Tenby Blues Festival

TENBY BLUES FESTIVAL LAUNCH – THE RUGBY CLUB, TENBY  – WEDNESDAY 23^RD APRIL 2008 BULLITT & THE BAND WITH NO NAME  

The third Tenby Blues Festival is being held in this lovely Welsh seaside town over the weekend of 14^th-16^th November 2008 and on Wednesday 23^rd April the festival held a launch gig at Tenby Rugby club that featured performances by Bullitt and The Band With No Name –  the gig was a perfect curtain raiser for what is becoming one of the most attractive of  all the UK blues festivals.

 

Tenby Blues Festival organisers understand that the blues is a broad church. And they are hell bent on raising its roof! Something the enthusiastic crowd who were in attendance on the night will undoubtedly testify to.

 

Opening act on the renowned FBM stage, The Band With No Name, featured Ollie Brindley (who will be well known to local gig goers as a former member of Animal Jack Jnr.) and they delivered a skiffle inflected good time set laced with a dusty, self deprectory wit.

 

Headliners Bullitt, who hail from the deep south, that is somewhere near Port Talbot, were awesome. Excellent musicians to a man, they concocted a set out of classic left field swamp rock and blues boogie that was nothing short of revelatory. Whether drawing on such signifiers of American roots music as Creedence Clearwater Revival or Otis Redding, they were stunning. In particular their renditions of classic Band tunes, such as ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’ or  ‘The Weight’ moved the audience if not to tears  at least to dot dot dot, now read on – there wasn’t a dry sock in the house because people danced so much. Integral to their sound was the retro wash of the Hammond organ, so rarely heard these days. And their encore of The Rolling Stones ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ was sublime. Who says they are not a blues band? The blues is a feeling, these guys felt it, and by extension so did we. Marvellous.

 

Next gigs for Tenby Blues Festival feature American soul/blues star Lisa Mills (supported by Cottonmouth) on July 17^th  and the legendary Dr Feelgood (supported by J44, a hit at the 2007 festival) on September 26^th, both gigs are at the De Valence, Tenby. For full details of these gigs, and those of the festival itself, log on to www.tenbyblues.co.uk.

 

BB Skone.

 

The Tenby Blues Festival is holding the launch gig for the third festival at 7.30pm on WEDNESDAY 23^rd APRIL at TENBY RUGBY CLUB. Headlining will be young Welsh blues band BULLITT who play Southern Blues Boogie at its finest. Think Allman Brothers or North Mississippi Allstars and then some! Supporting them will be THE BAND WITH NO NAME, another cutting edge young Welsh band  – they are fronted by Ollie Brindley, formerly of Pembrokeshire’s much loved Bush Street Blues Band and Animal Jack Junior.

 

Tickets, priced at only £5, are available from the De Valence Box Office, telephone 01834 843568, or on the door on the night (if not sold out in advance).

 

Festival Director Declan Connolly said “This is the first of several events to be held in Tenby leading up to what promises to be the best festival so far – ticket prices have been held at an affordable level, the successful pub blues trail and late night sessions look like being an exciting feature once again, and we have some spectacular headliners lined up for the keynote gigs in the De Valence and the Rugby Club.”

 

Tenby Blues Festival, now in its third year and already established on the UK festival scene, will take place over the weekend of 14^th-16^th NOVEMBER 2008. Full details, including artists booked so far, can be accessed at www.tenbyblues.co.uk.

 

Book Ray Minhinnett's Ray Band Blues in The Vein Of Albert King Featuring Roger Cotton (Peter Green's Splinter), Ian Ellis ( Savoy Brown) and Mal Mortimore (Frankie Miller)

One of Britain’s most passionate and soulful Blues-Rock Guitarist/Singer/Songwriters, initially spotted in his native North East by Ex-Animal Alan Price.  In his early days, he played with Price, Georgie Fame, and his own band Highway before joining forces with Frankie Miller and forming Frankie Miller's Full House.     In 1996, he signed a major publishing deal with Polygram/Sweden Music, and since then, has been making frequent visits to Sweden and to California, to work with a number of successful writers including ANDY FRAZER, formerly with “FREE”.

