SBG BLUES BLOG

Ratings: S - Sound, A - Audience, P - Personal, F - Food/Drink

	Datum		Ratings SAPF		Venue		Comments and Stories
Januar 2009
	10.01		81087		Mario's Pub		Fun gig - check out the videos on YouTube.
	15.01		7788		Consortium		Tricky one. The guy who was supposed to do some organising didn't do......
	16.01		8889		Rock Café		Roots gig with hospitable lower saxons!
	17.01		7771		Finnegan's Irish Pub		My amp failed on this one but the blues were spread in the irish pub scene.
	30.01		8788		Big Mama-Live**		Down by the river in the middle of Germany. Worked out well.
	31.01		8888		Zum Uhu**		Definate lack of guests at the beginning but the evening developed.
Febuar 2009
	03.02		8788		Landhaus Ewich**		Good that we had the satmap to avoid the roadblocks. Civilised gig.
	04.02		9689		Kulturrampe**		The 6 for the audience is due to the lack of attendance. Otherwise this was a near perfect gig.
	05.02		0000		Mausefalle**		This did not occur because of neighbour intolerance. However, the guy organising the gig didn't put us in the picture, we found out by chance. Arsehole.
	20.02		7888		Gasthaus zur Liske		Bringing the blues to the backwaters of Thuringen. Very nice too.
	28.02		7788		Tir Na Nog		Back one more time in this rustic pub. The unplugged set is always a mover.
März 2009
	01.03		7888		Zum Gerucht		Fairly excitable scene here on the otherside of Dresden. Starts off with drunken complaints - well at least you notice the audience.
	07.03		7777		Billy’s Irish Pub		Pleasant sort of place. Irish pub blues is on the increase.
	09.03		7578		Alte Nikolaischule		The biggest excitement here was trying to avoid the parking ticket. For some gigs parking has become a real hassle.
	13.03		8998		Rainers Rockhouse**		Old school scene - you know what I mean. Good gig.
	14.03		8888		Black Raven**		Nice to enjoy the Hoyerswerda air.
	19.03		8880		Blues Bar		Probably the best shot at this place also see 09.03 above.
	28.03		8989		Kremmener Blues Nacht**		Enjoyed this one. Real stage, lights, etc. Did the duo thing and had the place rocking.
April 2009
	04.04		8888		Blues Bar		The background singers from last year didn't turn up! Aaah. Still there were some good videos to watch.
	11.04		7885		Cafe Tasso		This was two short acoustic sets of original material. Worked well.
	12.04		8888		The Ranch*		This was one of the first 'east' type experiences back in the nineties. Almost feel nostalgic.
	16.04		7777		Kofferfabrik		Low key situation. Can't win them all.
	18.04		8888		3 Eck (Honky Tonk)*		We were doing fine until the police arrived and asked us to turn the volume down. Still we persevered till two in the morning.
	24.04		8788		Schwarze Sau		Not the most obvious place to play blues.
	25.04		8888		Big Ben		Bit slow.
	29.04		8998		Cha Bah**		This was a good one. After a long tedious 700 km drive to get such a reception was wonderful. A real blues oasis.
	30.04		8888		dolder2 KultUhrBeiz**		We helped out here with the jam session and had a good time.
Mai 2009
	01.05		8888		Pickwick**		T thought this was the best one on this tour. He enjoyed the contact to the public.
	02.05		8899		Tschuppi‘s**		Back at Tschuppi's.
	03.05		8888		Paddy O’Briens**		Neat scene.
	08.05		8888		Marstall		Off the wall. Murder in the air.
	14.05		8888		Pegasus		Spreading the word in Gera.
	15.05		8880		Postkult e.V.		Neat student gig. Very successful.
	21.05		8888		Smugglers		The lodgings were a bit dodgy. Also a slight lack of audience.
	23.05		8888		Batty Baristas		Packed all evening. Went well.
	31.05		8888		Funambules		Packed all evening. Went well. Met some fans from Eislingen (see 08.05).
Juni 2009
	06.06		8888		The Ranch		Good old ranch. Just about covered the bar sound wise. First time here solo but it was fine.
	09.06		8888		Ol‘ Man River		Poke my toe in the baltic waters. Good stuff.
	12.06		8888		Kneip-Pub		New place, new area. And they didn't ask for Niell Young. Wonderful!
	13.06		8880		Schrääg Rüber		Actually, I was a bit of a side show to some football club do. But I got some couples dancing.
Juli 2009
	04.07		8888		Shamrock		New place, new area. And they didn't ask for Neil Young. Wonderful!
	14.07		8888		Atlantik		Another of my old haunts, which have proved useful over the years.
	30.07		8990		Schrottgalerie		This is proof that acoustic gigs (zero amplification) can be a lot of fun. My mate Manfred was impressed.
