TENBY BLUES FESTIVAL

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The fourth Tenby Blues festival was a big success with record attendances and great music as usual. Thanks to all concerned. The fifth festival takes place 12-14 November 2010 but watch this space for details of preview gigs. The fourth Tenby Blues Festival, which took place over the weekend of 13-15 November, blew the lid off all expectations with unprecedented full house signs going up all over the town. Despite the stormy weather, most of the Saturday evening venues were bursting at the seams and all the daytime events in the town did great business. The attendance at events on Friday and Sunday also exceeded those of previous festivals. The festival adopted the successful format of previous years with paying gigs throughout the weekend at Tenby De Valence Pavilion, the Rugby Club, and the Giltar Hotel plus a whole day of free gigs on the Pub and Club Trail. New innovations for 2009 included two mornings of Blues Films shown at the Fourcroft Hotel and an Open Mic Session at the Three Mariners. The latter event attracted so many Blues fans that many had to be turned away at the door. They found plenty to enjoy elsewhere in town. Friday’s opening event in the De Valence culminated in a sensational performance from American soul and blues star Earl Thomas with support from Paddy Milner & The Big Sounds. Earl draws upon the rich heritage of the Memphis Soul scene from which the likes of Otis Redding and Solomon Burke emerged in the ‘60s and he proved to be a natural heir to these greats. Those who were there will never forget Earl wandering through the audience delivering his sweet, impassioned vocals without any amplification what so ever. Meanwhile, over in the Rugby Club, the organisers had lined up three acoustic acts who proved that the Blues is indeed a broad church. I overheard an excited woman telling her companions “I never knew the blues could be so much fun and make me so happy!” The evening there ended with Dave Arcari’s pulsating punk blues defying people not to get up and dance. That wasn’t the end of the evening though, because the late night session at the Giltar Hotel went on into what Chuck Berry maintained was “the wee wee hours”. These sessions are becoming one of the highlights of the festival where artists spontaneously jam with each other and Friday was no exception as The Big Sounds horn section got up to play with Abie Budgen. Paddy Milner himself joined in and I doubt the hotel’s piano will ever be the same again! By Saturday most of the storm had abated so Blues fans were able to wander around the Pub and Club Trail with ease. After a short rest, the paying venues were open for business. R’n’ B legends Nine Below Zero sold out at the De Valence but for me the best bill of the weekend was at the Rugby Club where Blue Traffic and John Crampton (a man who comes over as a cross twixt early John Lee Hooker and today’s Seasick Steve) supported Chix Wiv Pix. What an amazing band the Chix were. Its unusual to see three female members of any band, let alone one with a guitar wielding woman whose tone and attack on her instrument reminded me of the legendary Bo Diddley and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The vocalist had a great voice too. The Rugby Club rocked until there wasn’t a dry sock in the house. Later the Chix jammed with Tommy Allen & Johnny Hewitt at the Giltar Hotel until 4am but I was tucked up in bed long before that. I had to be up for Sunday to see the UK’s finest acoustic finger picking guitarist Rick Payne finish off the weekend in a fittingly mellow but heartfelt fashion with support from Pat Grover & The Hawks. As people made their way home to all parts of the UK most were thinking ‘Roll on next year’. Put 12-14 November 2010, Tenby, into your diary now.