This time we have come to Exploring Festival Blues – Part 4. We look forward to the month of May, traditionally the festival month par excellence. The blues lover will find all his he can desire, be it on a small scale or on a grand event. Artists from Belgium and the Netherlands and also from abroad will be appearing to give their best. Add to that the organisers that will try their utmost to make sure you have the time of your life and there are a few festivals that offer free entrance! What are your waiting for?

Fri/Sat 2 & 3 May – Moulin Blues – Ospel/Nederweert, (festival tent), NL
We start with Moulin Blues, the biggest blues festival in the Netherlands, on May 2nd and 3rd in Ospel/Nederweert. Jeff Healey, who recently passed away at the age of 41, will not be appearing, but the Tommy Castro Band is in my opinion a more than worthy replacement. On Friday will appear: Ray Collins' Hot Club (D), Seth Walker (US), Original Lester Butler Tribute Band (US/NL), Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine (US) and The Hoax (UK) as closing act. On Saturday will be appearing: Little Louis Band (NL), Dirty Sweet (US), The Rhythm Junks (B), Michael Katon (US), The Hackensaw Boys (US), Delta Groove All-Star Blues Revue (US) and off course Tommy Castro Band (US). No doubt Ian Siegal Band (UK) will end the weekend on a good note. Camping facilities, food and drink stands, cd-sales etc... will be extensively available. Not unimportantly: Children of up to 12 are free, provided that a grown-up accompanies them. For more information click here.

Saturday 3 May – Machels Blues & Rock Festival – Machelen (gemeentelijke feestzaal), BE
Machelen in Flemish Brabant has also finished its program for this year. This time it has been renamed to a Blues & Rock Festival. This means that on Friday rock music is programmed featuring: Octopussy, Kopstoot Gerda, Strawdogs, Pure Dust and Tysa. On Saturday there will be blues on the menu, appearing will be: Bottle Nose (BE), the Carlito's Blues Band (BE), Renaud Patigny (BE), TonTon Newband and none other than Memo Gonzales & The Bluescasters as the main course. The organisation also wants to take the opportunity to lauch a give-away for visitors to Bobtjes Blues Pages. To be eligible for this, send an email to: machelsblues@telenet.be with “Bobtje & Machelen” as subject. The first 10 mails win. For more info, click here.

Saturday 3 May – Barre Blues Festival – Monster (several locations), NL
Blues aan Zee with the Barre Blues Festival on various locations in Monster. A.o.: The A.L.Blues Express, The Nw Sauerkraut jazz/blues coll, Robbert P. Band, Blues BV, Paul Robbert Band, Johnny Upright, Jake Walker with Fat Harry & The Fuzzy Licks. For more information click here.

Saturday 3 May – Rhythm & Blues Night 2008 – Groningen (De Oosterpoort), NL
The Rhythm & Blues Night has grown in its 18 years of its existence to a true feast where blues, roots, americana and country music lovers can relish a myriad of international top acts. Featuring a.o.: Koko Taylor & her Blues Machine (US), The Hoax (UK), Guy Davids (US), Eric Bibb (US), Alvin Youngblood Hart (US), Andi Almqvist (SE), The Blues Caravan: Shakura S’Aida, Deborah Coleman & Dani Wilde, For more information click here.

Saturday 10 May – The Blues Store Goes Live (festival tent) – Zele, BE
Back in Zele, Belgium the 7th edition of The Blues Store Goes Live and this time the theme is “The Lady Sings The Blues”. This means only female artists (the band members excepted) will be appearing. The ladies in question are: The Jill Hilleger Band (BE), Caddilac Red (BE) and UK-based Conny Lush & Bluesshouter. The organisation has also generously made available 5x 2 free tickets to give away to visitors of Bobtjes Blues Pages. The first 5 mailers will win. Mail to thebluesstore@skynet.be and the subject should be: “Bobtje & Zele Goes Live”. For more information click here.

