Didgeridoos for lunch

By Samantha Bayard

baya0004@algonquincollege.com

An unexpected and unique one-man show got a warm reception from a full lunch-hour crowd at The Observatory on Sept. 24.

Shane Philip travelled all the way from his home town of Porter Island, B.C. for his first ever concert at Algonquin.

Philip mastered homemade guitars and didgeridoos and African instruments like an Aslatua from Ghana made from gourds with seeds inside. He also utilized an onslaught of drums like a djembe, a West African hand drum with a more contemporary drum kit. His combination of music makers pleased a crowd in a free show at 1 p.m.

“As soon as I heard his unique music I was hooked,” said Sean O’Keefe a fellow drummer and first-year computer science student. “It’s amazing how he can operate six things at once.”

About his blended and sometimes bellowing sound, Philip said “it comes from the heart.” He described his house as just on the ocean near the mountains surrounded by hiking trails and eccentric people with alternative lifestyles. Like any person he said he feels influenced by his surroundings.

Philip has been a professional musician for three years, but it has been a hobby all his life. Although Liam Kendall, a second year graphic design student, described Philip’s didgeridoo music as “beauty on the ear drums” Philip has only been playing the didgeridoo for five years. He started out with the guitar and drums.

He was encouraged to visit Algonquin by his long-time booking agent and after his performance he said he would love to come back.  He feels college students are the “right age group and demographic.” He explained for a younger college crowd, “I try to rip it up as much as I can”

This was Philip’s third time in Ontario but he has travelled throughout Canada and is travelling to California this winter. “I want to expand my territory.” Though he has done little work outside of Canada, he has gotten a lot of positive feedback from Australians and New Zealanders who live and work in Whistler, B.C.

He stopped by Ottawa before some Quebec shows and then remained in the region until Oct. 3 when he headed back to B.C.