When? Fri 22/08/2008 - Sun 24/08/2008
Where? Dorpskern
Rain almost spoiled Swing 2008
The weather on Friday was so bad that I couldn’t be at the festival. The weather forecast for the next coming days looked more positive… However.
Saturday
Late afternoon the rain came poring down just before the opening act started. Most of the spectators where prepared and opened their umbrellas to see Tantrum. Tantrum is a band with young musicians which you can find at almost every street corner in the U.K. Not bad for this young band which in the past already could count on the help of Jesse Davey (The Hoax). Summarised a band in the line of Ian Parker mixed with the guitar sound of Aynsley Lister. I can’t say if the crowd enjoyed the band, looking at the number of those who’ve faced the rain. Most people joined the festival after the sky cleared and the sun showed his smile.
The man who said in the past “Never to perform electric anymore” started furious with his band. We still know Marc Librecht from the period he was a member of the blues band Tex and played the Peer festival. Now he’s back with a new band. And obviously he has given the public what they expected of him. Marc, still an excellent guitarist, could anticipate immediately on the mind of the public which he did with various songs from his CD’s but also some great covers. The perfect harmony between guitar, bass and drums filled up the empty breaches. A perfect show and of course we don’t need to tell that we want to see more of Marc in the near future.
Concerning Eric Steckel the opinion about him has been divided. He showed up with the Craig Thatcher band. Craig himself is a gifted guitarist. Craig fed the young Eric with the doubt that he needed all the support necessary. If this would be so, Eric would have been done fast. I, however, think something else is going on. What Eric and the new band played was really sad. Songs we’ve heard before where played with an attitude like it was a totally new show. Eric can play guitar but today he didn’t showed it. One of the reasons could be that he’s too busy with his touring schedule, another reason is perhaps that he wants to make a profile for this new band. Anyhow, we have seen Eric Steckel in better periods.
With the next act, The Pine Box Boys, we sat in the same sticky boat. Again, no new name on the poster. I would advice the promoters to change the same old line up. There are, looking at the USA only, thousands and sometimes better acts wait to come over and play a European stage. Anyway the Boys have a contagious sound and singer Lester T. Raww is adding more with his sepulchral voice. Admitted, the spectators enjoyed the show. I think it was a too long. Play The Pine Box Boys as pause music in a small club and you have best pause music which you can wish for yourself. This act is much too long act on this festival or was the organisation already known with the mentality of the man the man who was programmed as headliner?
Indeed, Melvin Taylor AKA the man who could not keep his eyes off some blondes, including silicone breasts, in front of the public. It would have been better if he had more eyes for his performance on stage. Obviously the man had problems of its libido because it was as if Taylor gave a private show for these ladies until… technology fail. Almost ten years ago we have seen this same in Antwerp. “Smoking a cigarette on the side of the stage and when I feel like it I’ll play some more”… must its motto have been. And apparently it wasn’t a problem for the audience. That, however, would be different when they had to pay for this festival. Some covers that he properly played were the only part I can recall of this calamitous set because I do not belong at the type of public who you can cheat. I needed to leave ASAP. This was without doubt the largest disenchantment which Swing in their 21 years booked as a headliner. The booing from the public was completely correct!
Sunday
As opener the Antwerp band Blue Vibes were programmed. Front man Wim Degeest and guitarist Alex de Vries performed in 2004 with Soul Food also on this festival. On drums they got support of old El Fish drummer Toon Derison. In the 2 years that Blue Vibes exists they did not performed much. Singer / Harp player Wim Degeest nevertheless plays already over 10 years in the Belgian blues scène. With its first group The Red Tails he obtained in 1998 the poster of Peer. Now he tries to get his new project Blue Vibes on cruising speed. They played an hour vintage Chicago-blues. Nothing new, but nevertheless well done.
Regard to the repertoire such as Blue Vibe, but more experienced was Chilly Willy. They have the reputation of a real party band. This year the band is playing together for 16 years. Wim `Huibbe' Huybrechts is opening the show for years with the same words: `Are you ready for a blues party'? And then this well oiled machine takes off. Their repertoire hasn’t changed much in the past few years. Still they have Slim Harpo and Sonny Boy Williamson standards on their set list. After Kris Rogiers (blues harp) left the band they had problems with finding a substitute. Successor Yvan Duchêne nevertheless plays less flamboyant as Kris, but he’s able to give Chilly Willy their sound. Early in the evening building a party is not easy, but Chilly Willy succeeds in this always.
The first foreign artist was Tom Shaka. This, in Germany living, American artist performed here already in 1995. The last years we, in Belgium, didn’t hear much of this country blues artist. He performed, only with guitar and blues harp, interpretations of country music blues standards of among others like Robert Johnson, Charley Patton and John Lee Hooker. Tom is an excellent guitarist and a devoted harp player. He played the songs with spirit and a great technique. One and a half hour of this performance was too long. Also his place in the line up, between the brutality of Chilly Willy and Guy Forsyth, was unluckily programmed. One set of an hour and earlier in the evening would have been better for Tom.
The man who is seldom disillusioned live is Guy Forsyth. The blues scene first heard of this Texan through its debut album `High Temperature' (1994). The characteristic harp playing and slide guitar belongs to the past. Guy has evolved to a multi-purpose roots musician without restrictions. Nowadays he comes with a trio to Europe. Guy is playing electric and acoustic guitar, vocals and blues harp, Will Landin, bass and Rob Hooper, drums and Cajon. Guy was direct well at voice as proved in his opening song. All three band members opened with an a capella song. Among the many songs we recognize `Poor Boy', `105, `I'm Going Home' `Needle Gun', `This is Hip', `Don't Turn me In' and `Taxi'. The band played ‘Taxi’ with Guy on blues harp, Will on bass and Rob on drums in a great performance. After performing two songs with his Dutch friend and special guest Little Louis, Guy could focus himself on its deliciously tearing blues harp sound. The public kept begging for another encore so Guy interrupted his meet and greet and started to sing ‘Mona’. Guy pleased his public, something what Melvin Taylor lacked.
Translation by: Tiko Tiko
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