| Barikada
- World Of Music - Backstage 2007 |
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| SKOPJE BLUES
& SOUL FESTIVAL 2007
July 2007 - Skopje, Macedonia |
Skopje Blues & Soul Festival 2007
July 2007, Skopje, Macedonia
Many of blues fans and music lovers in general agree that
this year’s Skopje Blues & Soul Festival was one of the best so far and proving
once again Skopje is undoubtedly
the best in this part of Europe. Two days of great music and fabulous atmosphere
left the audience grasping for more and more it will be, but only the next
July, unfortunately! Anyway, all artists did their best and it was their stylish
variety that hit immensely. They came from USA and Europe and gave us a
glimpse of contemporary world blues agenda. Everybody had a great time, weather
was
cool, beer cold enough, artists inspired to do what was expected and all in
attendance, around two thousand of them, enjoyed every minute of the proceedings.
We could only wish it would last longer and we hope that it would happen in
the
near future.
The excellent The Nimmo Brothers from UK, Glasgow to be
precise, debuted in this part of Europe with a blistering set of original and
some great cover
material and showed why the band is one of the best on British blues scene
at the moment. Led by two guitar playing brothers, Alan and Stevie, the band
simply tore the place down and that was only the beginning! Backed by an
excellent rhythm section, two brothers traded licks and solos like possessed,
these guys
really cook, their guitar playing is nothing short of brilliant and everybody
present could not resist tapping their feet and waving hands to the band’s
material which covered a lot of bases. Strong original material is rooted
in blues tradition with enough rock elements to keep every blues and rock fan
happy throughout the set, covers included some classic stuff with Otis Rush’s
“So Many Roads” being the best to these ears. Band also performed a few tracks
from their new album “Picking Up the Pieces” which indicated slight turn
to
mainstream rock vocabulary which is always radio friendly, but not always
in peace with blues traditionalists. In any case, The Nimmo Brothers blues
rocked
the festival stage and earned well deserved encore which had everybody dancing
in the aisles and presented perfect beginning of the festival.
Topping the bill was Sherman
Robertson who did a great set
of originals and covers that appeared on his last album “Guitar Man” plus a
variety of tracks
which showed why he is one of the best blues man today. Sherman had a
great rapport with the audience which responded to anything he did with great
anticipation. Sherman calls Texas and Louisiana his home and it’s clearly evident
in his
music which originates in rich musical traditions of these US regions.
Sherman Robertson is an excellent guitar player and vocalist who chose Skopje
to
be his first date on Summer European tour and while here he usually work
with
“Blues Move”, an excellent UK band of seasoned musicians who honed their
art through countless UK and European gigs and it was quite obvious why
they were
Sherman’s choice for a backing band doing a great job all the way! Sherman
Robertson is a great blues artist who put all of him into his performance,
a musician who lives the blues and is able to transform it into an art
form and that vibe was felt in the hot Skopje night. Some of the covers he
did
were ones of the best we heard in a long while, especially his version
of “Tin Pan
Alley” full of great solos and tempo changes, spiced with great showmanship.
He walked through the audience while continuously pouring licks after licks
to everyone’s delight! He proved to be also a great person, talking to
his fans after the gig, refused nobody wanting to take a picture with him although
his shirt was dripping wet like he just stepped out of the pool! Really
cool
guy who’s set was excellent closure of the first night of the festival.
Vlatko Stefanovski Trio were scheduled to open the second
night of the festival and his blues debut gig was eagerly awaited. One of
the top guitarists
has
finally agreed to present bluesy side of his musical personality. This
kind of music has always been in his heart and 30 years and 25 albums
later, the
time was just right! All these years he played different kinds of music
as a member of the legendary “Leb i Sol” or as solo artist. Festival
venue was
crowded with his fans, blues lovers who felt something fine would happen
and all flocked to witness this exclusive moment in time. They were in
a for a
treat as Vlatko and his band presented an hour worth of classic blues
covers and originals done his way, just great. His renditions of classic stuff
featured versions of “Stormy Monday”, “Rock Me Baby”, “Spider In My Web”
and, of course,
his all time favorite “Need Your Love So Bad” via Fleetwood Mac which
he used to play with Leb i Sol a long time ago. Strong rhythm section
did an
appropriate job giving Vlatko a lot of space to stretch out, treating
blues
fans with his exemplary blistering solos. His vocals were more than
adequate unlike some of his previously recorded material, probably
singing English
is more suitable for him. In any case, his debut blues gig will be
fondly remembered
and delighted fans were there for him making it a moment in time to
be cherished for a long time.
A number of music fans came especially to witness a gig by
legendary Jan Akkerman who’s work with exceptional Focus made him one of
the
best known
guitar icons
of contemporary music and he did deliver on the said night! Backed
by impeccable band of young but experienced players, Akkerman played to
everyone’s delight.
Well structured compositions included his signature tunes with the
afore mentioned band, his rich legacy of solo work and some recently composed
themes that fit
well into the whole gig concept. His guitar playing left nothing to
be
desired, even some technical problems could not detract from the impression
of being
near of such a great player. Highlight of the evening was his calling
upon Vlatko Stefanovski to join him on a session that had everybody
on their
feet! Both traded licks, Vlatko being in awe to play along one of his
guitar heroes,
what a great finale to this year’s festival!
Great evening to be remembered as everything worked out perfectly
throughout the festival during two day festivities. Blues is alive and well
in
Skopje and that’s the only way it should be and the festival set
high standards
for future events, but we have no doubts that we can expect even
more in the coming
years.
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