August 2009
September 2009
	05.09		7775		Pointers*		The landlord could hardly stop bitching the whole evening. 'The worst Honky Tonk ever' (translated). We worked our rocks off till 2.20 am to no avail. The frustrated millionaire had the same litany of complaints he had at 10.00 pm. The beer was good though.
	20.09		7680		9. Jazz & Blues Award Berlin 2009*		Jazz musicians just don't get it when it comes to slide guitar. This self-fulfilling set-up for some music journalists and critics took a very 'early jazz' frame of blues for its criteria. The deserved winners, with my old Hamburg street mate Henry Heggen on harp, did manage to bend the jury's ears enough for a more conventional take on blues. However, some of the criticism at the award giving was extraordinary and showed a complete lack of understanding of blues music. Incidentally, this was Niklas Nesselhut's (Vegieman - V) last gig with us. It has always been a mystery how the 'king-of-the-left-hand-shuffle' is such a disinterested arshole on stage. If you have a gift and you have learned and developed this gift, why is it such a drag to show this on stage and entertain people with this ability. Here's a drummer who does not want to be part of the entertainment industry, which is unusual.
	25.09		7770		JWD**		The duo thing worked pretty well. The lovely lass behind the bar was well pleased.
	26.09		9999		Fabrik**		Good fun.
Oktober 2009
	03.10		8880		Mario's Pub**		Mario's has become accustomed to live music but we still cut the mustard.
	17.10		8888		Kunsthof Gohlis		Neat place but Dresden is always tricky. They have their own scene which is like an artistic biosphere so to speak. Also be careful of the jam scene - I managed to avoid it.
	22.10		Paderborn		8898		Place for the 'New Stranger Blues'. Fairly pleasant, cool landlord.
November 2009
	07.11		Wismar		8868		Honky Tonk scene here. Covered 'House Of The Rising Son' for the first time in about 40 years. DJ fella from Antenne MeckPomm was cool. Perfect logistics, with a lift and wonderful wine cellar caves.
	13.11		Sarstedt		8989		Another friday the thirteenth in Sarstedt. Played without my beret - terrible. It had fallen down behind the Marshall without me noticing. Nice little sing-a-long.
	14.11		Sulingen		8888		'New Stranger Blues' was the right song. Neat gig out in the sticks in the only town with a resophonic guitar festival in germany. Home made spaghetti was on the menu - not sure I noticed the difference.
	24.11		Wasserburg		8989		This was packed with mainly mentally disabled blokes. Although the noise level during the music was quite high, it did not seem to detract from the appreciation. Enjoyed this one.
Dezember 2009
	04.12		Apolda		8989		This place is carrying on some musical traditions in this part of the world. Lot of young people - which is always good; had alittle jam with one of the lasses 'Hit The Road Jack'. Came across a pizza which was enjoyed.
	10.12		Emden		8889		The trip was worth it. Although the best part was the after show party. What songs can you sing together with a 23 year old? Very impressive christmas lights on the boat in the harbour. Day after saw the last launch of a boat from the shipyard. Hard hats, hard times.
	11.12		Wittingen		88109		One more time in down-town Wittingen.
	12.12		Frankfurt a. d. Oder		7868		B played the first set solo, then an irate T turned up for the rest of the evening. Found out that 'Under The Boardwalk' is definitely not a sing-a-long thing.
	19.12		Themar		8898		Drive was a hassle. Windscreen washers had frozen up but amazingly no snow in the valley - Weretal. There was one of my 15 year old posters up on the wall - strange.
	26.12		Deesbach		9898		This was challenging for my solo sound gear. The room - about 300 m2 - had an incredible hall echo. Came across the east german Niel Young problem again. Much as I like the guy's music, the ability to cover his stuff is just not there. Also he has very little to do with blues! In the west there is a similar problem with Johnny Cash, good job I can play Pete Gavin songs. Not a bad year for Pete Gavin blues - lets see what 2010 brings; Seasons greetings to all (?) my readers.

*Pete Gavin & shAnghAi blues gAng.

** Pete Gavin & Pick Stevens aus Shanghai.