THE 5th ANNUAL VICTORIA R&B FESTIVAL
- by Niki Neff -
Issue #57 - Cosmic Debris Musicians Magazine - March '98
What to do on a Saturday in February in the
gorgeous city of Victoria? Stand in line for hours
to see Da Vinci, or spend less money for a good
cause and hear some of the best Blues this town
has to offer? Sorry Leo.
Grabbing my sweetie, a notebook and my
camera, we set off for Victoria's Blues House.
Out Of The Blue was already rocking the
house when we got there. It was a treat to finally
get the chance to hear the band I'd already heard
so much about. The first set of the day is never
the easiest, but this band made it look effortless.
With the strong vocal of Sheldon McCurdy and
the great vocals and harmonies from Norm
Piercy, Brent Hutchinson, Don McGillivray and
Mike Trepanier, it's not surprising to learn Out Of
The Blue has been selected as one of the
winners of this year's Rocktoria.
Even though they were all running in opposite
directions, with most of the band having other
gigs happening in the afternoon, then having to
set up for a gig that night at The Yacht Club, I did
get a chance to have a chat with Brent. He let me
know how pleased they all were to be able to play
at this year's Festival, and reminded me about
the upcoming Folk Festival at Providence Farm.
(the 15th anniversary of the Folk Festival is this
year! Where does the time go?)
Next up, Bill Lasalle & The Fenders Benders
burned up the stage with their brand of Blues and
Boogie Woogie. At one point during the set, Bill's
fingers flew so quickly across the keyboard I was
surprised they didn't burst into flame! With
Charlie Cooper on guitar, Matt Vause on drums
and Larry Lawrence on bass, they were a
definite crowd pleaser. Check this band out for
yourself March 19 at Millenium Jazz Club.
The part of Hot In The Shade was played by a
power trio who suspiciously resembled
Roxxlyde. Often referred to as "The Rolling
Stones of Victoria", and one of my long time
personal favourites, these guys stepped in at the
last second to help out. (get better soon Gavin!)
Always a treat to see and hear them!
Congratulations to guitar player Bob Belknap's
parents celebrating their 50th Wedding
Anniversary!
In between the music and the madness, I
managed to spirit John Fisher and Scott
Ramsay off to a corner to ask a few questions.
There were a few changes to this year's Benefit,
and change is, as they say, as good as a rest.
This great charity event has been held at another
venue for the previous 4 years, but this year,
organizers Scott, John and Sharon are "happy to
bring the Blues to the Blues House". As well, the
funds raised this year benefited one specific
United Way Charity, which is the Need/Info Crisis
Line. The necessity and importance of retaining
anonymitity makes fund raising for the Crisis Line
difficult, but thanks to the efforts of these three
hard working people, $1326 was raised
(including $100 from Out Of The Blue)!
Scott and
John reminded me that none of this would be
possible without the musicians and these very
generous sponsors: Thrifty Foods and Bonnie
Campbell for their more than generous donation
for the 5th straight year! (nice to see a number of
Thrifty's employees in the audience as well!);
Martin at Tempo Trend once again for the use of
their equipment; Mike Kraft & PSC Natural Foods
for the Power Bars that gave us the energy to
keep dancing; soundman Myke Wisniewski, DJ
John Gabanna, long time volunteer Jennifer
Bodnar, Blues House Manager Carole Andrews
and owner Randy Bourke for providing the venue
AND the staff.
Whether the 6th Annual R&B
Festival is held at The Blues House again next
year will be, Scott tells me, dictated by the crowd.
Judging by the reactions and the comments I
heard all night about how fabulous the venue was
this year, I'd say the people have spoken. Many
thanks also to the wonderful Door/Bar/Wait Staff.
Their cheerful attitudes and excellent service
definitely did not go unnoticed!
Interview over, I wandered back to my prime
seat and settled back to listen to Elmore's Bar &
Grill. Also long time local favorites, Johnny
Shuffles, SP Wadsworth, Morgan Smith and
Gary Thompson easily persuaded people to
leave their seats and stretch their legs on the
dance floor. John tells me their jam at the Hog &
Pound is no more, and for the first time in 13
years Elmore's Bar & Grill won't be hosting a
weekly jam. I'm sure they'll resurface with a new
jam soon, at least I hope they will!
Next to take the stage was Emma Peel & The
Avengers. Made up of Mishell L'Amour,
Newman Corey, Bob Myron, Kevin Leach and
Ken Otto, this fun and high energy band
delivered their unique style of R & B, setting the
pace for the rest of the night. Room to dance
became a scarce commodity. Mishell tells me she
has an exciting new project on the go, and will be
appearing with her new band Candy at
Thursday's on March 13.
Keeping the energy level up, Soul Station
took over where Emma left off. Led by Joyce
Allenson, this 7-piece band rocked! Less than
halfway through their set there was no room on
the dance floor at all! If you haven't seen them
already, then get to Millenium April 24 and don't
forget to bring your dancing shoes! Highly
recommended!
Deb Rhymer was joined onstage by friends
Randy Waldie, Wane Summers, Gary Preston
and Kevin Leach. A great, solid set... another
crowd pleaser!
Talking with Deb afterwards, she tells me she
has a new project on the go with Wane, Gary,
Kevin and Lonnie Mack. She's a busy lady, so
watch for upcoming dates right here in Cosmic.
Despite being ravenous, I had to skip running
out to eat so I wouldn't miss Slim & The Dusters,
and they didn't disappoint. Dave Harris, along
with Bob Miron and Gary Thompson kept us all
moving with a solid, and again, very danceable
set. They are definitely well worth checking out!
Hot on the heels of Slim & The Dusters came
Gary Preston & The Harpoons. I love this band,
and it's been far too long since I've heard them.
We jostled our way through a mass of sweating
bodies, staked out a claim on the dance floor and
stayed there! Gary, Tim Murphy, Randy Waldie
and Wane Summers delivered what they always
do - some of the best
Blues ever! Their high
energy set left the
crowd screaming for
more!
Much too soon it was
time for the last set of
the night. Bill Johnson
brought the house
down! With a killer
percussion section
consisting of Casey
Dennis (bass) & Bob
Grant (drums), this trio
kept us on our feet until
the very end! This was the first time yours truly
had seen Bill & Company, and I can assure you
it won't be the last. A perfect finish to a perfect
day! We headed out into the early morning rain,
tired, happy and already talking about next year's
festival. Mark the 4th Saturday of Feb, 2000 on
your calendars now, this is an event that
shouldn't be missed!
Many thanks to John, Sharon, Scott, the many
sponsors and volunteers for making this
important event happen year after year. A special
thank you to all the volunteers at the Need/Info
Crisis Line, your important involvement doesn't
go unnoticed! See y'all next year.
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