Flash

Peter “Flash” Sheedy with VH-WJZ @ YGDH 16/8/2023

Most of us in the arts instinctively link to their inspirations, but I’m lucky enough to hang around with one of my true heroes. Peter “Flash” Sheedy, a legend in the roots-rock, blues and country scenes for around six decades is pure old-school brilliance and know-how. For me, he straddles that line between my depression-era parents and Gen Xer’s like myself - when something needed doing, you figured out how and then ran with it. Flash is a peerless musician, producer and engineer. He built his studios, his guitars, his FX - he innovated his own way towards his own artistic goals. SheedySonic, Angelwood, the Sheedy Brothers, Johnny Greens Blues Cowboys, the John Davis 4 and many other identities link directly to Flash. My brother told me about him years before we actually met - the lashing of his steel guitar with the amp lead, or his hilarious stretchy guitar straps. We share a love of classic technology and science. Lately that took a wonderful step upwards, literally, when I finally made good on my years old pledge to take him flying. When we’re up there, he says “you love this, don’t you?” His instrumental guitar playing is perfectly honed, where every note shimmers like a jewel. He makes it all seem like a magic trick. He can take you right back to being a kid, when it really was all magic. Knowing Flash helps me keep track of what matters. When imagination and inspiration take off, artifice is left behind. I thank him for that.

This short documentary is really worth a look - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBQPKJrYrv0