English original versions 

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

JEAN BEAUVOIR (Sweden Stage)

His music style varies between Pop Rock and heavier Hard Rock. I did not expect to see the singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter JEAN BEAUVOIR (solo, CROWN OF THORNS, VOODOO X) on Sweden Rock. I remember this American mostly for his iconic look. Somewhere I had the album “Jacknifed” (1988). A vinyl I had forgotten, but before SRF 2022 found and played, to refresh my memory. Pumping synthesizer and the typical 80’s sound made me full of laughter, but at the same time in a very good mood. Before I went to the festival, I wondered if he still had his Mohawk hairstyle and of course he did.

In his youth he played in the Punk Rock band THE PLASMATICS. It was then Beauvoir started with his memorable, blonde Mohawk, which became his trademark. He later joined LITTLE STEVEN & THE DISCIPLES OF SOUL for two albums and toured extensively with the group. Jean’s first solo album, “Drums Along The Mohawk”, was released in 1985. Beauvoir was playing all instruments, producing and writing, except for a few guest appearances. During the years he has written many songs for movies. The American has also produced / co-written with acts such as KISS, RAMONES, NONA HENDRYX, THE PRETENDERS, LIONEL RICHIE, GLENN HUGHES and others. At Sweden Rock 2022, we saw a well-trained man, who did not seem to have aged at all.

This cool guy entered the stage, grabbed the microphone, with a long US-scarf hanging from it. With a smile, he started by singing “Are You Ready”. The question in the title felt like it was addressed to us in the audience and of course we were. Later he made a good version of “Pet Cemetery”. A little later into the concert, Jean said: “Paul (Stanley) and I did a lot of stuff together. Among other things, we did this one” and then he sang “Uh! All Night”. It was also a cool and good version. A bunch of arms were raised up in the air and many spectators sang along, at least the male ones.

JEAN BEAUVOIR has a dose of humour and gets you in a good mood. He was excited and spread his joy to the audience. Since it was a Hard Rock crowd, he performed material that had a little heavier bass and drums. Sometimes the singer lifted the entire microphone stand and held it in different poses, even when singing. On stage, Beauvoir brought with him a group of talented musicians, such as drummer Stet Howland (METAL CHURCH) and guitarist Tim Rossi (BLACKFOOT).

The track ”Feel The Heat” was chosen by Sylvester Stallone for his film “Cobra”. Jean also played electric guitar here and there, for instance in this piece. However, the song felt like a filler, or like something he did out of old habit and unfortunately the spark disappeared for a while in the middle of the show. The energy dropped, even among the audience.

Setlist consisted mostly of songs Beauvoir has written for others. I might have wished he had sung more of his solo works. However, JEAN BEAUVOIR is an entertainer and it was a very good concert. (Anna)

EVERGREY (Rock Stage)

EVERGREY are masters of dark, melodic and Progressive Power Metal. Their music is melancholy, with a burning heaviness and emotional or thought-provoking lyrics. The group’s music has depth and intensity that fascinates. The founder, singer and one of the guitarists Tom S. Englund also has a strong charisma, as well as an impressive voice that captures the listener.

The air was filled with music, first muffled in the background, before the volume became louder. People around me were talking expectantly. Soon the band members entered the stage. A slight cheering and whistlings were heard. The first rows of fans began to clap their hands immediately. It got really heavy with the initial “Save Us”, from their brand new and very good album “A Heartless Portrait (The Orphan Testament)”, which was released a few weeks ago. The drums and bass pounded so that it felt through my whole body. As usual, the frontman’s powerful voice provided a good contrast to the dark undertone in the music. Jonas Ekdahl slowly shook his long, blond hair, while playing his drums vigorously. Henrik Danhage showed his skills on guitar in a short, but fantastic solo. Rikard Zander is a brilliant keyboardist, who together with the often poetic lyrics gave life and an extra presence in the songs.

