When? Fri 04/07/2008 - Sat 05/07/2008
Where? Patersdreef
Quality and quantity, the perfect mix of 17th Patersdreef blues festival.
In the light of the fiftieth anniversary of the Tieltse Europafeesten the organizers of the Patersdreef blues festival arranged a considerable program, existing of ten divergent acts over two days. This all for free, let there be no misunderstanding!
To slightly temper the financial pressure, Gino Depypere and Franky Craeymeersch came up with an indoor festival on 2 February 2008 in the Europe halls at Tielt. With the superb line-up they offered then, they had a reason to estimate at least an extra financial reserve to sponsor their open air festival. Their fund situation is unknown to me, but I nevertheless dare to put that they expected a larger public, for sure a correct expectation considering what was offered (Ten Years After).
Both on the opening day and on day two of the festival the organizer makes his stage available for Belgian bands, a laudable initiative that deserves applause. Hook Herrera, his nationality not considered for some years to be seen as a Belgian resident, also appears with a mainly Belgian band on stage, and not the least, to name a few: Marino Noppe and Mark Thijs. On Friday Rob Tognoni was programmed as top of the bill, the partisans of some firm guitar rock will undoubtedly have appreciated this.
On Saturday the local band Kentucky Dare Devils, the opening act of the first indoor festival, had to get it going. With the rather small public presence this was of course not an easy task. Chilly Willy (Loony Goony and the Free American Indian Hippy Blues Street Fruits) were announced in the short way as Chilly Willy, a band that delivered quality for the past sixteen years and exactly for this reason for the second time on stage at Tielt. Huibbe generally stands, with his fellow musicians, surety for ambiance; the weather demons however hadn’t understood it this way. The complete set of Chilly Willy literally drowned into the water. A desolate empty space in front of the stage, the two enthusiastically dancing women not considered. Bradley’s Circus (NL) was luckier and they gratefully took their chance. This band had clearly a lot of joy on stage, the two power failures were accepted with a smile. Gradually more and more people filled up the Patersdreef, at last! Doug Jay & The Blue Jays (US) performed for a well filled alley, what resulted in a build-up of a good atmosphere, boosted by the fantastic saxophonist `Sax’ Gordon Beadle as special guest. As top of the bill Tielt could with bravado announce nobody less than Chris Jagger. Brother of and you won’t have any doubt about that. Supported by a professional band (Chris Jagger‘s Atcha!) he entirely absorbed the filled up Patersdreef, with light-footed zydeco to juicy New Orleans swing as driving power. As closing show a beautiful organ point for an outstanding festival. A group Latvian youngsters didn’t stop dancing, they had the time of their life, as for many others. Jagger reappeared twice on stage with an encore.
This free festival broke definitively with its demons from the past. The sound quality was far better than the former years. Apart from the power failures (a last concern to find a solution for?), it all went smoothly. To conclude: we should all together look out for the 18th edition. With all together I mean: still more massive than this year!
Pictures thanks to: Franky Craeymeersch
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