Last weekend was the first of a possible annual New Orleans related festival at the O2 Arena. It was the first time I had ever been to the O2 so part of me was quite excited about that, however the venue is appallingly designed for large groups of people which seemed ironic considering its purpose. But maybe the organisers just didn’t think that so many people would turn up.
The only things I know about New Orleans are derived from news reports when hurricane season rolls around and what I’ve read by Kerouac when he stumbled around there, so the major pull to Festival New Orleans was the fact it was free. I got there pretty early in the evening and checked out the very end of Anointed Jackson Sisters, and was struck immediately that the festival was very family orientated, which is always good, because nothing makes me happier than seeing a grandmother boogie woogieing, although I did feel that if it wasn’t for the many children I would have been able to push my way through closer to the front without seeming incredibly rude. The O2 was playing host to Disney on ice so it seemed that most the kids were there to see Nemo but I liked how by chance they were experiencing music they might not normally hear.
Despite the terrible interior design of the Arena which I didn’t feel lent itself well to the festival spirit, it was both constantly claustrophobic because of the complete lack of space but also gave a disconnected feeling as everything was trek away, and I’m fairly certain all the artists were meant to parade in a mardi gras fashion at some point, but due to the crowds and limited parade space this never seemed to materialise, as I wandered back and forth for several hours I caught some great acts. Early on I was pretty impressed by Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers (named because Kermit had barbecues at his acts), when I say impressed I really mean remembered why jazz can be great. Everyone seems to get a solo in every song, and trumpet and drum solos are a given and a delight for the ears, as are bass solos, but I have a thing for the bass and its glorious heavy set sister the double, but there is absolutely nothing better than seeing a gnarly old guy on the ivories giving it his all, you can’t help but wonder about him, how old he is and how much of hsi time has been spent dedicated to the music, and damnit he is still knocking it out as good as that young whippersnapper front-man trumpeter.
After this I saw some zydeco in the form of Buckwheat Zydeco. Zydeco is a form of American roots folk music and is based on a button accordion (an instrument you can never have too much of) and a vest frottoir (that’s a washboard you wear like a vest). The band had a father son combo on the two key instruments and were great to watch if just for a guy wearing a washboard and jigging about.
Most of the music played was recognisable to the audience, covers were the mainstay, which was good because it will probably mean that it will be likely to happen again next year and knowing that people will come bands could be more themselves. However the exception to this was Dr John, he came swaggered out with a odd looking ju-ju stick and slumped at his piano, placed a skull on it which had a hat on and began to play the blues. Dr John doesn’t just play the blues though, his career has spanned R&B (the 1950s jazz, gospel and blues kind), boogie woogie and rock’n’roll as well as celebrating the voodoo subculture of his native Louisiana (and should you be able to decipher his grumblings he loves it somewhat, that and a long haired professor) by incorporating its rhythms into his music. He was pretty great and at some points was playing an organ behind him as well as the piano. Naturally he played Right Place Wrong Time and Such a Night.
Hopefully next year will be more organised, with a better name, I’m not sure why but Festival New Orleans doesn’t sit right with me and also with some lesser known artists who make shake things up a bit, I’ll be there nonetheless, well, probably only if its free still…
Hundreds & Thousands Presents 