Just like “Save Us”, “Midwinter Calls” was also recorded on the new album with singing fans. Now the Sweden Rock audience had to prove that they could do it at least as well. The song contains a lot of “ooha” which is easy to sing along to, so it did not need much rehearsal at all and the fans continued even after the music had stopped. Even if it was a simple thing like that, it gave happy shivers within our bodies.

It felt like the music was pulsating over, under and through us. The singer asked the crowd if they were feeling well. A fast, strong and heartfelt “Yeah!” came in response immediately. An exquisite sound was heard from piano-like tones. Then the heavier music took over again with full force in “Distance” (from “The Storm Within”, 2016). Many in the audience automatically sang “… it’s not over. We’ll soon be closer than before…” Towards the end it almost echoed, just as Englund’s singing did when the music fell silent, which almost made me lose my breath of delight.

The music had a captivating rhythm in “Where August Mourn”, taken from their previous superb album “Escape Of The Phoenix” (2021). Johan Niemann’s bass chewed on and Englund nodded with a smile to the spectators. Headbanging erupted on stage, from all band members. Several of the fans did the same. A concert-thirsty audience shouted “hey, hey, hey, hey”. More people than I screamed with joy when the masterpiece “A Touch Of Blessing” (from “The Inner Circle”, 2004) began. In my opinion, it is one of the best songs ever made and many of us sang along, pretty much all the time. The intro was slightly shorter than on the record, but began calm, to slowly build up. Then it really broke loose as if the lightning struck, which was a wonderful outburst and all tensions were released. The guitars melody loops are absolutely lovely and they were that live too, so I thoroughly enjoyed.

Later it became impossible to stand still. I became filled with a huge, positive energy during “Eternal Nocturnal”, also picked from last year’s album “Escape Of The Phoenix”. Tom played great on his guitar. Henrik continued the solo and played so exuberantly that the notes almost tripped over each other.

Both the sun and EVERGREY's show warmed us. Danhage went out on the short catwalk at some point and played a nice solo in the evening sun. It became extra dynamic when the two guitarists stood side by side and let their tones flow down on us. The concert also had nice lighting. Even though it was bright outside, the light from some strong spotlights was visible. “To stand here feels so mighty”, Tom said as he looked out over the sea of people with a grateful smile. The band ended with the awesome “King Of Errors” from the fantastic material “Hymns For The Broken” (2014). It contained a magnificent chorus and Henrik’s quick fingers over the strings.

EVERGREY delivered a fantastic concert. The group's music thundered on with fast drum beats. It was like a light thunderstorm, but had a lighter tone and atmosphere in the singer’s melodies, which gave a cool and pleasant balance. As if to pick us up from the gloomy basement, the frontman talked and joked a bit between several of the songs. You could also notice a great joy of playing. The band and the audience gave each other energy. (Anna)

Thursday, June 9, 2022

10 CC (Festival Stage)

You could say I grew up with their music, because this is one of my mother’s favorite bands. One song that stuck was “I’m Not In Love”. It became a hit all over the world and has such a relaxed atmosphere that your mind drifts away in a nice, dreamy flow. We used to lean back on the couch, close our eyes and enjoy. That 10 CC several decades later still plays and also ended up on one of Sweden Rock Festival’s stages, it was for me unpredictable. Thanks to strong childhood memories, I was full of anticipation to see these gentlemen live.

The singer, songwriter and musician Graham Gouldman has been the band’s only constant member since its formation in 1972. 10 CC are among the most inventive and influential bands in history. This British group’s music became known for being original and to never follow any trend. They simply wrote for their own pleasure. The members did not care about image or celebrity-status. They instead worked on making highly sophisticated Rock, by combining it with Pop. Their Art Music can be described as a mix of Soft Rock and Progressive Pop.

The band consists of multi-musicians, of which more than one sings and the others do the background vocals. Together with a soft keyboard sound, it became wonderfully harmonious, which is typical of this group and was just as I remembered it. Except Paul Burgess on drums, other percussion was also made by Iain Hornal, who also played guitar, Chimes and kept the rhythm with maracas or Shaker. Some songs were sung alternately by Gouldman and Hornal, as in “The Things We Do For Love”. It’s a happy, almost cheesy piece, which the audience clapped their hands to. It made everyone in a good mood and everywhere I saw people dancing.

No song is like another one, which made it interesting. If you listened carefully, there were also many variations inside each song. Sometimes, however, the progressive parts made me lose concentration and start thinking about other things, while other times it really caught my attention.

“I’m Not In Love” became an amazing experience, just as I had hoped for. The sea of people moved slowly to the music, listened devoutly and sang along. I did the same, with my eyes closed and enjoyed. The singer’s voice seemed to sweep over us with a light echo. I almost lost my breath. This performance touched me deep inside. The applause and cheering lasted a very long time afterwards.

What better fit in the summer, an early evening, than their wonderful reggae song ”I Don’t Like Cricket (I Love It)”. The smiles spread and the mood lifted another notch. It had a wonderful rhythm. Most sang along, danced and clapped their hands to the beat. Afterwards, huge cheers and whistles were heard. The group and the following ”Donna” celebrated 50 years, so the band gathered in the middle of the stage and made an A cappella version. Again a bit cheesy, but performed with humor, so it was very fun. The drummer finished with a long and deep bass tone.

During the concert, Graham played a bass solo, followed by the guitarist’s skills on the strings, and then Keith Hayman filled in with keyboard tones. It was an excellent part of the show. What a great atmosphere it was. The audience cheered. 10 CC sometimes offered groovy Rock, but for the most part the music was very soft. I was especially impressed by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Iain, who had the strongest energy and charisma.

I may have had a little too high expectations, but felt that this was music to listen to at home, not to watch live. They are absolutely superb musicians, who set every tone where it should, but it sometimes got a little tedious, even if it was good. The taste is different and it was a mixed audience. I looked around and fascinated I saw cool hard rockers and also younger people who really digged this. (Anna)

VOLBEAT (Festival Stage)

The Danish Hard Rock band has been around for over twenty years and has released eight studio albums. The group plays a mix of Rock'n'Roll, Heavy Metal and Rockabilly. They belong to one of the best live acts and in the summer of 2022 they played again at the Sweden Rock Festival. I remember the first time I saw a concert with VOLBEAT. It was 2014, at Sweden Rock then too and before I even had heard so much of their music. Thought I would only see a few songs, but they were so amazingly good that I had to see everything. It was a big, positive surprise and experience. The music is powerful and strong, as well as both Heavy and Melodic, with a cool bass. The choruses often have a kind of warmth that spreads.

There was an expectant tension in the air. The lights from the spotlights circulated. The music pumped on and the audience cheered with outstretched arms. “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” from the superb album “Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie” opened the show. Of course, there were a few extra hands in the air when the lyrics “raise your hands” were sung. A moment into the song, the lead guitarist Rob Caggiano went with the singer and rhythm guitarist Michael Poulsen to the edge of the stage and they nodded smiling at the audience. Poulsen raised up one of his fists and a nice solo was heard from Caggiano.

The music during the concert both swung in a nice tempo and mostly had a high speed. The bassist, as well as the two guitarists, got their instruments to chew on in thick, rhythmic tones. Guitarist Rob was cool and incredibly good. You became so happy and with a big smile I moved to the beat to “Lola Montez”.

The band had invited the German Death Metal singer Marc Grewe for a guest appearance. Together with the group, he performed “Evelyn”. It is a song I do not like, because of the genre and growling.  However, many others seemed to appreciate it, so it is a matter of taste. The whole concert had a technical problem. The sound disappeared from time to time, which was a bit disturbing, but otherwise everything rolled on in the best way.

