Day two of the festival

I saw three acts today, whereof the middle one was the best and everyone else faded in comparison. Therefore, I start with them.

The second band I saw was Black River Bluesman & Bad Moon Hudson and, as I hinted above, was blown away.

This duo, guitar and drums, like the White Stripes, only better, played a modern version of blues, like Danko Jones, only better. They had a brutal sound to them, very raw and primitive guitarplay, a much needed kick up the arsehole of hippies who play endless guitar solos. To that, add a vocalist who sounds like count Dracula and could easily find employment in a psychobilly band. There's not much to say, they were simply brilliant. I think they come very close to the feel of blues ages ago, the same spirit that you could experience in clubs in Chicago when the migrants from the south had a day off and would go out clubbing. I think. I wasn't there, in Chicago, that is.

I had always thought that us from Skåne, the south of Sweden, that is, had the best voices for singing blues and the right feeling in us, but I must admitt, theese Finns come a long way close to excellence.

Black River Bluesman & Bad Moon Hudson's gig was one of the best I've experienced, all categories included. 90,2% in rate of satisfaction.

The third act I caught was John Primer & CPH Slim Band. Primer has worked with Muddy Waters and received Grammy nominations, which make him a legend. One could argue that what he played was blues by the numbers and a bit boring, but then again, the best gig I've ever been to was with the Warriors in Oslo ten years ago or so and I wasn't disappointed because they played numbers like Working class kids or Violence in our minds. If you've helped to define the genré of music you play, then you're entitled to go down memory lane.

It was a perfect gig in some respects, a real crowd pleaser, still, as an amateur in the blues field, I wasn't really that satisfied. I would have wanted something that stood out from the classical stuff.

78,3% in rate of satisfaction.

The first act I caught today was also the weakest. YO Combinations played a mix of blues with funk and southern rock. I liked it a bit, but not that much. They played a lot of covers and two of their own numbers, their own being their weakest.

Apart from that, there was nothing wrong with their craftsmanship. They know how to handle their instruments, I really liked the guitarplay at times.

 

58,3% in rate of satisfaction.