Chris Thomas King was born October 14, 1964, in Baton Rouge. His father, Tabby Thomas, is a locally prominent bluesman who owned a club called Tabby's Blues Box and as a result King started early toward his musical future. He signed a major recording contract with Warner Brothers Records in 1989 and headlined a national tour to support the release of his greatly anticipated follow-up ‘Cry of the Prophets’, making his national television debut on The David Letterman Show.

Branded as a rebel with a cause, he fled to Denmark to cool his heels in the more liberal environment that flourished in Europe. The Europeans embraced him as a major artist with vision and he toured with his Danish band extensively across Europe, but longed to return to New Orleans.

Upon returning to the United States in 1995, he started his own independent production company and record label, 21st Century Blues. Soon after he found success as a film composer and actor, winning three Grammy Awards by 2003.

King's major role in the Coen brothers' film ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ in 2001 gained him an international mainstream audience. Telling the story of down-home blues singers in Mississippi, the movie starred George Clooney and King played the role of Tommy Johnson, a true-to-life blues singer from the 1930s. Of the songs on the movie's Grammy-winning soundtrack, King's "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" was the only one recorded live during filming. The soundtrack reached number one on the billboard charts and has sold over ten million copies. King’s performance here is perhaps the most famous such authentic blues performance of all times.

Following hurricane Katrina, which nearly destroyed Kings New Orleans home, he wrote and recorded his most personal album to date, simply but eloquently titled ‘Rise’. ‘Baptized in dirty water’, a slow driving 12 bar blues which featured a soaring electric guitar performance, was nominated for a Blues Foundation Award for ‘Song of the Year’.

His 2011 release 'AntebeLLum Postcards' - pictured above - is a masterpiece and will be available at the Festival. Welcome back to Thailand, Chris! www.christhomasking.com

Clas Yngström (Sweden)

is one of, if not the top blues/rock guitar player/singer in Sweden. With his band SKY HIGH he has toured the world and recorded numerous albums since its launch in the late seventies. Main influences are Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, and classic blues artists such as Muddy Waters and Albert, BB and Freddy King.

The band was formed in Gothenburg 1978 and soon became a very popular live act, not only locally, but all over Sweden.  In September 1980 SKY HIGH tore down the house at an international Jimi Hendrix memorial held at Amsterdam´s major rock venue Paradiso. At the end of the band’s riotous set Clas called former Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell on stage for an impromptu jam and the crowd went totally crazy!

SKY HIGH have shared stages with many of their favorite artists  over the years, many of which have become friends AND fans of the group, including Chuck Berry, Albert King, BB King, Albert Collins, Stevie & Jimmie Vaughan, ZZ Top, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer, Kim Wilson, Lazy Lester and many more

SKY HIGH met ZZ Top at a mutual gig in Oslo, Norway, in 1981. After presenting their music to the Texans, SKY HIGH got good help with the release of their third album ‘Freezin Hot’, and the hit single ‘I Ain´t Beggin’ exploded like a rocket up the charts.

Chuck Berry, who Sky High supported on a tour of northern Europe, invited the band to play the prestigious New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1988.

After hearing and meeting Prairie Prince, drummer with rock-video pioneers The Tubes from San Francisco, Clas decided to make a special project with him in the US. The album ‘Have Guitar, Will Travel’, featuring harp oracle Norton Buffalo and bass player Ross Valory (Journey, Steve Miller Band) was recorded in San Francisco and released in 1989.

Another collaboration – this time with English poet/singer/percussionist Peter Brown, mostly known for his lyrics for British blues rock super group CREAM, resulted in another album ‘Fat Guitar’ (1996).

Clas will come to Phuket with a lineup featuring original SKY HIGH drummer Uffe Åhman and ace bassist Arne ‘Mr. Dynamite’ Blomqvist. The set will be original blues & rock material mixed with some Jimi Hendrix as well as some great classic blues. www.skyhighblues.com

AkashA (Malaysia)

Springing forth from deep tradition and forever expanding into infinity, AkashA (ethereal space, bountiful space) is a vibrant band that seeks to explore beyond the boundaries of tradition and culture.

AkashA is a 7-piece Malaysian band, playing music straight from the heart. Call it World Fusion Music, but it’s more than that. Like Malaysia itself, AkashA is a fusion of four cultures - Malay, Indian, Chinese, and Western. From these roots they explore all corners of the globe by experimenting in Blues, Jazz, Cuban Jazz, African, Latin, Celtic, Asian- just to name a few.

Representing Malaysia at world music festivals around the globe, their mission is to dazzle, to enthrall, to delight and to move you. One moment they’ll have you whooping with the sheer joy of life and in the next they’ll have you weeping with the tragic beauty of it. The music of this band brings out each individual's inner space of creativity.

The band played for us in 2010 and 2011, and will return in 2012 by popular demand - do not miss this great unique band at the closing of the show Friday February 24th! www.akashamalaysia.com

John Meyer's Blues Express (Australia)

“In a world of chic rockers Duffy is the real deal’”- Henry Yates, Classic Rock Magazine.

Stuart Bush Rockin' Patt & Mojo

TOKEN's Khun Teung Colin Hill