“Wait A Minute My Girl” is a funny song from the latest album “Servant Of The Mind”, which was released six months ago. In the middle of the stage, a saxophonist and a keyboardist appeared, both wearing glittery jackets. All the musicians played at a crazy speed, but in which the joy sprayed out. The adrenaline rushed on and made my body want to dance. It was just to be swept along in the cheerful Rock’n’Roll vibe. The two extra musicians appeared again, later in the show. The bassist posed wide-legged and directed the neck of his instrument upwards, while leaning slightly backwards. From the same album VOLBEAT also played “Shotgun Blues”, which they delivered with a very Heavy beginning. Caggiano produced very exuberant tones in the guitar solo.

Poulsen’s voice fits extremely well live, actually perfect. His vocals were not drowned out by the music. Sometimes he got an Elvis Presley-trembling on the deeper tones. It is not uncommon for the guy to get such a vibrato from time to time. The frontman has a characteristic voice, with an enormous lung capacity, as everyone knows. Michael sang all the way up from his stomach and his voice was clear. The guy also pushed a little extra on some concluding words, with a special raspy sound and then bit off abruptly, which sounded recognizable and cool.

The bassist and drummer pushed their playing so that it was felt throughout the body. Rob played beautiful melody loops. At one point he stood wide-legged and swung slowly with the guitar, in a large sweeping motion, from right to left. Poulsen asked: “Do you wanna seal the deal with VOLBEAT tonight?” The audience responded quickly: “Yeah!” and the piece “Seal The Deal” broke loose. The guitar solo was incredibly good. A couple of songs later, a tribute was made to the Swedish singer L-G Petrov (ENTOMBED), who died a year ago due to cancer. “Becoming” was dedicated to him and a picture of Petrov appeared in the background.

There was a pause before three encores, which became a little too long a wait, so that people even started to leave. Fortunately, most of them stayed. A deep bass drum was heard and the whole ground vibrated. Before the second song, Michael said with a laugh: “I don’t know how this will go, because we have not rehearsed it.” It was “For Evigt” he talked about, but of course it went very well. The song is fantastic and it became one of the best ones this evening. Acoustic guitar was played and it became a big sing along together with the crowd. A German guy looked at me questioningly, as the lyrics are in Danish, but I and all the other Swedes sang happily and very much out loud.

The man behind the microphone asked more than once if we felt good and of course we did, which he understood in the cheers that followed. The group had selected a good setlist of their songs. One of their biggest hits, “Still Counting”, the band could not leave us without playing, so they ended with it. Several children were happy when they got to come up on stage. It was cute done by the frontman, who made everyone start clap their hands and the audience quickly did the same. The sound of many people’s voices was heard in the Swedish summer night. Like the singer, I raised both my arms and swung back and forth with my whole upper body, as most people in the crowd did.

VOLBEAT is an absolutely fantastic live band, which always delivers good concerts, even this time. They may not have quite reached up to their own magnificent show they did at the same festival in 2014, but they did a great job. There was also a lot of pyrotechnics here and I could not help but sing along to most of the songs, so I got warm in every way, especially out of joy. (Anna)

Nightwish (Rock Stage)

Smoke poured over the stage. Music was faintly heard. Then the volume increased and Finnish NIGHTWISH made their entrance with thunder and crashes from, among other things, flames of fire, whereupon the audience cheered. The dramatic and Heavy “Noise” was the opening number and the singer Floor Jansen sang with a deeper voice, then she quickly hit the notes in the higher register, which was very nicely done. The spotlights flashed and a lot of pyrotechnics, which was a magnificent ingredient throughout the show, was not only seen but also heard.

The Symphonic Metal band’s founder and cool keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen was on the same long podium as the drummer. Holopainen really played with feeling and made almost as vigorous movements as the singer, which was great to see. “Tribal” was one of many pieces with extra varied content. Multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley switched between different instruments, for example guitar and flute. The latter in this particular piece. In some songs Troy also sang and he has a nice voice, which fits perfectly with the frontwoman’s vocals. About this particular tune you could say it was Folk Metal and the lovely rhythm of the drums brought to mind nature and mother earth.

