Why Do They Call It Bluesfest?!?!?!?!?!?

Over the weekend a big gust of wind blew over the mainstage at the Ottawa Bluesfest.  It was while Cheap Trick was playing.   According to this article (click HERE) no one was hurt.  I must admit that when I first read Cheap Trick playing at a blues festival I was a little taken aback, then I looked at the whole festival list. I must admit it is huge, but the majority of the performers are not blues.  Take a look here for the full list of performers.  In fact if you read this article about the festival you wouldn't know it was a blues festival.  You wouldn't even know that BUDDY GUY was playing!!!!  I know the blues are hurting, but if you are going to have a blues festival wouldn't you have blues bands?????  If you know the answer to this perplexing question please let me know.

You Got To Be Kidding!!

Okay, hype is one thing, but this is ridiculous. There is a band from Knutsford England, Blues and Snake, that is some sort of combo of thrash metal, blues, (trust me barely blues, but it is in there especially the song dirty women from their myspace page. Of course dirty woman starts out okay, until the guy sings and ruins it, and I thought the Germans couldn't sing! ACK!!! It reminds of the German punk band Labach from the 70s.) However, it is the article from Manchester Evening News that really bothered me. First, why call them anything close to a blues band or a slice of delta blues like the title. If this is the future of the blues, then it is time to put the blues out of its misery, because this is NOT THE BLUES. I sorry, I actually understand the teen angst thing, and the need for loud screaming obnoxious music, but kids, stick to the punk, and metal, and leave the blues to the old guys. Second, why all this crap about Robert Johnson! For the Millionth time it was TOMMY JOHNSON who sold his soul to the devil not Robert. Here is what David Sue wrote about the band.

But much like Jack and Meg White, Blues& Snake know that when it comes to SERIOUS blues music, you have a duty to create your own sense of dark, twisted theatre. These four, pasty-white kids, who hail originally from glamorous Knutsford, transplant the listener to the mythical crossroads where Robert Johnson made a pact with the devil.

Serious Blues music!!! Oh please! Get over yourself. 90 percent of blues, is music to chase the blues away. WTF is this creating a dark twisted theater about?????? Serisouly, Dave, get the history straight. Dont be so damn lazy, and just pull things, as they say in jolly ol England, OUT OF YOUR ARSE, . BTW, if you want to know what the lyrics for Crossroads is really talking about, and the true story of Robert Johnson then read this POST.

However, we can't let the kids off easy. Here is a quote from the article from them:

"The best blues is all about putting on an act,'' says the band's guitarist Paul Vickers. ``It's all about drawing the listener into your world. Of course, we're not 100-year-old bluesmen who hang about with prostitutes! We're 20-year-olds from the north of England. But it's important to create a world which draws people in. It's all quite tongue-in-cheek what we talk about in our songs.''

HUH?!??!?!?!?!?! Putting on an act?!?!?? Okay, maybe Elwood, and Jake Blues were putting on an act, BUT THEY WEREN'T REAL. Clapton??? Is he putting on act?? BB???? Muddy???? hmmmmmmmmm. Putting on a show, yes, putting on an act no. I can see your confusion, I mean the Stones, and Zeplin were putting on an act when they did blues song, but the real deal bluesman, no way. Furthermore what is the bit about 100 year old bluesmen and prostitutes??? hmmmmm, must be an English thing.

I think the bottom line, is that you need to respect the music, respect the players who came before you, and respect the history, because if you don't then you are just another rock/metal/punk band pretending to be a blues band, and trust me guys, people who know and love the blues don't take kindly to posers.

UPDATE

Check out the comments. Ash from the band has corrected information from the reporter. Like always the guy who wrote the story waxed a little too poetically about the band, and added quotes that they didn't say, or that they called themselves a blues band. I like the kids honesty, and I also realize that reporters are pretty lazy. Like I always say, if you like something don't rely on the critics. BUY THE CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tom