LISA MILLS AND THE REVELATORS, TENBY RUGBY CLUB –THURSDAY 21^ST JUNE Review by BB Skone 
The second Tenby Blues Festival preview gig of 2007 took place on Thursday 21^st June at Tenby Rugby Club – home of the festival’s renowned FBM acoustic stage. A packed club witnessed a performance by Mississippi blues woman Lisa Mills that was stunning in its passion, intensity and sheer exuberance. On stage only minutes after arriving in Tenby for the first show of her current European tour and still suffering from jet lag, Lisa delivered a tour de force of blues, gospel, soul and old fashioned R’n’B that lasted nigh on two hours and left the audience clamouring for more as they rose spontaneously to give her a thoroughly deserved standing ovation. Not for nothing has Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant sung her praises (not literally of course!) after employing Lisa as a support act – she is a phenomenal musician and singer.  Lisa has been compared favourably to the late Janis Joplin but I’m going to stick my critical neck out here and say Lisa is much better than that blues shouter whose voice often became a little ragged when struggling to find that essential blues or soul feeling in the melody. No such problem for Lisa has she seemingly effortlessly delivered a slew of covers by greats such as Etta James, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin and even Otis Redding. No one in the club could fail to be moved by the power and emotion of her delivery. She’s a fine guitar picker too and has a warm and entertaining stage presence laced with a down home Southern wit not out of place in Pembrokeshire’s own rural south. Lisa also treated us to some of her own songs, and whilst not always of the same calibre of the classics she covered they nevertheless had a melodic and lyrical sensibility to be treasured. Particularly moving was her tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Two hours passed in no time at all, it was that enjoyable. I’ve rarely seen an artists’ CDs shift so rapidly post-performance. And if you think I’m being too effusive, check her out for yourself on her current tour. I defy you not to be moved by her music. As a curtain raiser for this year’s Tenby Blues Festival – to be held in various venues throughout this lovely seaside town over the weekend of November 9^th-11^th 2007 – it was purrfect. Now the organisers will have to sprinkle some blue stardust on the festival to match this gig. Still with American blues sensation Alvin Youngblood Hart and the evergreen Otis Grand already booked things are looking good. Check out www.tenbyblues.co.uk for further information and full details of artists appearing, tickets, accommodation and such like. Support act on the night were The Revelators.

Thursday 21 June 2007 at 8pm

At Tenby Rugby Club, Upper Frog Street, Tenby

Featuring Lisa Mills, supported by The Revelators.

Tenby Blues Festival organisers are delighted to announce that the sensational Lisa Mills will be appearing at their next Preview Gig.   Lisa is an incredibly gifted singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Born and raised in Mississippi, she is well grounded in her blues based, soulfully delivered, original music.

Lisa has become a regular visitor to Europe appearing at the famous Bergen Blues Festival in Norway, Glastonbury and other UK folk and blues festivals. Whenever she is in the UK her tours sell out and before long she has to come back again to satisfy demand. Hand-picked by none other than Robert Plant to support his tours of the USA and Europe, this has to be one of the most sought after acts on the blues scene and in the words of the oracle himself, “You should all check her out, she has a wonderful voice”.  Lisa's new album, "By Invitation Only," is already receiving rave reviews, and has only been released in a limited edition "Pre-Production" form.  Rarely has an album received such accolades, before its actual release.