Fri/Sat 9 & 10 May – Kwadendamme (festival tent), NL
In Kwadendamme in the Netherlands, things are lined up for a party. Here 2 more days of top entertainment to make your mouth water. With start with Friday, which has the following line-up: Lefthand Freddy (NL), Liz Mandville feat. the Bluescrowns (US/NL), the Juke Joints (NL) and to round off the first day, Guy Forsyth (US). The Saturday line-up looks promising with: Phil Bee & the Buzztones (NL), Big Blind (NL), Homemade Jamz' Blues Band (US), Sugar Ray Norcia feat. the Nervous Fellas (US/NL), Sean Carney feat. Gene Walker (US) and Marcel Scherpenzeel plays Rory Gallagher (NL). The Mofo Party Band closes the weekend. Just like other years the “Juke Joint Stage” will have it's own separate line-up, this time featuring Ralph de Jongh (NL) and the Blue Clay (NL). Just like previous years: sold out = sold out! For more information click here.

10, 11 & 12 May – Ribs & Blues – Raalte (open air), NL
A completely different festival is the Ribs & Blues festival which takes place in Raalte (NL). For the 12th consecutive time the motto will be great blues music and... delecious spare-ribs. After booking the energetic, young blues band Big Blind from Noordwijk the line-up for Ribs & Blues on Whitsuntide and Whitmonday is complete. Three US bands (Popa Chubby, Johnny Mastro & Mama’s boys and Homemade Jamz’ Bluesband), three British bands (Ian Parker, Ian Siegal, The Hoax), one Belgian band (The Seatsniffers), one Norwegian band (Björn Berge) and the best of the Dutch blues scene (Barrelhouse and Julian Sas) make the line-up more international than ever. The kids have also been thought of: Adventureland, Kid's Corner, Theaterland, etc. Except ribs, the hungry festival visitor can choose from a wide range of food, like ham, cajun, piri-piri and others. Last year about 30 to 35.000 people visited the largest free blues and bluesrock festival of the North and East Netherlands. For more information click here.

Sunday 11 May – Belgian Roots Night 15 – Antwerp (CC Luchtbal), BE
The Belgian Roots Night has reached its 15th edition and again the organisers have succeeded in composing an attractive line-up. The line-up at CC Luchtbal in Hof Ter Lo (Antwerp) will feature: Rusty Roots (BE), Sammycuba feat. ex-El Fish' Filip Casteels (BE), Barrelhouse (NL), The Cowboy Angels (BE), Howlin' Bill (BE) en as topact the blues rock guitar hero in person… Johnny Winter (US). Hindered by health problems over the last years the snow white long haired man can finally reassure the fans and music lovers in general... Johnny is ok again. A promising line-up. For more information click here.

Saturday 17 May – Spring Blues Festival (festival tent) – Marche-Les_Ecaussinnes, BE
Ask any true blues lover which is the purest blues festival in Belgium and he will say “The Spring Blues Festival”. Over and over again the cream of the US blues artists is persuaded by the organisation to come over, this year they succeeded again. For starters The Boogie Woogie Jumpers (piano lovers are warned!). Others that are featured: guitar monster Kirk 'Eli' Fletcher and composer/multi instrumentalist Maurice John Vaughn. The well known blues figure form the motortown Detroit Harmonica Shah will appear. And then there is the winner of the '2007 International Blues Challenge’ (IBC) in Memphis the Sean Carney Band and violin virtuoso Tom Rigney & Flambeau. Headlining will be harp hero, singer and band leader Rod Piazza and his band the Mighty Flyers. If this is not a blues line-up, I don't know what is. For more information click here.

Saturday 31 May – Duvel Blues Festival (festival tent) – Puurs, BE
Puurs is also preparing for its annual portion of blues, the Duvel Blues Festival. The Belgian band Bass Papa will start off, followed by: Ralph de Jongh (NL), The Shaggy Dogs (FR), Enrico Crivellaro - Raphael Wressing Organ Trio feat. Matyas Pribojzski (I/O/H), Reba Russell (US) and Rudy Rotta (IT). Mike Sanchez will no doubt end the party with a sparkling show. Ample parking, camping, food and drink facilities a cd-shop and others will be available. The location is the wonderful domain Hof van Coolhem. Anyone present at 17.00 hrs will be eligible for a free Duvel! For more information click here.

Please do bear in mind that we don't receive all of the information by far. Bobtjes Blues Pages can not be held responsible for faults or misprints in the programmation and/or the cancellations of gigs. For a full list of all upcoming concerts and festivals in BE and NL, surf to: http://bluesagenda.web-log.nl or http://www.blueskalender.nl or http://www.bluesforum.be/forum/calendar.php

Translation by: Jean-Paul Harreman