[Harp-L] IBC report (long)

[Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wow, what a great time in Memphis at the IBC (International Blues  
Competition).
What I wrote below was with a grin on my face so don't take any of it  
as a poor loser.

There were a few harp-l guys there but I never had a chance to see  
their bands.  Shook hands with  Ryan Hartt about a minute before we  
played our first set.
I wanted to catch his band the following day but our performance  
times were almost the same time.  By the time I rushed over to his  
venue they were
finished about 5 minutes earlier. I met a gentleman after my set  
ended. I believe it was Harland Crain. He was hitting all the clubs  
that had harp players to tell them about SPAH and this year's  
festival. Good work Harland.

   I saw Clint Hoover's name listed but never got to see him. I  
wanted to see Billy Gibson's band since I did business with  him a  
few years back but we ended up getting some gigs to play after the  
contest so that idea was nixed.

Ah yes, the contest.  I would compare it to a pie. A filling full of  
jive, mixed talent and politics rapped in a crust of fun.

The bands need to be represented by a blues society that is a member  
of IBF. Local competitions are held and the winner proceeds to  
Memphis. The performers competed in band and single/duo comps.  Ten  
bands in each bar, roughly 90-95 bands competing 2 nights in a row.  
Order of playing switched both nights. No one knew where or when we  
played until we got there and got ahold of the program book.

For being a blues competition there was a wide berth given as to what  
constitutes blues.  Most of the bands in our grouping were R&B acts  
fronted by well endowed female singers with a narrow range of blues  
material.  The one act ran out of blues tunes and had extra stage  
time so she sang a song from the band Heart.
There was one exception though. If she had a better backing band she  
might have gone farther in the competition.  For the ladies there was  
a guitarist in MC Hammer pants that kept having equipment failure  
with his zipper.  The act reminded me of a skit on SNL.

The only other band that played true to form in our grouping was a  
French act, Malted Milk.  We connected with those guys and were the  
only ones to congratulate them after their performance the first  
night.  They ended up winning from our group to move onto the  
finals.  They are a great bunch of guys. Most of our band mates  
traded business cards and we told them to look us up if they get gig  
dates in the US.  They thanked us after their last performance. I  
don't have my notes unpacked yet so I can't tell you the harp  
player's name without misspelling it.

As for the quality of acts, just insert IMHO were I comment. Most of  
the acts I did get to hear walking up and down Beale Street sounded  
either like guys playing at a local jam with beginner harpers or  
bands that play theme parks. They go through the motion to put on a  
song and dance but little substance to the music. Some of my band  
mates said they heard what sounded like heavy metal coming from some  
bars.  A few bands I liked had pro blues sidemen and singers but  
still lost.   We hung with one of the bands we performed against  
Saturday night and found out they only played together 5 times last  
year. They are either in rock or country bands but got together to  
compete locally so they could go to Memphis.  I don't think the best  
of the best was represented this year.  I'll leave room for others  
that were there to comment on this.

The politics was evident where ever you went.  Some of the bands that  
won their groupings have played the IBC comp. several times and got  
to know the judges and the judges know the bands.  While they may  
have not been the best band in their grouping I think the judges  
threw them a bone by picking them to move onto the finals to let the  
IBC judges pick.  The Memphis Blues Society members judged the first  
two rounds. IBC judges the final round.

Some of the club owners got together to hold a second competition  
with the top three bands they liked from their club. Each winner  
would win $500 and move onto the next bar to compete with either 1 or  
2 other bands. We won the first round we competed in but lost to a  
really lame band at the next bar. They played in the Keb Mo style.  
The front man was good but his sidemen were a bit rough.  The  
guitarist in my band asked if the harp player was playing in the  
right key. I told him right key but poor choice of notes and out of  
tune harps. I found myself cringing when he soloed.   We thought we  
were a sure winner but laughed anyway when we lost because we  
understood the politics that went into letting them win. It was the  
band leaders third time in the competition. It didn't matter that his  
backing band was average, he won.   It's not hard to rub elbows with  
the judges. You see them sitting in a corner all night and around  
Beale St. after the competition. You start conversations with them.  
After a couple of days you become familiar faces and after a few  
years you become a friend. A friend that throws you a bone.  It's  
politics baby;-)

If you do decide to compete and make the cut to go to Memphis next  
year take it all in stride.  Some bands live to compete. It's like a  
dog show. After a few years everyone knows everyone else.  Sooner or  
later you may win the judges over.  Talent is only a small part of  
winning.  One band consisted of members of Buddy Guy's band and  
Kinsey Report yet they didn't make it to the finals.  3 of my band  
mates have been or still are touring musicians with The Judds,  
Exile,  Carey Bell, Darrell Nulisch,  "Hurricane Wilson" and other  
pro acts yet we didn't make the final cut.   A prepubescent trio of 2  
brothers and sister did make it to the finals to win second place.    
You gotta laugh at how the winners are picked. :-)

Beale Street  is nothing like it's past.  Jive bars that play rap and  
hard rock as soon as the bands take a break.  The 2 block stretch of  
street looks more like neon store fronts in a theme park rather then  
a historical landmark.  We took a visit to Sunn Records and found  
that the local music scene has moved midtown and that Beale St. and  
the bands that play there are for the tourists.


mike