You’ve toured the world, played guitar in almost every continent and find it's become increasingly difficult to continue making a living in your own country. So, where do you go?

Phuket obviously. Colin ‘Illy’ Hill believes that there is no other place in the world that he would rather be.

There is no doubt that Thailand, and Phuket in particular, are fast emerging as the major ‘places to be’ in the greater Asia area. They are both proving to be the centre of attention for investors and leisure-seekers alike. More and more people come here every year from all corners of the globe. Phuket is a lot more cosmopolitan now than it was even five years ago, with many nationalities choosing the island as their permanent residence. It is not hard to see why.

Hill says: “Phuket has everything. The lifestyle, the weather and the work. It’s like Australia was ten or fifteen years ago. I’ve been almost everywhere and I’ve seen how different countries work. This is the centre of the world as far as I’m concerned”

He has certainly made it the cynosure of his world. He met his partner Supreya in Bangkok whilst touring and has now made Phuket his home. Supreya has also happily immersed herself in Phuket and is the sales manager of a very successful store selling candles.

Legislation, bureaucracy and Health & Safety have all taken their toll on performers in Australia. The rules have ruled out Live entertainment. Hill has no qualms about leaving. “I have to go back now and then for business reasons. But now, when I touch down in Brisbane I feel like a visitor”. After 35 years as a successful, internationally acclaimed guitarist he felt the move to Phuket was a necessary adjustment to make if he wanted to carry on doing what he enjoys most, which is playing Live. “I still want to be playing in 10 years time and this is the only place I know where I can possibly be doing that.”

Hill has been in Phuket 5 months now, and has already built up a formidable following. He plays 5 nights a week and does some guitar tuition when he has time. I once wrote an article on him saying: “Colin still pulls off some guitar work that leaves you weak-kneed and open mouthed. His solos on Still got the Blues and Cocaine (two very overdone songs normally) were master classes in variation, fluidity and composition. Cocaine especially was as if from someone who’d swallowed the textbook on guitar solos, absorbed it into their bloodstream and re-written it with added feeling and excitement. Guitar players beware, this man is seriously talented. Methinks a meeting with the Devil at a certain Crossroads has occurred.”

3 months on, I think I did him a disservice. He’s a lot more talented than that.

“Instead of me having to tour the world to play in front of different nationalities I find that now they all come here. Travelling is part and parcel of a working guitarist’s life and after 35 years it was beginning to lose its appeal. Now I can go home after a gig and sleep in my own bed every night. Here every night is a Saturday night. In Australia we would have one or two nights where people had a good time, here it is every night,” says Colin Hill.

Phuket also offers a lifestyle akin to that of Hill’s native Queensland. He now has time to indulge himself in his other great loves- kayaking and cycling.

“There really is nowhere like this,” he says excitedly. “Koh Samui is good but it doesn’t have the Andaman Sea. Phuket really does have everything that I need in life right now.” Living only yards from the sea it’s easy for him to walk his kayak down to the shoreline

“Not only does Phuket have all that, the Thai musicians that I have played with here are very talented and a joy to play with”.

The first time I saw Colin play was in Robert’s bar in Kata. I have seen most of the best guitarists in the world and had not felt such excitement in a very long time. In fact, the last time I had goose bumps like that was watching Stevie Ray Vaughan solo on Pride and Joy in London shortly before he was tragically killed. Colin has said previously that it was the excitement the he feels playing here that finally made his mind up about coming to Phuket.

“My ultimate aim is to have a venue somewhere, probably Kata or Karon, and play with a band made up completely of Thai musicians. I would also like to use the venue during the day to teach local kids how to play guitar. Have workshops, that sort of thing”. He is certainly qualified enough to do that. Hill has quite an enviable reputation as a guitar teacher too. His instructional DVDs sell all over the world.

“I can, and do, teach from absolute beginners to experienced guitarists although I would say though that my forte is helping experienced guitar players develop even more by looking at other aspects of their playing. You learn by playing with other people and not only those who play the same instrument. I learnt a lot over the years from playing with brass sections who demand absolute accuracy and keyboard players too.”

“Phuket is my home now and I want to make sure that I do the right thing here. I feel that it is really important that I give as well as take”. He certainly gives a lot of pleasure to his audiences. He can be seen at various venues throughout the week.

You can check where to catch Colin Hill by logging onto www.play-guitar.net