When? Sun 11/05/2008 - Mon 12/05/2008
Where? Festival area
11-05-2008 Ribs & Blues Day 1
The Ribs and Blues festival is an every year returning event for blues fans. The inner part of The Raalte town is closed for traffic and there are organised all kinds of events. Dead tree sawing to make a sculpture. All kinds of playing for the younger people. Air cushion and booths with clothing, tatoes, of course the delicious Spare Ribs and a lot of beer taps. It’s really a family event for young and old. This year it was also beautiful weather, so what could we have more. Next to that of course the fantastic organisation with all her volunteers, who made this event happen.
Starting with The Julian Sas Band, a 3-mans formation (guitar, bass and drums) in a sunny overwhelming festival area, Julian is first loosening his fingers on his Les Paul Custom Ebony. Just simply testing his Wah-Wah pedal. With some uptempo covers of Rory Gallagher the atmosphere is quickly rising in the tent. Some time later Julian plays on his Fender Strat the very nice and subtile guitar playing ‘Dryland Back Home To Your Baby’. Sas is not only a fast player, but also plays very nice tones. Something that a lot of players forget. Julian’s guitar playing as well as the Rhythm section of bass player Tenny Tahamata and on drums Rob Heyne are steady as a rock. The audience is having a good time!
Johnny Mastro & Mama’s Boys: Johnny Mastro, Singer & Mouth harp, Guitar players Bobo and Smokehouse, Paul Loranger on Bass and Jimmy Goodall on Drums. So it seems that the former Guitar player Dave Melton has been replaced not by one, but two Guitar players. With the opening song ‘Ball & Biscuit’ it’s right down the line. Bobo and Smokehouse show that they have balls! Surely Bobo, because as soon as Johnny gives him the opportunity he showing his act with the audience right away. Johnny Mastro may not be to tall of length, as a musician he shows that he is able perform very great. With ‘Little Walter’ as his biggest inspiration, he shows what passion is. Johnny is singing and blowing with all his hart. Also he is letting Paul Loranger making a bass solo and Smokehouse gets the opportunity in a slide part to show that is a very good player. Because of Johnny’s voice he is playing open D tones. Both Guitar players have showed in a relative short time, that they can substitute Dave. The whole act of this band swings and is stormy. There ain’t no time to rest.
Than it is the turn for Singer/Guitar player Ryan (15), Bass player Kyle (13) and little sister Taya ( 9) on drums or shortway Homemade Jamz’. First it is perhaps a little strange to hear bluesmusic playing from such a young formation from the USA. However there is very grown up sound on that stage. Surely through the presence of the father who is playing Mouth harp on quiet a few songs for supporting the total sound. The guitar player as well as the bass player have guitars that look like the figure of a car exhaust with two outlets. As a young horse that’s jumping the nine year old Taya is bringing a lot of Rhythm and skill. The drums are very good amplified and sounds great. This act will only grow. For the future of these young musicians it will be important that they will not only play covers, but will take care of their own songs.
Ian Parker is the audience favourite who has been known in Holland for many years. The some decent UK bluesrock (a little bit direction Eric Clapton) that Ian is bringing, is surely not a bad choice. Because of his youth face he is very popular with the female supporters. Next to that Ian is an outstanding singer and guitar player, and has of course the support of a decent Rhythm section Steve Amadeo on Bass, Wayne Proctor on drums and his eldest band member Morg Morgan who is supporting him already for many years on keyboards. With the exception of the first uptempo somgs , where he is playing on his Strat and Les Paul, he is also uses the acoustic guitar. ‘Don’t Wanna Give You Back’is a quiet song (spoken lyrics) that ends as a kind of funky song with a damping piano. We also heard the well known ‘Little Wing’of legendary Jimmy Hendrix, that he’s playing as kind of long ballad.
Bjorn Berge is a one mans band from Norway. A mighty muscled wood cutter with naked tatoed arms and because of the beautiful wheater dressed in short pants. A very low voice that now and then reminds to Tom Waits and he combines with excellent fingerpicking on his 12 string guitar. moreover he is using a foothpad for the bassdrum tones. It’s not only incredible the way he’s playing, but also how relaxed he is and from which it’s seems that it costs no sweat. The ‘Byrds‘ song ‘Eight Miles High’ he plays on his owntime way. All in all he keeps you busy watching for more than 1 hour. It’s a pleasure to watch him, because his guitar playing is marvellous.
