Durham Blues Festival

It was looking like the East Coast Blues Festivals were having a major shake-up for 2018. The closure of Cleethorpes' Pleasure Island has forced a change of venue, moving it's festival to Moon On The Water n town and it has also seen this part paired with a Stamford o the 17th & 18th June. However, all is not lost for Solid Entertainments' longest running festival:-

In 2018
The Durham Blues Rhythm & Rock Festival
Is moving to a new venue.

“In its 8th year, we wanted to be in a position to accommodate a larger audience for the North East’s largest Blues Festival”, so it will now take place at

Rainton Meadow Arena
(6 miles from Durham City Centre Rainton Meadows, Mercantile Rd, Houghton le Spring DH4 5PH)
on
Saturday June 23rd 2pm - 10pm

Acts to be announced shortly

Early Bird tickets at £26;  Limited number for a limited time.
http://www.durhambluesfestival.co.uk
http://www.solidentertainments.com

Edit 15/1:- Headliner announced as Climax Blues Band
Edit 22/1:- Also confirmed Chantel McGregor + Felix Rabin
Edit 24/1:- Groundhogs + Stevie Nimmo Trio
Edit 22/3:- Kris Barras Band

June 22nd - Chilton County Hotel; Rainton (between Durahm & Sunderland)

I don't know why, but the Durham Blues Festival always seems to come with it's own little set of dramas; bands dropping out due to injury or personal reasons causing schedule to be re-jigged or last minute (and high quality) replacements stepping in to the breach. This year though stepped it up a notch; the usual regular home, Durham's Gala theatre it seems didn't want this as an annual fixture; the first choice alternate venue, Rainton Meadows Arena it seems is up for redevelopment so that left Chilton Country Hotel, fortunately only a mile or so away from Rainton Meadows as fall back venue, but they rose to the occasion magnificently.

Theirs is a long function room, stage at the car park end and cabaret-style table seating easily handling the 200 or so audience as well as feeding them with some reasonably priced and tasty smelling nose-bag. Considering not the highest of ceilings from my vantage point the sound was really quite good especially considering the number of band change-overs and sound-checks to be done over the day the soundman did an amazing job. As for the stage, not very high, or all that big, but it coped, everybody pitching in to help everybody else. If there was a grumble to be had, its down to the lighting; the back of the stage wasn't solid wall, but curtained window, south facing, curtained window, and the few lights available weren't on a par with mid-summer sunshine so at times, the bands looked lie they were in silhouette. Still, it's the music that counts.

First up were newcomers to the UK scene Felix Rabin & band. Felix is a young, French guitarist & songwriter, who, with his Italian backline (Nico on drums & Vincenzo on bass) have been making inroads in London clubs over the last year and now starting to come "down our roads". A really polished set combining power standards and original material with their own twist.

Following Felix, and making a rare early performance was the Stevie Nimmo Trio, still featuring Dave Devlin on guitar, and for "one afternoon only" Wayne Procter on the drum stool. Stevie may still be undergoing physio  on the arm but it hasn't diminished that awesome voice of his. However signs are good for the guitar playing as he managed to strap one on for The Storm and set closer Going Down.

Then it was the turn of rising star Kris Barras Band to take the stage and he just blitzed the place and earned the 1st ovation of the day at the end of a powerful set which spanned his albums as well as takes on Stormy Monday and All Along The Watchtower. This really does deserve the rave reviews he's been gathering since breaking out over the last couple of years.

If any band defines the term "heavy blues", than it has to be The Groundhogs, in this case Ken Putselnik's Groundhogs, A powerful set of heavy, driving, space blues from the veterans. A lot clearer and melodic than I'd have first given credit for though I noticed sound levels creeping up for their closer, the mighty Cherry Red.

How do you follow a set like that? Leave it to Laurence Jones & the band; once Bennett Holland got his mighty Hammond show-horned on stage, they were off and flying; within two numbers they even had folk up dancing!! And even then, they just kept cranking it up, a bouncing Before You Accuse Me and then Laurence throwing back his own take on Watchtower. Again, at the end of the set the audience were on their feet for the 2nd ovation of the day.

So then, a change of style, from the power to the more progressive but with equal amounts of sheer talent, Chantel McGregor took the stage with her boys, Adam on bass & Ollie on drums and laid a set that Joe Satriani or Robin Trower would have been proud of. And still she teases with "new album" promises....

That for me was the end of the day, I need to get back to my coffin before sunset.... Climax Blues Band closed the festival and I'm sure they did a sterling job but 4 of the best British bands, one legend and a bright new flame from the Continent made me a happy chap.

What's in store for the 9th Durham Blues festival, I don't know. After this I hope there is one, if not, then it's been a worthy swan-song. Chilton County provided a very good venue at the last minute but they might be tied for audience numbers. Whether Durham Gala will relent and change their mind for next year, well fingers crossed but it has to be said, their music roster over 2018 hasn't exactly sparkled......

Video to follow.....