was a great ability to get exposed to an audience that might take me twenty years to make happen. It can be tough, we have a band where the core has been together 14 or 15 years and when I run off and do other things it leaves many things in limbo. I have been fortunate that everyone is continuing to think long-term and not jump ship when they get sick of it at all.”

And one other project Derek has been involved with since he was about 14 is as a member of The Allman Brothers Band. Within that band you now have two of the top 100 guitarists of all-time, where Derek is joined by the exceptional Warren Haynes. Maybe the festival organizers can short-list Warren for next year (wink-wink!).

Besides the aforementioned coup for the Adelaide International Guitar Festival there are many other highlights over the 10 days besides the beauty of Adelaide.

The festival kicks off on the 29th of November with a free concert in Elder Park and an attempt to break the Guinness World Records Biggest Guitar Band record for Adelaide, this time to the tune of AC/DC’s seminal hit It’s A Long Way To The Top. Start honing your strumming skills and get ready to jam at 6.00pm with The Party Boys, featuring lead singer Swanee and 2008 Australia’s Got Talent winner Smokin’ Joe Robinson who will lead the crowd.

On Sunday 30 November Xavier Rudd will headline a world-class line-up of Roots performers from 7.30pm in Elder Park. He will be joined by Mia Dyson, Ash Grunwald, Rob Sawyer and The Mason Rack Band.

Two talented award winning songwriters and accomplished guitarists, Lior and Jesse Harris, perform some of their favourite compositions and songs on Tuesday 2 December in the Festival Theatre, with Jesse joined by a percussionist and Lior accompanied by a luscious string quartet.

Get a dose of the Blues on Wednesday 3 December in the Festival Theatre with three of the best – Backsliders, featuring Rob Hirst from Midnight Oil and the fabulous Dom Turner on guitar, a return performance by Australia’s premier Blues-woman Fiona Boyes and The Derek Trucks Band.

Elder Park plays host to the Rock concert on Friday 5 December from 7.30pm. Adrian Belew (USA), David Bowie’s guitarist of choice, headlines a stellar line-up of Australia’s leading guitar-driven rock acts. Fans get ready *to rock out to the awesome sounds of Grinspoon, SHIHAD and Magic Dirt. Adrian is a current member of seminal act King Crimson, alongside Robert Fripp, and has worked with a list of legends from the music business including Frank Zappa, Talking Heads, Paul Simon, Laurie Anderson and most recently, Nine Inch Nails.

Hang on to your hats Country music fans: Saturday 6 December sees five of Australia’s leading contemporary artists take to the stage in Elder Park. Join Troy Cassar-Daley, Peter Denahy, Sara Storer, Bill Chambers and Travis Sinclair for a night of country rock and bush ballads, suitable for all the family to enjoy.

Also on Saturday 6 December at 4.00pm, the Festival Theatre hosts a unique Bass concert featuring Steve Hunter, Al Slavik and Guy Pratt (UK) – possibly the most “in-demand” bass player in the world. Guy’s career includes stints with one of the most famous acts in music history – Pink Floyd – as well as recording with Madonna, Bryan Ferry, Robert Palmer and Michael Jackson. Guy spent some of his formative years in Australia as bass player with Icehouse and supported David Bowie on his legendary 1983 world tour.

The festival finalé on Sunday 7 December in Elder Park is a tribute to a much-loved music icon. This year we honour the career of Australia’s own AC/DC with a night of high voltage rock’n’roll. It is the first time a concert of this nature has been staged in Adelaide and brings together a long list of household names who will showcase their versions of their favourite AC/DC tracks. Original members Mark Evans (bass) and Dave Evans (vocals) are also joining the line-up. The Hoodoo Gurus head the list and take to the stage alongside Angry Anderson, The Party Boys (including Kevin Borich, Swanee, Paul Christie, Rob Riley, Buzz Bidstrup, Vince Lovegrove and others), Jimmy Little, Stevie Wright (The Easybeats), SHIHAD, Adrian Belew, Adalita Srsen (Magic Dirt), Slava & Leonard Grigoryan, Troy Cassar-Daley & Sara Storer (as a duo), Backsliders and many, many more.

The ever popular Jim Beam Wah-Bar is back for late night entertainment during the festival. The Derek Trucks Band and Guy Pratt will perform their own shows as part of this series. On Tuesday 2 December, Rolling Stone Magazine will play host to a showcase of Australia’s best new players from around Australia, so come along & support them before they become famous!

There is a also a full program of workshops, artist talks and panel discussions which are all free admission. These workshops and discussions were remarkable last year.

To keep up to date with Guitar Festival news, exciting competitions and “early-bird” ticket offers, visit the web site and subscribe to Twang! the official monthly e-newsletter. Get your guitar, your friends and family and come to Adelaide for a one of the premier guitar festivals on the planet. See you there!