Matt Charles + Jens Skwirblies

Matt Charles:

Matt first played in Germany in 2006, where he was joined by legend Spencer Davis, for several Hamburg Gigs.
Later, he moved to Germany in 2008, played again with Spencer, two support Gigs for LAKE at Fabrik and Jimmy Cornett at Knust – along with many shows on the Reeperbahn and across northern Germany. Including many duo Gigs with great German musicians.
For about 10 years, until 2020, Matt performed his own Alt.Country/Blues/Rock songs every Monday night at Murphy’s in St. Pauli.
He then became a Lübeck local and looks forward to meeting some new listeners with friendly ears.

"Matt Charles, an overview by Petra Gheco" [former Booker, Nienburger Kulturwerk, DE] (Text Translated from German):
Sometimes it’s the stories that aren’t quite so good that bring something special (...) Mehr anzeigen to light. Sounds grow louder, words become more precise, smells become more intense, and the light falls at a different angle on the world around us. And that’s exactly when you see it.
Or you’re lucky enough to hear it. That’s more or less how the listener feels when hearing Matt Charles’ songs.
The Australian singer-songwriter from Hobart, Tasmania, often strays from the conventional paths of mainstream songwriting and ventures onto the thin ice of real life. With all its weak points. And yet, the joy of gliding across this ice remains palpable.

In fact, it is Matt Charles’ voice that explores and describes the extraordinary in all its highs and lows. With his unerring musicality, he fills every bar with passion and authenticity. His warm, powerful voice, instantly recognisable, strikes every note, no matter how hidden.
Meanwhile, his acoustic guitar playing is at times blues-rock-inspired and rhythm-driven, or provides a delicate accompaniment from the perfect background.

In the end, everything comes together perfectly:
emotional and driving songs whose melodies linger in your ears for a long time. Thanks to his unique voice – combined with honest and intelligent lyrics – they become a real experience. Once you’ve heard him, you inevitably wonder why you didn’t know him before.
Matt Charles is just as much a pronounced professional musician as he is a sovereign performer who seeks contact with the audience.
He likes to counteract what has just been played with a good dose of black Australian humour. Only to then take his audience back into a heartwarming, well-formulated love song or on the fast ride of a pithy blues rock.

A listening pleasure that has a long-lasting effect. A voice that is a bit addictive.

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Jens Skwirblies: born in the mid 60's in a small town close to Hamburg,
started playing the piano at the age of 6. Until the age of 13, his studies mainly included classical music, but starting to listen to Jon Lord of Deep Purple fame on the radio had
a huge impact on his musical inspiration and career.
After some early career success - Jens started piano lessons again with a well-known jazz pianist Rainer Schnelle (Eartha Kitt) and began studying Jazz- and Popmusik at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Hamburg in 1989.
Later that year he joined an audition for Ian Cussick's upcoming Tour - passed - and played 17 years as Ian's keyboardist. During
that time he took part in several CD and touring productions. In 2003 and 2004, Jens played a couple of concerts with Bobby Kimball (Toto) followed by an acoustic tour with Rolf Stahlhofen
(Soehne Mannheims) in 2006.

In 2007, Jens was the promoter of the „Summer Beach Festival“ in his
hometown, Eckernförde, headlined by Joe Cocker. The second „Summer Beach Festival“, again promoted by Jens, took place in 2009 with Nik Kershaw and Rod Stewart as headliners.
At the end of 2009, Jens switched back to keyboard playing again , joining the legendary German band „Lake“ - as a supporting act for Lynyrd Skynyrd's German tour leg in 2010 and sharing the same bill with Manfred Mann's Earthband and Foreigner in 2011. He prerecorded, mixed, mastered and co-produced a new Lake studio album „Wings of Freedom“in 2014 followed by a double live album „Live-Wings of Freedom Tour Spring 2014“.
At the beginning of 2016 Jens took the keyboard seat within the Santana tribute band „The Magic of Santana“ featuring original members of Santana - Alex Ligertwood (Santana vocals 1979 -1995) and Tony Lindsay (Santana vocals 1992 - 2015).
Jens joined British Rock Band „Barclay James Harvest“ as touring keyboardist & Bandmember in 2022. In 2024, Jens joined Hamburg based Udo Lindenberg Tribute Band „Udonaut & Die Paniker“ as keyboardist having musicians from the original „Panikorchester“ live on stage from time to time. Since 2024 Jens is also Musical Director of the Live House Band of Moderator York Lange’s (Stadium Announcer Soccer Team Holstein Kiel, RSH, Delta Radio) Talkshow „Wer Kommt, Der Kommt“ TV Recording YouTube. Weniger anzeigen