LAST NIGHT'S opening concert of the Temple Bar Blues Festival was a rip roaring journey through rhythm and blues, rock n rolls and sweet, sublime soul. Most of all, though, it was a showbiz spectacle, as Louisiana born Buddy Guy showed off his skills on the strat, revelling in every burst of audience applause.
Buddy Guy has compared his own guitar playing to getting into an automobile, finding the air conditioner and just driving off watching him hold his axe onstage last night, it sure looked as though he was driving recklessly, careering in and out of different styles and liable to knock someone over with the sheer power of his soloing. Blues purists would probably sniff at Guy's relentlessly rockist attitude towards guitar playing; but, as far as the crowd in Dublin's city centre was concerned, it was just fine.
Not that Guy isn't up to some serious down home blues when he wants to be; and, with the help of his very capable band, he managed to delve into the history of the blues and pull out some treasures from beneath the Louisiana swamplands. It's not too long, however, before Buddy is back to the flamboyant, frantic guitar licks, and the showman takes over and struts among the crowd.
Then, suddenly, he becomes a chameleon, imitating the styles of Eric Clapton, T Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker and Stevie Ray Vaughan, doing such an uncanny impression of each that you could close your eyes and believe all these people were right there on the stage with him. When he does Hendrix, though, it's pure theatre, and Buddy does the guitar on teeth routine like a true actor. He might be pushing 60, but Buddy is still one rock n roll Guy.
