When? Fri 29/08/2008 - Sat 30/08/2008
Where? Festivaltent Toon mij een kaart
Around this time last year the organizing gents of (Ge)Varenwinkel Festival had us fooled very well. They wanted us than to believe that this was their last edition ever. luckily the blood is thicker than water and Bruno was able to find some new helpers that ware prepared to keep the fire burning. As a result of that I may sit here on a Sunday night writing and enjoying of the just passed edition.
The weather at least was cooperative. Maybe a little too good, because I think also a lot of choosed for a weekend trip direction coast. That for the attendance was less than last year. However we can speak of a large attendance, the”diehards’ happily remain to go for it. On the first day I almost got a “déjà vu’ All the three bands were attending at the BRBF in Peer last year. Planned that way? I don’t think so.
Jim Cofey was already playing when we parked the car and could conclude the sound was loud. We were still able to view about 20 minutes of their appearance. Honestly I have to admit that their show was much better than what they showed in Peer….. and there these gents could already fascinate me. One song every time remains to spook through my head a number of days namely: ‘She’s So Guilty’. But every song of Jim Coffey is one full of fire, passion and ambiance. Will they fill up the emptiness that has occurred with the fall out of Last Call? The next band that was running like a train through the tent of Varenwinkel were The Electrophonics from Dutch Limburg. The temperature in the tent raised with some degrees. Even though the sun was already under. We heard a lot of swing and dancing songs. Also some new songs that will shine on their new CD (end of this year). If they are with four horns on the stage or with two, they every time again are able to create the Big Band Sound. And oh , how I love it.
As closing act of the first day one had choosen for a Danish band who is still very much marching on in Europe. It was their second appearance on Belgium ground, after Peer. Already now I am convinced that we will see Thorbjorn Risager a lot in Belgium. Also here a band with two horns, but still they make a different kind of music than The Electrophonics. It’s surely the kind of music to be heard: blues with soul, funk and swing and a frontman who perfectly knows how to entertain the audience. Own songs like ‘Can’t Get Enough’ and ‘In A Little Piece Of Mind’, are masterly changed with well known covers like Áin’t Nobody’s Business’ and ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ Their lead guitar player however has little image, but what he is pulling from his guitar makes everything all right. Day one was for us at least succeeded.
Our own Rusty Roots had the honor to open day two of the festival. There were the audience still had some of that ‘Saturday morning’ bluesfeeling’, that you could not hear with these gents. Of course we became to hear a lot of songs from their last CD Électrified’. Songs that are still inside me: ‘Can You Dig It’ and ‘Two Timing Woman’ It was more than a year ago that I saw this band playing and hell they growed. A new style that is close to the soul is according to me not a bad choice. The voice of Mr Bee Jee, in his last live on stage he was an Elvis imitator, is coming fully to it’s best. However they also played the elderly songs and so we could enjoy of ‘She So Fine’. Further also my compliments to bass player Body, who played the electric bass as well as the acoustic bass perfectly.
After that Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges was called to the stage, a man who deserves to have credits in the Benelux. Eugene is already dedicating 41 years of his live to making good music, solo as well as with the band. At this festival he appeared with a Dutch band and that was perceptible . Now and than a view or making signs to communicate. In two years time I have seen Eugene already three times and he is still able to favor me. Not only his guitar playing is to vain to itch it. Also his vocals that strongly reminds us to Sam Cooke and B B King is regularly touching the man. His repertory, a mixture of blues, soul and funk, show that this man has more than quality.
During the appearance of The Rhythm & Blues Explosion featuring Alex Schultz, Sax Gordon and Raphael Wressnig we took some time to get us some food. 6 euro for a small bag of fried’s with stew meat! But we won’t complain, because it was all for a good purpose. Meanwhile we have been listening to the jazzy repertory of this three guys. A repertory many times filled with the sax sounds of Sax Gordon. But also Alex Schultz knows for sure how to use his guitar to answer all these sax sounds. The only one who is a little besides this was Hammond player Raphael Wressnig. It’s a pity because he surely knows how to play.
After this it was time for nobody less than John Primer & The Real Bluesband. For people who don’t know this guy i want to inform, that he is specially playing pure Chicago Blues. Although you might have heard this all already a hundred times before, he and his band knows how to pull the attention of the audience. Sometimes with a cover like ‘Stand By Me’ or even ZZ Top’s ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ Furthermore also the mouth harp player hanged on the guitar to play a song. As said, vocal as well as on guitar he could impress us. Okay, it may not sound like Muddy Waters guitar playing, but john Primer sounds very bluesy though.
And after that leaves us the in Belgium relatively unknown band James ‘Super Chickan’ Johnson & The Fighting Cocks. After their fabulous live act in Varenwinkel everyone will know them now. James is playing on guitars that he making himself from cigar boxes and old ventilators. But his toys sound like the most expensive Fenders and Gibsons. Many people all over the world spend a lot of euro’s for this kind of toys. The music, which the best is to describe as party blues, with here and there some room for sensitive sound. Not one dull moment with this band. I’m sure that many with me agree upon this. I surely hope that the organizing committee will also take this magical ensemble soon back to Belgium.
And of course there was also the ‘Roots Tent’. Because of circumstances I haven’t been there. I heard from people who were present there, that Roland & Gene Taylor (on Friday) , The Legendary Johnny Trash and Les Chats Cadiens (on Saturday) had given a fine show.
Gents organizers, again you have showed that a festival can have glory without booking the really famous names. Really we did not expect otherwise and expect also not for the next twelve edition. This weekend is already crossed in our agenda for 2009.
Translation by: Bill Wessels
Images
