THE Irishman who taught Ed Sheeran how to use a loop pedal has spoken out after Sheeran was accused of not playing live at Glastonbury.
Viewers watching the festival had questioned whether the artist, whose Irish roots lie in Derry and Wexford, was playing live after his guitar riff could still be heard after he stopped playing.
Taking to Twitter earlier this week Sheeran explained he had used a loop pedal, and had not used a backing track.
Gary Dunne, Arts Director at the London Irish Centre in Camden, told The Irish Post that he had taught Sheeran to use a loop pedal after he met Sheeran as a 14-year-old when he played a set at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in the early 2000s.
"Ed's dad emailed me a few days later and said Ed saw me at the gig and loved what I was doing and would I come and play his 15th birthday," he said.
"I arrived up in Framingham, Suffolk, and himself and his dad collected me at the station.
"I played his birthday and we just got to know each other and I taught him how to do the looping.
"Sure little did I know he was going to become the biggest star in the world," added Mr Dunne, who is oringally from Co. Laois.
Here's meself and #Ed Sheeran after giving him his first looping lesson.
DEEP pride. pic.twitter.com/HrYuyFU52L— Gary Dunne (@GaryDunne) June 25, 2017
A loop station is a small recording machine that allows an artist to plug an instrument or voice into the machine, and instantly record a 'loop' which can then be played back straight away.
Mr Dunne explains: "Ed has a bunch of pedals at this feet and he presses a button, plays guitar and the little machine records what he plays and loops back when he pushes the button again.
"So he puts down one loop, and then records more and more loops on top of that.
Here's the background. Lots asking. pic.twitter.com/hhPrz2YwAD
— Gary Dunne (@GaryDunne) June 25, 2017
"There is no other artist that I can think of who can get up on his own and headline Glastonbury, 26-year-old guy, getting up on his own, singing his own songs and rocking I don't know how many thousands of people, it's incredible.
"Then add to that live looping, that he's crafting and recording the whole thing live - it's just next level, it's incredible," he said.
"When I was watching Glastonbury the other night, I was just so proud of him. I remember the 14 year old kid who was knocking around in his bedroom so to see him headlining the pyramid stage, on his own, with a little acoustic guitar and I just thought wow, that's incredible.
"It's absolutely insane, there is no other artist in the world that could do what Ed does."
