TOM KORNI
Reviews
Bedford’s own star starts to go supernova.
October 11th, 2018
If you haven’t seen Tom Korni, aka ‘One Boy Band’, then you’ve missed out. Because I predict that, one day, anyone who gave him a gig at the outset of his career will find that their venue is forever compared to Liverpool’s Cavern Club where Tom’s lookalike John Lennon kicked off his career.
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And, in all seriousness, you need to be seeing Tom Korni soon before you can’t afford a seat. Or even to stand and watch. Yes he IS that good. Better.
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Tom’s still just 20 but he’d been pounding the streets as a busker for years before he got to play gigs including Bestival, The Stables in Milton Keynes and at The Troxy in London. He’s even supported Slade, Heather Small and Alexander O’Neal.
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The reason why Tom uses the moniker ‘One Boy Band’ is because he accompanies himself. As if singing and playing the guitar brilliantly isn’t enough to keep him entirely occupied, he manages to play percussion too and thus generates a better sound than many seasoned and successful bands can, on his own, without resorting to using loop pedals, drum machines, an auto-tuner or backing tracks. So everything you hear is completely live, spontaneous, and vintage Tom Korni.
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Let’s put that in context. Julius Caesar, famous for multitasking, could simultaneously read, write, issue orders and ride a horse. Tom Korni’s brand of dexterity makes the legendary Roman general look like a fumbling buffoon. Quite how Tom manages this is unclear, but his brain must be wired rather oddly and (in deference to his lovely parents, who I’ve met) he simply isn’t normal. (The only other musician I’ve seen who can do anything like this is the American harpist Joanna Newsom, who can play different tunes simultaneously. Maybe homo sapiens are taking a giant leap forward with such capacities.)
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Tom happens to be a dead ringer for John Lennon. That’s something he is happy to exploit because he is a huge fan of The Beatles, Slade, Oasis and other illustrious predecessors. So he loves to belt out covers of their hits. Yet Tom is composing his own work and one senses that it’s only a matter of time before he comes up with the hit which will start to transform his life and the lives of those around him.
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But there is even more to Tom than his music. In an era when so many stars are arrogant and ill-bred, he’s modest to a fault and has developed an endearing line of intelligent patter with his audience. So I can quite imagine him being a regular on talk-shows and the like, but a regular that nobody will have to beep out.
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He’s playing gigs now in the area. One on Saturday 13th October 2018 is at The Chequers in Westoning (I understand they do good food there and there’s a beer festival too, but don’t quote me on that please).
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Other details of gigs and more (how long before he’s signed up?) are at Tom’s own website at www.tomkorni.com.
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One last thing. He’s been spotted by a potential sponsor, an instrument manufacturer. So there may be an announcement soon about that. But what I do know is that it is, if it happens, likely to give the lad a worldwide audience. And sadly that means your chances of seeing him play here in Bedford will decline.
Having said that, he’s likely to always return here. In triumph. So get ready to open a ‘Tom Korni Tearoom’, to operate tours of his old homes, sell T-shirts bearing his image and more. If you went to school with him start writing the memoirs now. I could be wrong. But I have never made a prediction with more conviction. Tom Korni is arriving. But it will be a case of ‘Hello I must be going’. The world awaits him and, sorry to say, Bedford will have to wait in line to share him. - Bedford Buzz, Paul Dunwell
Top 5 Favourite Festival Moments
Sept 12, 2015
Rob da Bank's flagship festival always offers up innumerable highlights. From the music to all the bits in between, it's a glorious festival full of character in a truly laid back atmosphere that belies the size it is.
With the likes of Missy Elliot, Skrillex, Underworld, Duran Duran, Tame Impala and a wicked unannounced turn from party hip hop icons House Of Pain, the main stage packed a serious punch, but the gig that's stuck with us happened well away from the spotlight, and came from 17 year old one man band Tom Korni.
With no loop pedals, backing tracks, drum machines, and certainly no autotune, the wunderkind set about covering some of the most timeless pop classics, from The Beatles to Pink Floyd, via Oasis and Arctic Monkeys in a way we've never seen before.
As a display of technical ability, it was mesmerising, but it was his audience engagement, and the glowing crowd approval that he courted like a rising star that made us wonder just how long he's going to remain in relative obscurity - we're guessing not long at all.
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Skiddle
Read the rest of the article here: https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Five-of-our-Favourite-Festival-Moments/26492/
The Troxy - London
25th October 2014
Don't be fooled by the age of this fine, young musician. Though a mere 16 years of age, Tom Korni's performance exuded a confident maturity well beyond his years. Not only is his act unique and amazing to listen to, but is also fascinating to watch, since this young talent can play multiple instruments all at the same time!
Tom was a pleasure to work with, ensuring every client request was met, with a versatility that saw him cater for all age ranges covering songs from "Mr Bo Jangles", and The Beatles right through to the latest chart hits, including songs by Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran all delivered with added twists of his own.
Having read previous reviews, I can only concur with the glowing comments of others and would further add that if you were considering booking this young, upcoming talent, then don't hang around - he's going to be huge!
This vast award winning venue, which hosts the NME Awards and major music events did not faze him at all and we would not hesitate to rebook him in the future.
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Wedding and Events Manager
British Grand Prix 2014 - Silverstone F1
5th July 2014
Tom Korni played at one of the main campsites at Silverstone for an event hosted by The Event People LTD. Having been asked to play on very short notice, the fact he ended up performing over two nights is testimony to this young man's incredible talent in itself.
Although the Thursday night crowd was rather small, Tom quickly captivated the attention of every single person there, while the excellence of his performance also drew in every passer by. In recognition of such an enthusiastic reception, we invited Tom to return on Saturday night as our support act for the main band.
However, following rave crowd reaction after Tom's first set of the night, we felt compelled to switch things around making Tom our headline act! His final set was nothing short of incredible and he had the entire crowd eating out of his hand, completely hanging on each and every word sung through an entertainingly diverse programme from The Monkees to Green Day and everything in between!
There must have been an audience of around 600 people for his final set and the atmosphere within the tent was like that of a concert.
The sky really is the limit for this young man, who is not only a natural talent but also a pleasure to speak to and work with.
I have no better endorsement of this rising star than to back up my own enthusiasm by confirming I booked him in for the Silverstone Classics on Saturday 26th July and am certain he will also be here again for The Moto GP in August! With the reaction he got at this years BGP, I will be sure to ask him to return for this also!
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Simon Tyler
Stole The Show - Mind Charity event in Kettering
15th March 2014
Tom performed completely free for charity last night and remains on the lips of everyone audience member. An incredible, multi talented young man and superb musician, he demonstrated his capability for playing several instruments (at the same time!), as well as impressing listeners with his extensive vocal range and a pitch perfect voice.
Tom's covers of songs by The Beatles, Mumford & Sons and a McFly medley especially, warranted a delay in proceedings as audience members insisted on Tom performing for a second time during the night.
Soon to be fully devoted Tom Korni fans of varying ages stood to applaud both performances. Tom created a lively and light hearted atmosphere and not only were the audience members impressed, special mention was given to Tom during other band's performances.
Tom engaged with the audience throughout both performances showing confidence and charisma, and maturity far beyond his years. His cover of LMFAO also showed his ability interpret and put his own personal style on a song and create a great full sound without any backing music. This followed a selection of difficult covers highlighting his technical prowess on the guitar.
In short, Tom's performance proves him worthy of the distinction of 'Headlining Act' at any event!
Event Organiser