Guitarist and original member Emppu Vuorinen moved around all over the stage. Sometimes Vuorinen stood next to the man behind the keys and played his guitar solos. The new bassist Jukka Koskinen took long strides when he calmly changed places with Emppu. Tuoma’s harmonic keyboard playing sometimes sounded like magical movie music. The singer occasionally leaned forward and spun her head around for so long that I was surprised that she did not get dizzy and lost her balance. Instead, she got up and continued to sing as if nothing had happened. Jansen alternated ordinary singing with opera in an impressive way.

“Last Ride Of The Day” was very powerful. An extraordinary performance from everyone. I lost interest in “The Greatest Show on Earth” though, which feels a little too long and it somehow became too much of everything. Overall, however, it was a very good concert and visually it was probably the most good-looking show of the year. (Anna)

Friday, June 10, 2022

ERIC GALES (Sweden Stage)

I had basically not heard anything with him before the concert at Sweden Rock and did not really know what to expect, but already from the first guitar note I was stuck. ERIC GALES created the most fantastic tones and melodies, in a super skilled way and at the same time it looked like it was very easy for him. It was not a man with an instrument, but Gales and his guitar were linked together as a wholeness.

The American Rhythm & Blues artist is from Memphis, Tennessee. He is a natural talent and is widely regarded as one of the best blues guitarists in the world. Gales picked up the guitar at age four. His older siblings taught him songs when he was young, in the style of JIMI HENDRIX, ALBERT KING, B.B. KING and others. When Eric was eleven years old he began to play at blues competitions with his brother Eugene backing him on bass. The Gales brothers signed a record deal with Elektra Records and in 1991 the debutalbum ”The Eric Gales Band” was released. Guitar World magazine’s Reader’s Poll named Eric ”the Best New Talent”. He has also won the Blues Music Award as ”the Blues Rock Artist of the Year” more than once.

Now it was time for all hard rockers to get a dose of Blues for a change. The bassist wore a white face mask throughout the concert. Maybe a little weird, but it turned out to be an extremely cool detail. He did not move much and sometimes he stood completely still, while thick, white smoke seeped out through the mask’s eye sockets and underneath. The first time it happened, I think everyone fell silent with amazement and fascination. Then the audience cheered and not only because of this, but also because of the main character in question, ERIC GALES. He started calmly, continued with a guitar solo and then it became really heavy and swinging Blues. It was super great.

There were also a drummer and another guy who played the organ on stage, as well as a percussionist, who was Eric’s wife LaDonna Gales. She had almost like her own little drum set, where she with a smile played various rhythm instruments, for example tambourine.

The cool “You Don’t Know The Blues” contained a very energetic music. We in the audience moved our feet and also danced to, among other songs, “Put That Back”. Someone next to me was playing air guitar and headbanging to these swinging tones. It became even more groovy in “I Want My Crown”, from the new album “Crown”, which was released earlier this year.

During some moments, the other musicians almost fell silent and Gales also lowered the volume of his playing. It was as if his skilled fingers got his guitar to talk to us and we listened devoutly. I sometimes found myself standing with my mouth open and there seemed to be many others in the audience who also dropped their chin in admiration. Eric disappeared into his playing from time to time, but at the same time he maintained a fantastic presence and everything was so genuine and real. The Sweden Rock audience welcomed him with open arms. The singer and guitarist was touched by the nice response he received and said: “I promise that I will come back pretty soon. I feel truly welcome. Thankyou!”

