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This is the archive of the combined Barking Spider and Andy Broad Portsmouth Blues Site mailing lists.
For the latest information on what's on at The Bullfrog Blues Club click here
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Memo Gonzales - Tex-Mex Dynamite! The scene: outside almost any blues club. It´s late. You´re looking for some music and a cold beer. As you walk up the door you hear some great blues rattling the walls. Inside the dance floor is full and folks are jumping around like their shoes are on fire. You can´t quite see the stage for all the dancers, but you can hear the music better and you know you´re in the right place. Wailing harp, great guitar, a driving rhythm section and deep, heartfelt, soulful vocals. An original tune, too. Who are these guys? Welcome to a typical night with Memo Gonzalez and The Bluescasters! If you've saw and experienced Memo Gonzalez & The Bluescasters live on their last visit to The Bullfrog Blues Club or maybe at "Blues At The Fort", you know exactly what I'm talking about! Their last appearance at The Bullfrog will probably go down as one of the BEST nights we've ever had! On Thursday 2nd October I'm proud to say that the band's new CD, "Big Time In Big D" will receive its U.K. launch at The Bullfrog Blues Club. Memo Gonzales & The Bluescasters started back in 1995. They're not interested in re-creating the originals note for note, but present a rip-roaring mixture of blues, swing, and rock 'n' roll that they have branded as their own. Few music genres must contend with as many prejudices and clichés as the blues, but Memo Gonzalez & The Bluescasters simply shake up the infamous 12 bars and set in motion an earthquake. They perform about 120 concerts a year, mainly in Europe, and have appeared in numerous clubs and at countless festivals. Memo Gonzalez is from Texas, and originally made a name for himself in Europe when he toured with the "Texas Harmonica Rumble". He has played clubs such as "B.B. King's" in Memphis, Tennessee, and "Antone's" in Austin, Texas, but he also commands the stage on the European side of the big pond with his fat harmonica and his powerful voice. Kai Strauss' breathtakingly intense guitar playing mixes blues with everything that America has brought forth since the 1950s. Bass player Erkan Özdemir holds a groove on a beat-up bass guitar that's slung so low, you'd think he's playing an upright, whilst drummer Klaus Schnirrin must expend about as much energy during a concert as a marathon runner. From Texan roadhouse blues, danceable Louisiana rock 'n' roll, all the way to roots influences, these guys run the whole gamut of the blues, but what makes them truly great is their style and the fun they have. Memo Gonzales and The Bluescasters appear at The Bullfrog Blues Club, South Parade Pier, Southsea on Thursday 2nd October. Doors open 8. p.m.Tickets £8) available from (023) 9286 3911