Phuket International Blues Rock Festival - Phuket, Thailand, February 22-23, 2008

June13, 2008

What do you think of the 2008 Phuket International Blues Rock Festival at the Hilton Arcadia this past weekend?

We put this question to numerous concert goers who had not already
e-mailed or phoned us and the two most commonly heard words were ABSOLUTELY AND WONDERFUL.

And we couldn’t agree more. From the start Friday to the finale with Shari Puorto Saturday it was a spectacular show of sound, light, smoke and participation by an electrified audience. Phuket Vice Governor Smith and T.A.T. Assistant Director Runjuan Tongrut officially opened the festival Friday before Li’l Willie on harmonica got the show going followed by Bangkok’s blues mama Georgia. Full House with brilliant female singer Show took to the stage next then Soi Dog Blues Band got the audience on its feet and the band’s very young drummer awed the crowd with his fireworks from behind.

Representing Australia, Steve Plater of Salty Dog then set the audience abuzz with his fierce guitar licks and classic blues tracks, opening by playing his custom cigar box guitar.

But it was returning guitar god Rich Harper the die-hards were holding out for, and precisely at midnight he blasted off with his hit song As She Moved In My Guitar Moved Out followed by numerous originals and a spectacular version of Take Me To The River. One hour and two encores later we still wanted more, but boy, it was late…The local Groove Doctors opened Saturday with a very respectable version of a Pink Floyd classic and Jimmy Fame assisting with his 1983s Young Girls.

Then Boy Blues Band received the evening’s first encore after a 45 minute set of guitar based funky blues that got the crowd on its feet early.

The six piece Blues Machine followed with an excellent, iron tight show featuring Mary and award winning guitarist Ken Minahan in an explosion of light, sound and energy.

Cannonball blues rock band from Bangkok was next and we have never seen them better. Band leader/vocalist Keith on keyboards was brilliant and the band gave an all-out performance before inviting Bonnie Anderson to the stage who thrilled the audience with Chain Of Fools and other classics like Shaky Ground in what turned into a wonderful jam session as other players joined in.

This was the highlight of the night for most until California’s Shari Puorto entered and blew everyone away with her incredible voice and spectacular show of originals and classic covers. Described as “Janis Joplin meets Bonnie Raitt”, Puorto outperformed them both in the opinion of the folks we talked to including people who saw Janis live in the 1960s.

M.C. Ricky Zen with his quick wit added nicely to the flow of the show and the popular raffle and dart games presented the winners with a host of great prizes including top notch packages from the Hilton Arcadia Resort and Spa. The Presenter of the event, HotelTravel.com also presented the audience with sufficient quantities of politically correct liquids, and can you say “PARTY” -?!? Rock AND Roll!!

Thai movie star Sonya Cooling and her husband came to our festival. Thank you very much for stopping by, guys. We wish you all the best!

We opened the festival activities this year with a Headliners’ Warm-Up show at Tai Pan night club in Patong Thursday February 21st. Rich Harper and Shari Puorto immediately got the attention of the audience who was treated to a sneak preview of things to come Friday and Saturday at the main stage. The place was cookin’… Sunday February 24 the annual Festival Jam Session took place at Saxophone Blues/Jazz club on Patong Beach and just like last year the bands still in town filled the club to the rim for the great wrap-up session.
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The Blues Brothers are Back!! Marc and Andy putting the bands back together!

Ricky Zen, Las Vegas entertainer and part-time Phuket resident, has been confirmed as M.C. for the festival also this year. Well known world wide for his unique Elvis and Willie, Ricky Nelson and Johny Cash interpretations, amongst many others, Ricky adds great flavor to the entertainment as a singer, comedian and M.C. We are lucky to have him - welcome back, Ricky!
www.rickyzen.com