Supporting Lisa Mills will be The Revelators, offering a new breed of blues, taking standard Delta/Chicago songs and giving them a new twist and also writing some wicked songs themselves.   Gordon Wride is the original member of the band,  his knowledge of the blues has brought him to the attention of many international media companies which include a stint with BBC Radio Wales.  Gordon has been quoted in reviews with a vocal delivery which is authentic and raw and a no frills stripped back slide technique of old, and a breath of fresh air (100 Club Review Sep 2005)   Rob Thomas is a terrific blues harp player, who's influences range from Jimmy Reed, Junior Wells and Little Walter, Rob's harp playing is straight from the Chicago bar rooms of 50's.    

Tickets are priced £6 and are available from DeValence, Tenby 01834 843 568 and SPAN Arts, Narberth, 01834 869 323.

FBM Holidays - for all your self catering needs.   www.fbmholidays.co.uk     

Fourcroft Hotel, Tenby   www.fourcroft-hotel.co.uk

Cottage Court Hotel, Tenby   www.cottage-court-hotel.co.uk

Kiln Park Caravans     www.kilnpark.com

 

 

The last time American Bluesman Doug MacLeod played Tenby he left his trousers in the Fourcroft Hotel (writes BB Skone). I suspect this has nothing to do with his popularity with the ladies and more to do with a subliminal desire, pace Blondie, to leave us with memories of something more solid. He needn’t worry. There is nowt more solid that this charismatic performer’s take on the blues.

Doug claims the blues is the truth. Well, it is one truth anyway. But if you appreciate music sung with soul, passion, feeling, humour and all the rest of the spiritually uplifting kit bag of ramalamadingdongness, then Doug is your man. And he’s not a bad guitar player either – full of deft touches straight out of the country blues cannon yet equally able to blast out a John Lee Hooker boogie when the feel demands it.

On stage that Thursday, in Tenby’s Rugby Club, home of the blues festival’s acoustic stage, Doug, a dapper, snappily dressed guy, crouched behind his aptly named Resonator steel guitar and for over two hours regaled the packed crowd with the sort of entertaining show that makes one glad to be alive, Here. Right now. If the Thesaurus was a species of dinosaur it would be extinct – no superlatives could do this guy justice. As a curtain raiser for this year’s Tenby Blues Festival (to be held November 9-11 – check out tenbyblues.co.uk for details) it was a perfeck show.

During the interval, the organisers announced that two of the headliners for this year’s festival are to be American blues legends Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges and Alvin Youngblood Hart. Hmm nice! Then it was back to Doug with songs that ranged from those that touched deep human emotions such as ‘there ain’t no cure for birth and there ain’t no cure for death’ to those that had the audience laughing so much they were in danger of splitting their collective sides. Doug’s Talking Barnyard Blues was the stand out song in this vein.

Each song was preceded by an explanatory tale that was occasionally longer than the song itself. These tales were touching in a way that shed humour on the saddest tune, and spiritual depth to the funniest rendition.

As I left the club, I overhead a fan (female) telling Doug that he had beautiful shoes.

“What was that you said?” asked Doug in his gorgeous Southern draw. “You’ve got beautiful shoes” she repeated. “Lady” replied the laconic Doug, “we appear to be speaking the same language, but I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Ah, communication of the truth. Is this what separates the artist from the rest of us? He speaks to our collective souls whilst we talk to him of his sole. So it goes! Superb.

Launch Event 15 March 2007 at 7.30pm At Tenby Rugby Club, Upper Frog St Featuring Doug MacLeod The inaugural Tenby Blues Festival, held last November, caused waves that are still rippling far and wide around the blues world. This year, the organisers are delighted to announce that the sensational Doug MacLeod is returning to Tenby on 15th March 07 to officially launch the second Tenby Blues Festival on the FBM Stage. Doug is an American blues travlin man, a troubadour, a railroadin, high livin, ambassador of the blues, whose life is spent entertaining folks all over the world with tales of women he has known and places he has been, a great song craftsman with an instinctive talent. The launch takes place on 15 March 07 at Tenby Rugby Club, Upper Frog Street. Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets priced £5, available from De Valence, Tenby 01834 843 568 and SPAN Arts, Narberth, 01834 869 323.