Скачать или смотреть Nick Drake’s Actual Guitar – My First Time Playing “Black Eyed Dog” | FolkEast 2025

Over the weekend at FolkEast Festival 2025, I was given the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play Nick Drake’s Martin 000-28, the guitar he used to record his final four songs, including Black Eyed Dog.

I’ve been listening to Nick Drake since I was 17. I’m 48 now. To suddenly find myself holding that guitar — the one that has soundtracked so much of my life — was almost overwhelming. It’s hard to put that feeling into words.

I wasn’t prepared at all. I sat outside in the sunshine, looked up the tuning Nick used for Black Eyed Dog, and had about twenty minutes to work something out. Then, in front of around 200 people at the Second Cousins Exhibition, I took the guitar on stage and gave it a shot.

At first I couldn’t quite feel the song. Then I realised he must have played it at the 12th fret. Suddenly the guitar revealed its secrets, and that distinctive Nick Drake sound filled the room. The audience went quiet instantly.

It wasn’t note-perfect, but it was electrifying — and surreal. I think I did OK given the circumstances!

Huge thanks to Cally Callomon, who looks after the Nick Drake Estate, for bringing along not just the guitar, but also the multicoloured shawl fans will remember from those iconic woodland photos. I was stunned.

If you’re a Nick Drake fan, let me know in the comments what this guitar and his music mean to you.