Cigar Box Social

Howlin’ Mat is a BLUES musician who has performed everywhere from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara Desert. He performs up to 200 shows a year and his escapades include him opening for the Happy Mondays, spending an evening with Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones on an Island 130 miles inside the Arctic Circle in the middle of winter and having a birthday party being thrown by a notorious biker gang.

Armed with his guitars and a slide on his finger, Mat follows in the footsteps of his musical heroes such as Mississippi Fred McDowell and Muddy Waters and onstage he combines his musical talents with hilarious tales of his time on the road.

The blues has made a deep and everlasting impression on Mat’s life.

Mat recalled: “Elmore James – Dust My Broom was the first blues track I heard. I had never heard anything like it in my life – the hairs on my arms stood up and I was hooked.”

In addition to his admiration for other blues legends such as John Lee Hooker and Hound Dog Taylor, Mat’s style is as much developed from the trance-like style of Mississippi Hill Country players – particularly R L Burnside. He added: “As I have grown older, hypnotic rhythms have taken precedence over flashy guitar playing. The music of the North Mississippi Hill Country is the coolest of all the blues forms and R. L is the daddy of it all.”

Mat’s been touring for 17 years now. His great guitar playing and singing combined with his sense of humour and storytelling make his shows a unique experience that truly entertains audiences worldwide.

Workshop: Make your own Cigar Box Guitar

Mat was introduced to the Cigar Box Guitar very early on in his playing career and fell in love instantly. As with every devotee of the CBG, it wasn’t long before he started to make his own cigar box guitars. Coming from a teaching background, this naturally led to the occasional workshop.

In 2023, the Cigar Box Social was born with the express intention of introducing these amazing instruments to the wider population. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength.