Blind Boys of Alabama

Just when you thought the Blues Festival weekend couldn't get any better, along comes The Blind Boys of Alabama. Two gigs at HQ (midnight on Saturday and a "Gospel Brunch" on Sunday) showcased "songs from the heart and the soul". Through close harmony, Gospel such as Deep River, perfect soul/Tamla songs such as Holding On and Somebody's Gone, and an arrangement of Danny Boy that had even the stoical security staff weeping into their walkietalkies, the Blind Boys whipped up the kind of fervid response that one sees at revivalist meetings and Manchester United matches.