ACOUSTIC STAGE
The Acoustic Stage has it's own web
site. You can check out: Previous
fest.s, pictures and details.
THE BAND STAND
A Free Stage - in the Blues Pavilion, Laxey Station
THE BRIDGE INN
A Tickets-Only Stage
THE MINES TAVERN
A Free Stage
THE QUEENS HOTEL
A Free Electric Stage
MAIN STAGE SOUND DESK
Anglin and Andy consult the read-out on the Infusillating Graphic Combobulator
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MAIN STAGE FRIDAY
The Hangover Blues Band enjoy a sellout crowd
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MAIN STAGE SATURDAY
Some of the crowd enjoy The Hangover Blues Band
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MAIN STAGE
One of the fans
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MAIN STAGE
The bar was busy in the Charterhouse Pavilion
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MAIN STAGE
President Wade braves the weather
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MAIN STAGE
The Peter Norris Music Stand
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MAIN STAGE
Steve Ajao checks his messages
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MAIN STAGE
Another one of the fans in Festival merchandise
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LAXEY STATION
Laxey Station Cafe and Ticket Office
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LAXEY STATION - TRAM
Laxey Station - Tram
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LAXEY STATION - TRAM
Laxey Station - Douglas Tram
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WHAT A GREAT START: FRIDAY MAY 16 2003
Charterhouse International Blues Pavilion Main Stage
Fest Friday started out grey, wet and windy. Then it deteriorated. Later it got
worse. In Laxey the rain was coming down like stair rods. cats and dogs weren't
in the ball park. But the ducks were - click picture right.
This put us behind a little with gear installation and sound checks but somehow
or another we managed to get the show on the road at more or less the stated
time - this is the blues, you have to suffer a little. We understand this, it's
cool.
Wet weather gear was de rigeur and those of us without it well, we just put up
with it. Some even managed to look pretty cool and unconcerned, such as Guy
Tortora - pictured right - and Lenny, our unflappable Stage Manager (stepping
in at the 11th hour and the 59th minute too - pictured above left), kept
smiling and unflappably getting on with the job... and no rain gear either.
So, we pushed on regardless and it was great to find that Friday night at
Charterhouse
International Blues Pavilion Main Stage was sold out by late afternoon
(Saturday night sold out some time ago) and we were treated to an evening of
what we like...
The Hangover Blues Band
(pictured right) patiently waited for their sound check and then later gave us
an hour of solid, quality boogie. Sam Powell - Lead Vocals and Harmonica - Dave
Bragg - Bass Guitar, Vocals - Kelvin Leitch - Drums, Vocals - Paul Swanson -
Lead Guitar - and Mark Steed (pictured left) - Piano, Organ, Vocals.
After all the rain it was like the sun coming out.
Emily Druce and Steve Jones
(pictured left) whose roots style blues playing is a seriously classy bit of
fingerpicking
quality, with wonderful slide to go, had their on-stage sound problems but out
front it was the complete business. Every note, every overtone and, of course
Emily's voice, was a treat to be savoured and not only by the cognoscenti but
by the rest of us too. With their original songs and passion for the music
these two young, beautiful people are keeping the flame burning... bright and
hot.
You could not have a greater contrast between the styles of Emily Druce and
Steve Jones and that of
The Smokin' Blues Band
who followed them. Smokin' Ade Wakelin cranked up a Fender Twin and let rip on
his 1955 Fender Strat (pictured right) together with his oh so solid rhythm
section. John
Hiatt's Rain was somewhere in the middle of the set but this was just the eye
of the storm. By the time they lashed into Crossroads at just gone midnight
there was hardly a misty eyed guy in the place who wasn't reaching for his air
guitar...
On a very sad note we extend our sincere and deepest sympathy to
Pete Mastrantone
(bass player with the Smokin' Blues Band - pictured above left) who heard the
terrible news that his
father had died just hours before he was due on stage with The Smokin' Blues
Band on Friday night. His family insisted that he stayed on to do the gig and
it is easy to understand how hard this must have been for him, but to his great
credit not one of us knew of his sad loss until later in the weekend.
SATURDAY MAY 17 2003
The rain continues through the day and the poor old Red Cross Team were out in
it all day. But unlike most of us they were at least prepared with wet wetaher
gear and a very nice canopy that kept them dry. They were a cheerful bunch and
as the music reached them from the Charterhouse Blues Pavilion they reminisced
about the 60's and the effect that Jimi Hendrix had on popular music when he
hit British Shores in a blaze of guitars and Marshalls. Ah, they were indeed
the days...