I, who usually find it boring when it is instrumental was totally surprised that it now did not matter, even though it was a lot of jamming. This was so full of life and amazing music that it was good both with and without vocals. When Eric did not sing, it was as if his guitar did that instead. I listened with interest all the time. The sun was shining and there was a wonderful rhythm in the music. The joy rushed through my body, at the same time as I became nicely relaxed. My smile remained throughout the concert. This was very impressive and one of the positive surprises of the year. (Anna)

SAXON (Festival Stage)

SAXON likes Sweden and the Swedes like SAXON. It was the tenth time the band played at Sweden Rock Festival. This legendary group are among Europe’s most successful Metal acts. In 2017, their performance was a positive surprise for me and was one of the best gigs that year. They have a timeless Hard Rock sound and are always good. That the gentlemen are getting a little older, that was not noticed on stage. Maybe the tempo and energy were not as high this year, but pretty close. As always, the contact with the audience was outstanding.

The mighty SAXON on the mighty Festival Stage became very great. Initially, the sound of a motorcycle was heard and revealed that it was the song “Motorcycle Man” that began. Immediately after followed the classics “Battering Ram” and “Wheels Of Steel”. The audience cheered, the music was cool and Nigel Glockler played very heavy on his drums.

“Strong Arm Of The Law” really rocked and the euphoria among the fans continued during “Heavy Metal Thunder”. I thought it was a fantastic concert too, even though it was better five years ago. They had a very good setlist this year. The hit songs, old and new, came one after the other. Next up was “Denim And Leather”. Every now and then during the one and a half hour long show, I looked around at all the happy people. Several cool men of all ages cried of happiness. A Swedish guy next to me said, with melancholy: “It must never end”. He thought not only of the concert, but also of the fact that the band has been around for so long that you never know when they will stop playing. Even though it is true, I thought it sounded too sad. There is no risk that SAXON will stop what they are doing for a long time to come. They still have plenty to give. Every member have enough energy and willpower to go on and on forever. Shortly afterwards, I was fascinated to see how the singer Biff Byford headbanged to “Thunderbolt”.

The band members had fun on stage and were full of energy. Paul Quinn played an exuberant guitar solo in “Never Surrender”. The other guitarist Doug Scarratt also showed his skills several times during the concert. Biff has a good voice that still holds. They dedicated “Broken Heroes” to the people of Ukraine. Later, Byford tore apart the setlist and the Sweden Rock audience got to choose songs they wanted to hear. The super cool bassist Tim “Nibbs” Carter ran around like a wild animal, with a gentle roaring and a slightly attacking style. He also went down on his knees and played.

They ended with “Power Of Glory”, but were shouted back in of an cheering crowd to do a couple of encores. The last one started with Quinn playing a fat and well-known riff. It was “Princess Of The Night”. As always, SAXON gave us Heavy Metal with full power. The singer also made me and many others laugh extra good at one of his jokes. When we all clapped to the music, looked at each other with a smile and I saw like a forest of outstretched arms everywhere, then the fellowship felt extra big. The final rating for the whole concert is very high, almost one of the best. (Anna)

Saturday, June 11, 2022

NESTOR (Sweden Stage)

They seemed to be coming from nowhere and suddenly everyone is talking about them. The Swedish Hard Rock group NESTOR was actually formed already in 1989, when the guys were 14 years old, but was disbanded after a few years. The singer, songwriter and producer Tobias Gustavsson continued with music and has worked with several big artists over the years. Last year, the band reunited and in October, their debut album “Kids In A Ghost Town” was released, which received a fantastic response. Now they were suddenly at the Sweden Rock Festival and I was very curious to see their concert.

Gustavsson has previously said that the band has always been completely clear about how they should sound. “1986 - 1989, there you have all our references such as KISS, MÖTLEY CRÜE, EUROPE. Almost everything with melodies. We have not held back, instead we have delved into details and let the music take the turns.” The other members are his childhood friends guitarist Jonny Wemmenstedt, bassist Marcus Åblad, Martin Frejinger on keyboards and Mattias Carlsson behind the drums.

It became the largest crowd ever in front of Sweden Stage. NESTOR broke the audience record with a total of almost 14,000 spectators. A huge cheering was heard even before they entered the stage. The Swedes’ new favorite band overwhelmed us with Hard Rock in the 80’s style. The choruses are very catchy, so it is easy to sing along, even if you have never heard the songs before.

