Rockin Boogie Blues at the Perth Blues Club

Rock Boogie Blues Show

Mike de Velta, Dave Gillam & On the Level, The Lethals

Perth Blues Club 18th October 2011
…
Get ready to bop until you drop !!

This awesome line-up is guaranteed to have even the most reluctant of dancers up on their feet because one thing’s for sure, boogie music is highly infectious and known to warm the coldest of hearts.
Originating back in 1916 when piano boogie woogie was the rage, it has morphed several times through the blues and in to rock and roll. Oh! and let’s not even think of that pop/disco boogie that denigrated its name!! What you have here is the raw intensity of that pulsating, shuffle rhythm or groove, made for artists like John Lee Hooker, Status Quo & ZZTop.
Now that’s what we call BOOGIE!

London-born MIKE DE VELTA sets the standard with his mix of Acoustic Boogie , with intoxicating originals and Classic Blues standards, whether playing his lap slide, ukulele or any of his acoustic guitars.
Some songs are more subtle than others but once he slips in to gear, Mike knows only one way to deliver and that’s with full-intensity, flat-strap.

The boogie really comes into its own when DAVE GILLAM & ON THE LEVEL hit the stage.Perth’s premier rockin’ boogie band, led by frontman Dave Gillam, ON THE LEVEL dish outa dose of the Blues that will have even the most healthy hospitalised! These guys have certainly raised the bar over the past few years and are in hot demand from far and wide.Crowd favourites at the Perth Blues Club, Mojo’s & Bridgetown Blues festival, they neverdisappoint their audiences. The electrifying hot licks from guitarist Paul Fitton,
local legend Bill Blisset on boogie piano duty and a tight rhythm section of Jim Awram on bass and Ian Ironside on percussion, rounded out with Dave’s strong and husky vocals.Rockin’ Boogie Blues never sounded so good!
But there’s more! Having relocated from Canberra, band leader “Lethal” Leigh Miller has relaunched his band
THE LETHALS on the West Coast and prompted immediate positive feedback from discerning local audiences.
The band plays high-energy rock/blues fusion in the same vein as ZZ Top, with a show that blows your mind
musically and gets you toe-tapping and finger-drumming until you give in and rock out on the dance floor.
Ric Whittle (ex-Vdelli) holds down the boogie rhythms along with Leigh on Bass admirably and
young guitar virtuoso, Tane Tarrant, rips into the riffs like there’s no tomorrow.
This is a Rock Boogie Blues Show for the memory banks.
Don’t let the opportunity to catch a dose of it pass you by.
So Grab hold with both hands and get ready to be taken on the ride of your life.

Once bitten with the boogie bug, there’s no turning back!
You might as well enjoy it whilst you can because your life will never be the same again.

Guaranteed!

Derek Cromb

Announcer on “Play The Blues”, 89.7 FM (Twin Cities FM)

Perth Blues Clubs Festival of Fret Review by Marcus Schultz

Festival of the Fret
By Marcus Schultz

Yes, the annual Perth Blues Club’s Festival of the Fret came and went last Tuesday on the 18th of November but it was definitely a night that will not soon be forgotten.

The first act eased the Club into its biggest night yet with the solo acoustics of Mike de Velta. His set combined a handful of original compositions as well as a mix of traditional blues standards. In an unusual fashion Mike played a 12-string electric acoustic as if it was a lap steel guitar for a number of songs from his extensive repertoire.

He played a few upbeat songs such as Room with a View, Red Dress and The Sailor Song with an instrument not too often seen as the Blues Club, a ukulele. For Life’s Like That he produced a harmonica and proceeded to accompany himself with his 12-string guitar (now played normally).

Mike de Velta finished up with two blues cover songs, Tony Joe White’s As the Crow Flies and a traditional blues titled You Gotta Move.

The house band consisted of an all-star line up with Bob patient on piano an organ, Wayne Freer on Bass guitar and Ric Eastman on drums. Backing Gerard Maunick, Mal Eastick and Lindsay Wells all on the same night, the house band seemed to have had their work cut out for them, but they didn’t seem fazed at all.

The next act, always a crowd pleaser, was Gerard Maunick. He and the house band jammed out some reggae, rock and blues numbers.

Some highlights of the set included South Bound, Back to the Crossroads, a rolling blues tune which drew a large crowd to the dance floor and Suzy Q.

The 12 bar blues shuffle that is Across the Border illuminated Gerard’s mastery over the guitar as well as demonstrated the raw talent that Bob Patient possesses.

Just before the band played their last number, Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower, Gerard announced that they actually hadn’t had time to rehearse their set, but who could tell?

Mal Eastick is widely considered as Australia’s premier blues musician and who could argue? His style is a marvel to watch and is even more amazing to hear.

Mal played a set of all instrumental blues off his two albums The Southern Line and Spirit with a few covers thrown in. Mal opened with a song for his song entitled Blues for Aaron, followed with The E St Blues and then slowed things down with the sensitive Times Like These.

Mal paid tribute to two of his biggest influences by playing Lenny from the catalogue of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddie King’s I’m Going Down to San-Ho-Zay.

After playing a few more of his songs such as Two Love, The Jungle Funk and Swept Away, Mal ending with the fast and distorted Jumping with Stevie.

Finally, the time had arrived that we’d see one lucky winner take home the Fender Squire guitar signed by Gerard, Lindsay, Matt Taylor and others as Mal drew the winning ticket. Unfortunately, Dennis Raditch (apologies if I spelt that wrong) was absent from the Club on the night, however, I’m sure he got the best phone call of his life a bit later that week.

Having just flown back to Sydney I think it’s safe to say that Perth audiences will be waiting anxiously for Mal’s return to WA next year.

Lindsay Wells, a favourite at the Perth Blues Club was back again to mesmerize the audience with his natural talent and incredible stage performance.

Some highlights of Lindsay’s performance included Sugar Coated Love, ZZ Top’s La Grange and  Jimi Hendrix’s Red House and Hey Joe where he played his guitar behind his head and between his teeth.

The final song of the night was something very rare and a real treat to see; Lindsay Wells invited Mal Eastick on stage to wrap up the festival. Together they played through a brilliant cover of Crossroads (also called Cross Road Blues) written by the late, great Robert Johnson and as performed by Cream.

After the applause of the audience died down, Lindsay and Mal played a slow blues encore in E, I’m in the Mood by John Lee Hooker.

The only thing that went through my mind as I left the was how are they going to top The Perth Blues Club’s Festival of the Fret next year?

Festival of the Fret at the Perth Blues Club

Awesome night at the Perth Blues Club playing the annual “Festival of Fret”. A full house of happy punters and the rocking sounds of Mal Eastwick, Lindsay Wells, Gerard Maunick and yours truly Mike de Velta.
I got to say seeing and hearing these other great artists was a real joy, what impressed me was the distinctive tone each of these artist possessed, , while each wielded their own stratocasters each was unique and deeply personal.
Tone, tone, tone….yummy!

Perth, WA – 11/18/08

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About

Voted Best Blues Artist of 2011 by Global Thunda Network, Mike De Velta's intoxicating compositions 
and performances are constantly on the move. A rich showcase of modern delta, slide and piedmont 
blues expressed with a hint of the Eastern through the shimmering and delightful tones of lap slide, resonator and acoustic guitars.

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