AFTERNOON:
For gig report and pictures of the Black's Fireplace Bandstand held in the
Charterhouse International Blues Pavilion click
here
or on the link to the left.
For all the weekend gig reports and pictures click the links to the left and
elsewhere.
EVENING:
The afternoon session closed at 6.00pm and the marquee was readied for the
evening performances. Steve Ajao's bass player arrived on the afternoon flight
to everyone's relief and after the unbelievable acoustic set that
Steve and Ade
Smokin' Wakelin
gave on the Acoustic Stage at The Shore earlier in the
afternoon expectations were high. Sound-checks were completed on time, and
The Kelly Elliott Band
stepped up to a warm reception from the sold-out Blues Pavilion crowd -
Picture above.
What followed was the first of three hours of quality live music. Kelly's band
are a
fine bunch of musicians who not only know how to play, and boy do they know how
to play, but they know how to perform too.
Double Bass player John Boy Parker,
in bare feet, gave a fine display of percussion as he rapped away at the bass
body with his hands as well as great bowing technique to boot. Guitar player
Paul Swanson proved that he is not only a fine lead player but, the real test,
a marvellous rhythm player too. Keyboards are taken care of by Mark Steads who
boogies with the best of them. Liz Ralls blows a er.. mean horn and Kelvin
Leitch on drums kept it all rock steady. The crowd were reluctant to let them
go but with two great bands to come there was no
time for encores despite the fact that it was undoubtedly deserved.
Smokestack
.
What a band these three are. Drums, bass, guitar. I know what you might have
been thinking: not another too loud guitar band? You could not be further from
the truth.
These three are the real deal, the absolute business, the cat's
pyjamas, the dogs... I knew they were good but, well, you just had to be there.
Phil Mills, Guitarist, singer and harp player had severe stomach trouble all
afternoon and there was real doubt that he would make it on stage. But from the
first note we knew that we were in for something really special. Roger Ferris
and Ali Van Ryne on Bass and Percussion respectively are a rhythm section to
die for and Phil hit his stride from the off. He starts sitting on a chair but
can barely contain himself,
left leg banging out the tempo with a passion I
don't think I have ever seen this side of Big Bill Broonzy and then he's up
prowling around the stage like a man possessed. His guitar and harp are
wonderful and his voice has power, subtlety and a break that any singer would
give their right arm for. The Blues Pavilion crowd were in raptures and the
cries for "more" at the end of a wonderful set were heartfelt and genuine. It
was just a shame that we didn't have the time to hear more of Smokestack.
Steve Ajao
and his band had the unenviable task of following them but standing at,
perhaps, 2 metres
in height, accompanied by his beautiful '55 Fender Strat,
a voice that rumbled
like thunder in the night and a rhythm section as tight as a sergeant major's
er...drill squad, he was more than up to the job. Three encores say it all and
there would have been more but, well, the time had come to say goodnight and
grab
a coach or a taxi home. He stayed behind afterwards to "personally thank"
everyone - again, you had to be there!
If you missed Saturday night in the Charterhouse Blues Pavilion - and it was a
sell-out - you really,
really
missed something...
Many more pictures and details will be added in the coming days.
OTHER VENUE GIG REPORTS AND PHOTO'S
Follow links to the upper left or the links below.
THE BANDSTAND - SPONSORED BY BLACK's FIREPLACES
For gig reports on
Saturday Afternoon at the Black's Fireplaces Bandstand in the Charterhouse
International Blues Pavilion in Laxey Station,
click the link to the left -
BANDSTAND
- or
here
.
THE BRIDGE INN - SPONSORED BY MILLICHAPS
For gig reports on
both Friday & Saturday nights at the Bridge Inn,
click on the link to the left -
BRIDGE INN
- or
here
.
THE MINES TAVERN
For gig reports on
both Saturday and Sunday afternoons at the Mines Tavern,
click on the link to the left -
MINES TAVERN
- or
here
.
THE QUEENS HOTEL BLUES MARQUEE
For gig reports on
both Saturday and Sunday afternoons at the Queens Hotel,
click on the link to the left -
QUEENS HOTEL
- or
here
.
SHORE HOTEL - ACOUSTIC STAGE
For gig reports on
both Friday & Saturday nights at the Acoustic Stage, The Shore Hotel
click on the link to the left -
ACOUSTIC STAGE
- or
here
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