Blues Matters at the Big Blues Festival, Southport

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Thanks also to, Charlie Hicks, Joni Fuller and Michael Woods who also gave fantastic performances on Blues Matters Little Acoustic Stage over the weekend.

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A review of the weekend by Tony Moore –

The Atkinson Theatre in Southport reflects the grandeur of Southport itself, an upmarket coastal resort from the days of Victorian splendour that has faired better than most coastal Towns .
There are two large venues inside the Atkinson Theatre as well as a large foyer area and a separate Cafe. The Staff are really welcoming and friendly, I had been a bit off colour and my stomach was a bit upset and when I mentioned it in conversation to the Chef he had someone pop out and get me some breakfast cereal and brought it around with a jug of milk, I was flabbergasted, the people who work there are First Division.

This was the location of The Big Blues Festival and what a line-up over two days for £35.00.

Friday Evening; Jon Casey Band, (great vocals and guitar backed by a good rhythm section), check them out you won’t be disappointed. Dr Feelgood headlined on Friday night and it was hard driven blues with the audience up on their feet dancing, waving and demanding more when the set was over; a successful first night.

Saturday; First up was Dan Burnett , Dan has one of those voices that you immediately take to and although I only managed to hear one song from him as I was with the Blues Matters artists in another part of the Theatre, I could have sat there and listened to his whole set, very appealing. Rosco Levee was on next, the band could have walked straight out of 1970, they’re a cool bunch, great vocals and band, Southern Rock at its best. Lisa Mills followed, Lisa is an accomplished artist and is an established name both in the USA and Europe, what you get from her is genuine Americana of the highest quality, if you want to hear the real deal go to one of Lisa Mills shows she’ll take you on a journey into the Southern States of America and it’ll be a lovely experience. Connie Lush; The Lady of the Blues; won everything; played everywhere, with the Great and the Good; Legend; and a great personality. Connie has the best female vocals in the UK for me, whether blasting out the Blues or softly laying down lyrics of the most sensitive songs like Lonely Boy, I’ve never left a Connie Lush show without feeling really uplifted, ever since Keith Latimer introduced her music to me all those years ago. Andy Fairweather Low and the Low Riders were the Headliners for the night. Another artist whose dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s of the Music Industry since the 1960s, all those hits with Amen Corner that people love to this day, but there’s so much more to him than that, great guitarist, great vocalist and a genuine personality, add that to a showman. He went down a storm.

Benjamin B Bassford, Charley Hicks, Joni Fuller and Michael Woods all played on the Blues Matters Magazine Stage all day and what an impressive new wave of young artists they are, they are the next generation of artists coming through and one of them will be playing on one of the main stages next year, the public could vote for their artist of choice in Ballot Boxes placed in the Theatre, best of luck to them all, I’d put them all on if it was up to me.

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Lastly but not least Emma Lloyd the young lady who puts the whole thing together, what a Triumph for you, it was tremendous.

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Blues Matters Magazine, Media Partners with The Big Blues Festival at The Atkinson Theatre, Southport.