VIRTUOSO guitarist Jon Gomm has been entertaining acoustic fans in Huddersfield for many years.

The son of a music critic, Gomm’s talents were honed through one-on-one lessons with blues legends like Walter Trout and Bob Brozman, who would stay at his father’s house on the proviso he was given some tips.

Having served his apprenticeship at dimly lit pubs and clubs across the north, the Blackpool-born musician’s revolutionary style started to attract attention from further afield.

A large amount of the fervour surrounded his guitar tapping technique, which sees him use his acoustic guitar to create drum sounds, basslines and twisting melodies all at the same time.

With no mainstream support he began posting his tunes on YouTube and quickly built a cult following across the world.

His home-recorded debut album, Hypertension, sold over 10,000 copies with no industry backing and the next one, Don’t Panic, sold out on Amazon within five days.

The Leeds-based musician has also been given a big boost thanks to a one-word message from prominent Tweeter Stephen Fry, which simply said, “wow’’.

The comedian, who has almost 4m people following his tweets, was so impressed by Jon’s distinctive guitar technique that he posted a link to his latest single, Passionflower.

Four months on from the celebrity endorsement, Gomm has been on tour to Australia, appeared on television across Europe and has found his CDs stocked in stores from Germany to Japan.

Now, despite his new found fame, he his heading back to his familiar Huddersfield haunt, Bar 1:22.

WoW caught up with the 35-year-old shortly after he landed from his Antipodean adventures.

Wow: You’re well known to Huddersfield folk so how does it feel to be coming back as an internationally renowned artist?

Jon: It makes no difference to me, nor to all the lovely people who’ve been coming to see me play in Huddersfield for years.

I played here last year, I’m playing the same venue this year.

A few more people have heard of me but what’s most likely to happen is that they won’t get in to the venue! I think it sold out last year.

Wow: When Stephen Fry tweeted your video did you have any idea it would boost your career?

Jon: Sure, it’s bound to make a difference, but he was really just one of many tweeters, facebookers and whatever-elsers just sharing my music with others, and their contribution is just as important as when a celebrity mentions me.

Much more important in fact, because they are the people who will come to my gigs.

Wow: What’s been the highlights since that moment?

Jon: Well I’ve been on national TV, in fact in several countries! But the highlights are just touring, playing, and meeting new people – that’s the good stuff.

Wow: What are you looking forward to now?

Jon: I’ve got loads more international touring to do this year. Poland is next, then Portugal, then Canada.

But I’m probably most looking forward to the UK tour this Autumn. It’s gonna be a lot of fun!

Wow: The guitar tapping thing is being done by a growing number of musicians (Rodrigo y Gabriela and Jake Morley). Are you claiming you did it first?

Jon: No, that’s a pretty funny question! I use styles of playing from lots of genres. My first guitar teacher was a flamenco guitarist, like Gabriela, and in that style guitar percussion is an old, traditional thing.

Whoever “did it first” is long, long dead. But I could invent a new way of playing right now, it’s not hard.

Nose tapping. You play with your nose. There you go.

Now make some music! That’s the only part that matters.

Jon Gomm plays Bar 1:22 on for a gig on May 24.