“Tamu Massif is an extinct submarine shield volcano located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.” (Source: Wikipedia.)  It’s also the stage name of Dave Dixon. Why? Because there’s already another Dave Dixon, an Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond tribute act (true story) and you wouldn’t want those two to get mixed up – right?

I came across Tamu Massif when he opened for Shakey Graves at his Berlin gig a little while back. Now Tamu is the proof that if you want to make music, these days you no longer need an empty garage, a bunch of instruments and a couple of high school outcasts. All it takes is a guitar, a bunch of effect pedals and a MacBook.

Surely, this is the future – producing your music at home, streaming it on your own website, being totally in control. However, it doesn’t always translate well to a live setting. Tamu Massif impressed with his vocals and British wit. However, the constant button-pushing and pedal-tapping got a bit annoying. I craved some real instruments. While he still managed to captivate the audience in a small club setting, if he wants to win over bigger festival crowds, he better start looking for some band mates.