South of France Blues: Cahors Blues Festival

So you couldn't get there eh? Well that's too bad. You missed something really good and you MUST MUST MUST make sure you are in Cahors next July. It truly is a great blues festival and I can say, from first hand experience, that I heard more good blues music in Cahors than I did in Memphis, Tennessee.

If you did get there then I hope these ramblings will help you to re-live one of the best Blues festivals in France.

Cahors is a majestic town built on a horseshoe bend of the river Lot which meanders leisurely through wide valleys and steep gorges eventually running into the Garonne.

It’s architecture is typical of the region. It’s many narrow streets and secluded squares fashioned from its rich and varied history. Within the centre ville it cannot be much more than 20 or so paces between cafes and restaurants where one can while away an hour or so with a cafe crème or a cool beer, or enjoy some of the fine cuisine and excellent wines for which the region is famed. And, if that is not enough, there are dozens and dozens of interesting little shops selling everything from boutique cloths to local produce, or even a house if you like!

Within the town the festival was extremely well advertised. Barely a shop or billboard did not display a poster listing the main events to take place during the week. However, a major omission was that none of advertising gave any clue to where the Blues Festival was to be held, and for this reason we missed the opening (free) show of Loïc Hula Boy. Bearing in mind that Hula Boy did not provide a highly amped show the only way that we found the 'Blues Village' was when we saw a display of perhaps a hundred Harley Davidson’s, and being drawn to these, we then saw the entrance to the concert area.

Very fortunately we did not miss the second act on a very hot and humid (35c) Saturday evening. For, what did not sound too inspiring in the programme turned out to be a cracking performance by young Vicktor Huganet.

Saturday 10 July

Viktor Huganet (French)

My initial reaction to Viktor, as he went about preparing for the off, was that he looked like a nice boy with early George Michael bleached streaks in his hair and a chin as smooth and fair as a baby’s bum. In no way was I prepared for an exceptional performance by an all round good rocker. Although I was pretty impressed with his Gretsh White Falcon semi-acoustic guitar. Very nice.

Supported by a Max Headroom look alike on drums and a resistance fighter on bass they did look an odd bunch .... but a very good odd bunch they were. A definite 'son of Setzer'!

The label said he sounds like Eddy Cochran and ‘just like Eddy’ he was, punching out song after song from the late 60’s / early 70’ in a style that could have matched the King himself. "Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie", "Mystery Train", "That's Alright" and stuff I have forgotten because I was having such a good time. All three are fully competent musicians who clearly enjoy what they do. As I looked around the audience it was hard to find anyone who was not foot tapping or clapping to the many songs that were so good to hear again and so good to hear done well.

Well done Viktor - a real good rocker – I’ll definitely get to see you again.

Malted Milk (French)

Malted Mi lk are a blues band I had noticed, and read about, on the Dixie Frog Records site and one that I had marked as a ‘must see’. From the hand of Robert Johnson, and then popularised by Mr Clapton, Malted Milk is a classic blues track - and these boys did the name proud.

First of the paid shows, and to start at 9pm, the setting sun did not provide any relief from the heat that radiated from the ground, the walls, the railings, even the air that seemed in short supply. Fortunately the beer, at 2 euros a plastic beaker, was ice cool. Yeh!!!

Three guitars (lead, rhythm, and bass), keyboard, drums, and a couple of brass (sax and trumpet) supplied the sound with Arnaud Fradin (also lead guitar) and Yann Cuyeu (rhythm guitar) providing most of the vocals.

The band work well together and, at the same time, interact with the audience during their powerful, first class, two hour session.

The mix of Mississippi, Chicago, and West Coast blues were all given an added ingredient – Malted Milk – and I really was very disappointed when their time was up.

Although each and every one of the band gave a brilliant performance, in my opinion, worthy of special note was the drummer Gilles Delagrange who I thought was inventive whilst still providing a deep pulsing beat with enviable concentration. The final beat of the show drained the last of his massive energy, running down his arms and into the battens, whereby he simultaneously let go of the sticks and sprang up and in the same motion made strides away much in the same way a weight lifter would do after just completing his record lift – needing to wind down such tremendous physical and mental energy.

Now marked as a ‘must see again’.

Popa Chubby (USA)

The late night show, sponsored by Harley Davidson, was the man that fills the stage with his size and presence. When he entered on stage I took a double take cos’ he looked just like my mate Tank wearing a spotted tea-cloth on his head!

Popa opened the show with an elongated version of “Hey Joe” – a brilliant track which set the scene for what was to come – and during which he became a fountain of perspiration that burst from him at the same rate as his repertoire of heavy rock music. A bikers dream!

Improvisation in music is what makes Blues so diverse and interesting, enabling the artist to put his soul into his sound, but I do find some over extended versions difficult to follow and I loose the drift of the original tune. Yes, I may be a pleb but at the same time, I was left in no doubt whatsoever that this man Popa Chubby knows how to squeeze every note known to man out of his well worn guitar.