English virtuoso guitarist Guthrie Govan performed in the Central Audi on Day One of Oasis, for the English Prof Show. The show was met with near unanimous acclaim, and the audience in the jam-packed auditorium found themselves completely spellbound by the artist’s performance.

The event began smoothly at around 9pm, as entry to the show remarkably began on time. Govan played some jazzy tunes as the audience filled in, and demonstrated his talent even before the concert formally began. Guthrie led with well known tracks from his band “The Aristocrats”, including “Bad Asteroid”, and his individual tracks like “Sevens”. The concert began with slower jazzy pieces, and gradually shifted to heavier rock pieces. Every piece, however, was technically complex and showcased the adeptness of the performing artists.

For his performance at Oasis, Govan played with bass player Mohini Dey and drummer Gino Banks. Each musician’s individual talent was commendable, to say the very least. Mohini Dey had a long solo section, characterised by skillful changes in pace. Gino Banks’ sequence followed soon after, and the drummer played unpredictable drum fills that always kept the crowd guessing.

In the end, it was the combination of the musical mastery and on-stage chemistry of the three artists that made the performance truly special. One particular highlight of the performance was Govan’s performance of “Furtive Jack”. Govan explained that the track was originally conceived as the soundtrack for a heist. Fittingly, the song featured high, sudden notes that perfectly captured the essence of a thief. Notably different from most conventional music was Guthrie’s innovative use of odd time signatures. This likely confused the few people up front looking to headbang their way through the entire concert, but the audience seemed to welcome the excitement of different rhythm structures.

In addition, Govan also consistently maintained a fun equation with the crowd. His guitar tracks were interlaid with joking comments about mosquitos, praise for India, and descriptions of the music that he played. Throughout the performance, he made sure to explain to the crowd what the upcoming music was going to be like, so even the inexperienced did not feel completely out of their depth. At one point, he even took a swig of “vitamin supplement” wink wink with one hand while simultaneously strumming out an exquisite guitar tune with the other.

As the concert picked up pace, the enthusiastic crowd only seemed to grow more energetic. Students stood on chairs to get a better glimpse of the performers, and the area in front of the stage was packed with people nodding and tapping along to the music.

Towards the middle of the concert, Guthrie brought in fusion elements, with a performance of his own “Erotic Cakes” mixed with Louis Banks’ song “Shiv Shakti” that Guthrie jokingly called “Exotic Cakes”. Mohini Dey also took time out of her bass guitar solo to sing a few classical Tals to the beat of Banks’ drums.

Throughout the concert, there were shouts of “Waves” from the crowd. Waves is one of Guthrie Govan’s most famous pieces, known for its advanced chorus which features a fast succession of notes. Guthrie reportedly composed this masterpiece, considered by some to be one of the greatest instrumental rock tracks ever, at the young age of 19. The crowd went wild when Guthrie finally played the opening notes for Waves as the penultimate track, and as expected, Guthrie delivered. For the final track, Gino got the crowd to raise their torches and sway their arms.

Overall, the performance was extremely well-received, both by those well-versed in rock, and by those who are not — generally a rarity for the Oasis English Prof Show.