The band has been successful with their singles “On The Run” and the Samantha Fox duet “Tomorrow”. These two were of course played and instead of Fox the Swedish singer Lollo Gardtman sang. The guest artist’s vocals was very good and this slow tune was nice and powerful even in this live version. Tobias has a phenomenal voice, which was also heard in “These Days”, among others. The song had a wonderful sound and Wemmenstedt was absolutely superb in his guitar playing.

During the song “Firesign” it became pyrotechnics in the form of fire, of course. The Hard Rock music was of the heavier kind. Then they played “1989”, which was the first song the group wrote. Ahead of their upcoming deluxe edition, they had a new piece, “Lose The Game”, which premiered at Sweden Rock. The audience consisted of lots of fans and I am convinced that the group got new ones, even foreign visitors, who looked completely fascinated. “This is really very good!” said a guy next to me, with a big smile. The sea of people sang along almost all the time.

From being reunited and finally releasing their first album, to standing on Sweden Rock in front of a big audience, Tobias said: “This feels unreal. Normally we work with other things, Martin as a principal and Marcus as a police officer, but today we are Rock Stars!” NESTOR are so sincerely worthy of all the praise they can receive. Their performance was even better than I had expected. The singer was full of energy. He used the whole stage and had a very good contact with the audience. I have heard their record, which is good, but the songs got much better live. The concert became a positive surprise. The members and the music felt authentic and true. They loved being there and their enthusiasm and joy spread all over us.

The frontman sat down on his knees at the edge of the stage and sang the last song. It became very atmospheric. There had been a few raindrops right at the beginning of the concert, but the music seemed to have blown away the rain and when the chorus started, then the sun shone brighter than ever. I have never before experienced such love and warmth between a band and its audience. It was totally amazing. The guys on stage were completely overwhelmed and touched. They said: “We will see you again!” Yes, I absolutely believe so. NESTOR has come to stay and they were definitely one of my favorites at this year’s festival. (Anna) 

WALTER TROUT (Silja Stage)

It was the first time I saw this legend live and it was a mighty experience. I do not know where to start or how it is even possible to describe this outstanding, magical concert. WALTER TROUT is one of the world’s best Blues musicians, with a good voice and a divine guitar playing. His music touches right into the soul. I struggled to hold back the tears, through pretty much the whole show, because it was so incredibly good.

Throughout his fifty-year career, the American Blues artist has been a member of CANNED HEAT and JOHN MAYALL’S BLUESBREAKERS and he has played together with eminent musicians such as JOHN LEE HOOKER and B.B. KING, among others. His solo career began in 1989. The latest record “Ordinary Madness” came less than two years ago. A new album is already on its way, “Ride”, which will be released in August.

It was music and lyrics that came from the heart. His guitar solos was breathtaking amazing. He played songs like “Wanna Dance” and “Almost Gone”. “Say Goodbye To The Blues” was dedicated to the memory of everyone we have lost. I felt the tears in my eyes and there were many around me crying. Of course, it was not emotional all the time. There was also a lot of energetic Blues Rock. Trout was so cool. He seemed to deliver his guitarplaying with every part and nerve in his whole body. At times, I just stood there with my mouth open in fascination. Walter also got the whole audience to sing and wanted it to be loud. With big smiles we happily screamed along.

The keyboardist did a short solo jam. Drums and bass sometimes kept a slow but strong rhythm, which pulsated through the ground and all spectators. I think the energy rushed around in everyone’s veins, both on and off stage. WALTER TROUT sometimes played so that the strings seemed to glow. I loved this concert and became completely speechless. If it had been possible, on a scale of 10 at most, then I would have given it 12! However, it is not possible to rate something this fantastic. You should just let go of all thoughts on anything else, let yourself be swept along and enjoy. (Anna)