W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival
June 12th - 19th, 2010
Henderson, Kentucky, United States of America
Review contributed by Ian Thomson
On the agenda of one of our members during his recent trip to the USA was to soak up as much music as he could... and that meant preferably Blues.
His festival review and other observations of the music scene in America make for very interesting reading,
Travelling through the South, Ian Thomson, wife Lorraine and Gary Harvey were caught by the local paparazzi and he found themselves in the pages of the local paper as he attended the WC Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival in Kentucky.
Ian’s review of the festival and other recollections of the trip are published below, and to read the full news article, click HERE.
Before we get to the W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival, some other notable highlights of the trip included catching Cedric Burnside (grandson of R.L. Burnside) and Lightning Malcolm at Oddies in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Cedric on drums and Lightning on guitar are like White Stripes on corn liquor.
These Mississippi boys work hard for their money… tips only and CD sales at $20.
Antones (in Austin, Texas) needs no introduction to most blues fans, and while we listened to Gary Clark Jnr. an up and coming young black guitarist with a great pick up band including Chris Layton on drums, in shuffles this little old black guy with a young white minder in tow.
It was none other than 97 year old Pinetop Perkins.
Here he was, sitting out back signing CDs and shaking hands…mine included.
What a moment.
He still plays the spots and cuts the mustard, all on a daily diet of McDonalds and cigarettes....amazing.
But the best thing I did in Austin was to visit the Austin City Limits studio on the University of Texas campus.
This is the studio where more than 500 performances have been filmed and recorded over the last 34 years.
It was incredible to stand on that same stage where all your favourite artists have performed, and who (without exception), are paid the same $500 appearance fee.
I got to rattle the ivories of the old Steinway grand piano, the same piano played by Little Richard, Fats Domino and our friend Pinetop, among many others.
At Nashville Airport I bumped into and quickly chatted with Steve Cropper.
I got an autograph too.
Hell, so would you…. Booker T and the MGs, Green Onions, The Blues Brothers, Mussel Shoals. WOW!!!!
We also attended a birthday party for a good friend of ours and for the last few years Jimmy La Fave and his band along with Spencer Thomas’ band have provided the music.
Jimmy is a renowned Texan song writer and he amusingly recall’s his visit to Whangamomona a few years ago: “I got asked to a hangi and was scared to hell….I thought they meant a hanging.”
So, to the festival...
Known as the friendliest of the Blues Festivals, the W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival is held annually in Henderson, Kentucky.
My early internet research meant that making it to this Festival was a must, given the star line-up.
In its 20th year, this festival is, FREE, runs from Saturday to Saturday and along with the music there are street BBQs, a Parade, Poker Run, tennis tournament, blues workshops and the wonderful, ongoing, Blues in Schools (National) program.
Amazingly, the festival is organised, staffed and funded by dedicated teams of volunteers, sponsors and returning artists.
A lot of the performers donate their small fee or CD sales to this “Keep it Free” festival.
The contribution buckets circulate among the crowd only a couple of times a day.
The people are incredibly welcoming and friendly.
Some lay out their spot with camp chairs during the day to return later at night.
Most leave their chairs for the next day without any theft or squabbling.
Try that here.
We won the “come the furtherest” award (a TShirt) and were interviewed for a local newspaper article.
Now… to the music.
The 2010 line up included Doug MacLeod, Cedric Burnside and Lightning Malcolm (yes from Oddies back in Hot Springs,) Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Albert Castiglia, Kenny Neal, Tab Benoit, Otis Taylor, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Shemekia Copeland and Joe Louis Walker…..and that’s just the headliners.
See now why this Festival was a must?
We attended just the Friday and Saturday, and for me, Kenny Neal, Shemekia Copeland and Tab Benoit were outstanding.
Those bands just nailed their stuff….nobody elses…..no 20 hearty hits here or talking trash. They kicked butt…working the crowd of 15,000 up to levels of excitement I didn’t know existed with your clothes on.
I was up the front rocking like there was no tomorrow…..my heart was pumping like a Nascar on moonshine.
It was such an incredible experience.
However, in my view, Blues has become “White Man’s” music and if wasn’t for “White people” the blues would die.
The young Black population now have little to no attachment or empathy to the blues.
Their urbanised voice is through hip hop, RnB, and the likes.
Whitney, a young, beautiful black college graduate we met, genuinely thought that the Beatles invented Rock and Roll.
Look at all the current leading Blues exponents……the majority are White.
Look at the crowds at Festivals, gigs and record stores……they’re White too.
What does concern me though, is that the White audience and fans are rapidly aging.
The challenge being now to attract young people.
Many fans I spoke to in the US agree.
Ian is a current Auckland Blues Club member and is one of the major driving forces behind The Flaming Mudcats.
