Friday Evening 29th July 2011
www.maryportblues.co.uk

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Balmoral Road  -  Henrik Freischlader  -  Joanne Shaw Taylor
-  Joe Louis Walker with The Todd Sharpville Band
 

The 2011 Maryport Blues Festival took place over the weekend of Friday 29^th July to Sunday 31^st July. The main marquee was again at the Netherhall Rugby Club ground near the River Ellen. 

The event opened, as usual, with an address by the Mayor of Maryport who hoped that everyone would enjoy this year’s event.  

The first act to hit the stage was the winner of the local “Battle of the Bands” contest Balmoral Road from Whitehaven who formed in July 2010. This four piece band fronted by Emma Dockeray on rhythm guitar and vocals performed a set of mostly original material from the current EP “Save It For Suzy” including “I’ll Wait For You”, Everything Else” and “Wrecking Ball”. Covers included “Billie Jean” and “Crazy”. 

Henrik Freischlader and his band from Germany were up next, with the Maryport Festival being their only UK date. Stratocaster wielding Henrik, backed by bass, keyboards and drums, delivered a set of material from his current album and included “Longer Days”, “The Bridge” – this had shades of Robin Trower, “Bad Dreams” with the guitar and keyboards playing off one another. Covers included a fine rendition of the Fleetwood Mac classic “I Loved Another Woman” played on a honeyburst Les Paul, a fitting tribute to Peter Green one of Henrik’s heroes. The set closed with a fine tribute to Gary Moore in the form of an instrumental taking in most of Gary’s guitar mannerisms.  All in all a fine set of guitar mangling.  

Next was Joanne Shaw Taylor one of a number of female guitar players making a name for themselves on the UK blues scene. Joanne on Telecaster, backed by bass and drums, delivered a set of material from her current album “White Sugar” including “Times Come” a slow blues and “Dead and Gone” played on a Squire 51. New material was also showcased including the title track from her new album “Diamonds in the Dirt”. The audience were ecstatic when Joanne played a Jimi Hendrix cover “Manic Depression”. Henrik Freishlader joined the stage to lead the band through Freddie King’s “Going Down”.  

Closing the Friday session was the first of the USA stars, Joe Louis Walker with the Todd Sharpville Band. Todd on a Stratocaster guitar and the band of keyboards, bass and drums, opened the show with “Just Can’t Stand” and then introduced the star of the show. Joe Louis Walker using a black Les Paul guitar started off with driving slide guitar on “Tell Me Why” followed by the funky “It’s a Shame” and changing to harmonica for Sonnyboy Williamsons “Sugar Mama” featuring a high register harp solo. Other songs featured during the set included “I’m Tied”, “Ain’t That Cold” with slide guitar and “Like It This Way”. Todd Sharpville led the tribute to Peter Green “Need Your Love So Bad” with the set finishing abruptly after “Lousy Husband, Real Good Guy” as the band had run over time and had to finish. Todd Sharpville was clearly in charge of this performance, which was similar to one seen earlier in the year, and should have been billed as Todd Sharpville featuring Joe Louis Walker.
 

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