Ian Siegal is already early present at the backstage terrain. Shaking hands with many people, as he’s having many friends from his past appearances on Ribs & Blues Festivals. Also to watch the appearance of his mate Johnny Mastro & Mama’s Boys. Both bands recently appearded in London together, where at the end a mix of both bands were on stage….so Paul Loranger, the bass player of Mama’s Boys told me. The Ian Siegal Band existing of furthermore Andy ‘Smily’ Graham and Nikolaj Bjerre on drums are starting with some uptempo songs, on which Ian is playing mainly slide guitar. And yes, after half an hour playing he is calling Johnny Mastro on stage to play some songs together. Perfect mouth harp playing with long blowing tones, not that short what everybody plays. Really this Top Of The Blues. After a mix of ‘He Shall Not Be Moved’ and ‘Let Me Tell You What I Say’the Ian Siegal Band ends with the beautiful ‘Let My Love’of Big Georg Ross Watt, a Scottish Blues singer, whowrote this song. I asked Ian in the afternoon if he would play this song, to which he said: ‘Perhaps’. Ian with his perfect and traditional ‘Whisky Loaded Voice’.
The Last act of the evening was the British blues band ‘The Hoax’, a band who after the successful years of the nineties again is reborn. After that the members did various own projects, this concert in Raalte is one of the rare they do. ‘Loud Steal British Blues’ of a 5-mens formation, with again two solo guitar players who continuous play loud and straight Jesse Davey is using for this a glass screen for his speaker boxes, because of that the sound of Davey is very very loud at stage. Above that he is using a Leslie Box (Rotating Speaker) that normally is used for Hammond organs. It gives him a special sound, what delivers a combination of Guitar and Hammond. The well respected songs of The Hoax, ‘Long Way Home’, ‘Groovebreaker’ and ‘High Expectations’ are passing by. It reminds me personally a little of the start of John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers. With Clapton and some later Peter Green as guitar players. Now they are Jesse Davey and Jon Amor who after the other duellise with very loud played guitar solo’s. By the way Hugh Coltman with his energetic voice and now and than jumpin’is blowing a severe part of Mouth harp. The drummer and bass player Tom Latham take care of the strong portion of Rhythm. When at a slow ballad Jon Amor is playing, Hugh and Jesse are going to sit down on the edge of the drum stage. Let’s hope for the fans and for the music scene that they stay together and give new life to ‘The Hoax’.
12-05-2008 Ribs & Blues Day 2
Big Blind is a young blues formation from the Dutch place Noordwijk with a traditional formation existing of singer/mouth harp player Wesley van Werkhoven, the brothers J.J and Dirk van Duijn on guitar and bass and Niels Duindam on drums. A motivated formation with Wesley as their frontman and entertainer, J.J. as versatile guitar player and Dirk an Niels as the stowing rhythm section. They play a very variation of blues. ‘Now I Cry’a slowblues easy starting and played on tones. Followed by a stowing song, where the mouth harp of Wesley is playing the lead part. A young dogs formation who are entertaining the mainly elderly public very fine. This band is on his way to become a (int.) national top act, surely when they get some more experience on this kind of festivals.
A in a way deviating formation with only guitar, bass, drums and sax are The Seatsniffers. A rockabilly sound that comes close to Stray Cats, but sometimes also to more country style of Hank Williams. The drummer and also the slapping bass player who boosting long and very nicely are very much suitable for this kind of uptempo songs, where you can‘t stand still. The more rocking influenced songs are not the direction they should choose. They are Masters in the breaks in their songs and because of that very professional. A well oiled machine and a good performance from our neighbours of Antwerp in the south.
One of the more known blues formations from The Netherlands who are for some years ‘On The Road’ is Barelhouse. With singer Tineke Schoenmaker as frontlady and together with the solo guitar player the band leading the band. The more jazzy blues songs has brought them in the past years a whole lot of fans. However now and then I miss a little sharpness.Especially the piano player should show himself a little bit more on the front. That’s now mostly being done by the guitar player. They have already a long history and can stay for a long time if they try to renew in their songs.
Than it’s time for the closing act of Ribs & Blues. A Giant in everything. From the beginning til the end Popa Chubby is keeping you busy. It’s a pleasure to see this top artist working. He plays and breathes music like no other. He is continuous amusing the audience. He is openining very originally with a improvisation of a ‘Ventures’song from the late 50. Also ‘Amazing Grace’ is being worked on. After that he opens with the ‘Hendrix’song ‘Hey Joe’ where the audience is singing and he is answering with his guitar solo’s. Some time later he is engaging himself to reggae songs of Bob Marley. However every time again on his own style of playing the guitar. After that he is going to play old fashion slide guitar. In this way everything of this Multi guitar player is passing. As he was self explaining to me,’ I am trying to rediscover everything again. I will not tie myself anymore to a fixed style’. ‘Manic Depression’ a dedicated Hendrix song is also being played and with some added songs of him the Festival is over. After that Popa is one hour busy signing his last CD and making some shots with his fans.
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