Blues-News from Germany
Welcome to bluesyou (Germany)! Here you will find regularly updated information about forthcoming festivals and tours, news from the German blues scene and more. All these topics are also covered in more detail in the online version of bluesnews magazine, with daily news and up-to-the-minute concert tips (in German language) at www.bluesnews.de.
September 2010
“Small, but precious” – that’s how the organizers of the 8th Berlin Rhythm'n'Blues Festival describe their open-air festival, which takes place on Sept. 4th and 5th in the old Charlottenburg district in Berlin. Mostly local acts such as Rumble Pie, Moody Of Ally, Doc Stringer, Kuhle & The Gang and EB Davis & Friends are scheduled to appear. Entry is free! +++ During the event Dissen skurril (Sept. 10th – 12th) the Blues will also be featured on the Town Hall Square (Rathausplatz): the German All-Star group 5 Live (10.9.) as well as Dave Specter & The Bluebirds feat. Sharon Lewis (11.9.). Dissen is located near Münster and Osnabrück, for further information call Ralf Sommermann at +49-5421-933 161. +++ Also from Sept. 10th – 12th the 17th edition of the Blues Days Schmölz (Schmölzer Bluestage) is taking place in Bavaria. Scheduled to appear are Someday Baby and Tom White & His Friends (both from Hungary), Morblues (Italy), Thorbjorn Risager (Denmark) as well as from Germany 2nd-Line & Helen’s Horns, Little Roger & The Houserockers and The Hot Rockin’ Blackbirds. +++ On Sept. 24th, the old bishop’s town of Fulda (Hesse) will host the 5th Jimi Hendrix Fan Meeting, presented by two Hendrix Internet platforms. Music will be performed by the trio Return from Thuringia, in addition to info stalls with Hendrix posters and a raffle.
One of the longest-running blues festivals in Europe is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the Lahnstein Blues Festival near Koblenz. On Sept. 25th, they’ll celebrate with Brixton Boogie (HipHop Blues from Hamburg), the Blues Company (one of Germany’s longest-standing bands), Matt Schofield from Great Britain, plus an All-Star Band assembled by drummer Pete York (ex Spencer Davis Group) specially for the occasion and featuring bassist Colin Hodgkinson (Alexis Korner, Whitesnake), singer and guitarist Miller Anderson (Keef Hartley Band, Savoy Brown, T. Rex, Chicken Shack), sax honker Albie Donnelly (Supercharge), singer Maggie Bell (Stone The Crows) and on keyboards Zoot Money (Eric Burdon’s New Animals, Kevin Coyne) and Jon Lord (Ex-Deep Purple). The show starts at 7 p.m. at the Stadthalle Lahnstein, but tickets should be booked in advance – this festival sells out every year.
O www.Schmoelzer-Blues-Tage.de
O www.lahnsteiner-bluesfestival.de
Festivals in August
The “Jazz in Town” concert series, which continues
until Sept. 12, comprises a total of 29 concerts on the open-air stage in front
of the city hall in Berlin-Köpenick. The shows on Aug. 14 & 15 are titled “Maassters
Of Boogie”, which may seem like a typo, but it’s a word play on the name of Michael
Maass, the Crazy Hambones’ drummer who has assembled a special line-up for
those dates. It includes, among others, Ray Dorset (better known as the head
& front man of Mungo Jerry), Henry Heggen, singer Jessy Martens (all of 22
years old), Betty Semper and Jan Fischer. +++ The 17th Blues, Schmus & Apfelmus festival is an unusual event in
several respects. Many of the up to 20,000 visitors on the Laubach Palace
Grounds come to the festival not primarily to listen to blues, but to savor all
kinds of drinks and dishes made from the “Official State Fruit of Hesse” – the
apple. Most of the musical offerings are from local blues bands, which means
that this festival features more homegrown talent than other event of this size
in Germany. From Aug. 20 – 22, the Hot Shot Bluesband, Blues Lick, Dieter
Kropp, the Falconz Bluesband, Dr. Mojo, Timo Gonzales, Guitar Crusher and about
ten more acts will appear in Laubach. +++ Three smaller festivals, also mostly
featuring local bands, are scheduled in the north of Germany. The Blues Open
Air Niederlehme (Aug. 6 – 8, 15713 Königs-Wusterhausen) announces the X-Hill
Stompers, Bernd Kleinow, The Crazy Hambones and others. At the Dömitzer Blues
Festival (Aug. 7, 19303 Dömitz) the Pee Wee Bluesgang, Bluesm@il, Me & The
Duckdivers and Julia Leopold are expected. And the 4th Hörbar Blues
Open Air (Aug. 20) in 14715 Milow features Engerling and the L.E. Boogie Band.
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>> Jazz in Town
Blues Festivals in June and July
One of the most unusual (and most beautifully situated) German blues festivals is taking place from June 17-20 on the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea, close to the German coast: Blue Wave. On open-air stages and in clubs in the towns of Binz, Gören, Sellin and Kap Arkona, there will be appearances by Lubos Bena & Matej Ptaszek (CZ), The Crazy Hambones (USA/GER), Boogie Matt Weavil (F), Big Daddy Wilson (USA), Boo Boo Davis (USA/NL), Keith Dunn (USA), Louisiana Red (USA) and many others. +++ The Schrozberger Bluesnacht on July 3 features Richard Bargel & Klaus "Major" Heuser, the Blues Company and Albie Donnelly's Supercharge. +++ Some of the most renowned German blues bands will appear on five consecutive Saturdays in the concert series Blues im Hof: Abi Wallenstein & Blues Culture feat. Steve Baker & Martin Röttger, the Matchbox Bluesband feat. Jessica Born, the Pee Wee Bluesgang, the Blues Company feat. Fabulous BC Horns and B.B & The Blues Shacks. The concerts take place in the beautiful courtyard of an old winery in the town of Frei-Laubersheim. You can find a comprehensive listing of this year's blues festivals in Germany incl. line-ups here: