old bush blues

OLD BUSH BLUES FESTIVAL   CALLOW END 21/22/23 /08/ 2015

FRIDAY

SO OFF WE GO AGAIN TO WHAT UP UNTIL LAST YEAR WAS THE BENTWORTH BLUE FESTIVAL, WITH A LITTLE APPREHENSION WILL IT BE AS GOOD? WELL THE SIGNS DID NOT START OF GOOD OFF WITH WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A 2 AND HALF HOUR JOURNEY TURNING INTO NEARLY FOUR AND A HALF HOURS.  BECAUSE OF THIS WE MISSED THE FIRST TWO ACTS MELVYN HANCOX AND WOO TOWN HILLBILLIES.

WE ARRIVE TO CATCH MOST OF PERRY FOSTER SET AND WELL WORTH IT. PERRY WHO WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORIGINAL YARDBIRDS PLAYED A NO NOSENCE SET OF ORIGINALS AND COVERS, A PERFORMER WHO IF YOU GET THE CHANCE YOU SHOULD NEVER PASS BY.

NEXT WERE FIVE FIELD HOLLER ON THE GARDEN STAGE A REGULAR AT BENTWORTH AND WITH THE CROWD BEHIND THE PROBABLE HERE TO. BOPERATOE UP NEXT ON THE CAR PARK STAGE A GOOD BAND BUT A BIT OF AN ODD MIX FOR A BLUES FESTIVAL.

 OK IM A BIT BIAS HERE AS ON TO THE GARDEN STAGE CAME STEVE WHALLEY. A MAN WITH A STRONG MUSICAL PEDIGREE ( SLADE /SAD CAFÉ) UNUSUAL  FOR STEVE IT TOOK A BIT OF A WHILE FOR THE CROWD TO WARM TO HIM BUT ONCE THEY DID THEY HAD TROUBLE GETTING HIM OFF. HIGHLIGHTS OF ANY STEVE WHALLEY SHOW ARE HIS COVER VERSION OF ATLANTIC CITY (SPRINGSTEEN) AND IT STONNED ME (MORRISON)  AND SHE WROTE IT DOWN AND BURNT IT (HAITT) .THE ROCK N ROLL SECTION AT THE END GOT EVERYBODY MOVING.

TRAFFICKER ANOTHER REGULAR AT BENTWORTH WENT ON TO THE CAR PARK STAGE AND WE WENT TO EAT AND CATCH THE LAST   BAND OF THE DAY. NEIL IVISON  A GREAT LOCAL TALENT WHO SEEMS TO   HAVE   LEFT HIS BAND MISERS AND MOVE OUT ON HIS OWN. A  GREAT SET OF ORIGINALS   AND COVERS, AND THANKS FOR THE FREE CDS.

SATURDAY

HAVING HAD A LATE NIGHT AND A BIT OF SHOPPING IN THE MORRING WE MISSED LIKE DOHERTY AND LUZY ZIRINS. WE DID MAKE IT IN TO SEE THE MUSTANGS WHO WERE EXECELLENT. THEN IN TO A PACKED BAR TO WATCH LENNY JAMES AND THE GATOR SQUAD. A NICE LITTLE FIND GREAT BAND AND WOULD CERTINLY TRACK DOWN AGAIN.

SAM PAINE TRIO PLAYED THE GARDEN WHILE WE OPTED FOR THE BLUES DUO PLAYING ON THE CAR STAGE. A GOOD SET AND 100% TO THEM FOR STICK OUT THE RAIN STORM AND THE POWER CUT.

TROUBLE STILL WITH THE POWER AS DAN SOWERBY TOOK TO THE STAGE IN THE BAR BUT COPED WELL DOING A SEMI ACOUSTIC SET BEFORE POWER WAS RESTORED.

WITH POWER RESTORED WELL YOU NEEDED IT REALLY FOR THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT  ELECTRIC AKA SUGAR MAMA .ANOTHER REGULAR OF BENTWOTH AND BOY CAN THESE GUYS PLAY. ELECTRIC IS AN EXCELLET NAME FOR THIS BAND AS THEY OWN THE STAGE FROM THE MOMENT THEY WALK ON.  IT IS A SCANDAL THESE GUY ARE NOT PLAYING BIGGER FESTIVAL AT 3 X THE PRICE SAM THE GUITARIST AND LEAD SINGER PUTS HIS WHOLE BODY AND SOUL INTO THE MUSIC AND ITS WONDERFUL TO WATCH A REAL FRONT MAN WITH TRACK LIKE MESSING WITH THE KID AND CROWD FAVOURITE OH WELL THE GUYS SHOULD BE UP THERE WITH THE TOP BANDS IN THE COUNTRY.

NORTHSYDE AGAIN ANOTHER REGULAR AT BENTWORTH PLAY THE CAR PARK STAGE , AS WE HEAD FOR THE FINAL OF THE NIGHT PROCEEDINGS WITH JULES BENJAMIN A MULT TALANTED MUSICIAN AND COMPARE FOR THE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.  JULES PUT ON A STERLING SHOW  OF ORIGINALS AND COVERS THE HIGHTLIGHT BEING HIS OWN SONG FLY FLY FLY A NUMBER ONE IF THERE WAS JUSTICE IN THE WORLD.

SUNDAY.

KICKING OF THE LAST DAY WERE FESTIVALS REGULARS KYLE AND SHAW ON THE CAR PARK STAGE.  FOLLOWED BY BLUEBEATEN REDSHAW WHO MAYBE BECAUSE HES JUST GOT MARRIED PUT ON A LUCKLESS GIG AT ONE POINT BREAKING HIS DIDDY BOW. A DISAPOINTMENT HAVING REALLY ENJOYED HIS PREVIOUS APPEARENCES.

CHICAGO 9 PLAYED THE CAR PARK STAGE, WHILE THE HIGHLIGHT OF SUNDAY HAS TO BE CATFISH HAVING JUST HEADLINED RUGWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL  THE DAY BEFORE  THEY TOOK TO THE BAR STAGE  FOR A RIP ROARING SET PROVING THEY ARE ONE OF THE BEST BLUES BAND IN THE COUNTRY AT THE MOMENT.  PLAYING A SET OF TRACKS FROM THEIR SO MANY ROADS ALBLUM AND SOME THAT WILL HOPEFULL TURN UP ON THE NEW ONE.  A  BAND   NOT   TO BE MISSED.

WILL WILDE PLAYED A DECENT SET ON THE GARDEN STAGE, WHILE VOODOO SHIEKS ANOTHER GREAT BLUES BAND PLAYED A WONDERFUL SET TO A NEAR EMPTY CROWD THE BAND DESERVED A LOT MORE.

BACK INTO THE BAR AND A BLISTERING SET OF BLUES SONGS AND STORIES  PLAYED  BY HOWILN MAT, AN ENGLISH MAN  VERSION OF SEASICK STEVE WHO MIRRORS HIM IN LIVING AN ALMOST SEMI NOMADIC LIFE  TO LIVE THE DREAM OF PLAYING THE BLUES.

ANDRE  BISSON PLAYED THE GARDEN STAGE BEFORE JULES AND FRINDS TOOK THE STAGE TO ROCK US OUT WITH GREAT VERSIONS OF WHOLE LOTTA ROSIE AND STEAMY WINDOWS  BRINGING THE CURTAIN DOWN ON THE FIRST OLD BLUES FESTIVAL MAY THERE BE MANY MORE.

A BETTER VERSION THAN WHAT WAS PRINTED IN RECORD COLLECTOR  DUE TO SPACE LIMITS