Gig - Bishopstock 2000: Page 3 (Monday)

Monday kicked off with Paul Lamb and the King Snakes. Long respected as one of the finest of the British blues bands, in many ways they were the ideal choice to kick off the last day. Lamb is of course one of the finest blues musicians that Britain has ever produced and the show certainly didn't lack energy or commitment. For me though, there was no real spark, nothing that got me into the groove I'd felt throughout the previous day. Maybe this just said more about my own preconceptions of the band (or maybe I just hadn't warmed up yet!!)

One of the most pleasant of surprises for the Primer was the performance of Magic Slim and The Teardrops. I'd heard very little of Magic prior to the event, so I had no preconceptions about what to expect - and what we got was a fine authentic live blues experience. The guy cuts a commanding presence on stage and had a fine band to complement his fiery performance. And despite his reputation as an intense, raw performer, I thought there was plenty of light and shade to the show

Susan Tedeschi probably needs no introduction - she's received any number of plaudits recently, culminating in her W.C Handy award - and her live show was a superb mix of all that's good about modern blues. She seemed a little nervous at first (although she later confirmed a little jet lag and a dislike for 'early' starts!) and the initial track wasn't that strong. Then, from nowhere the gig kicked into a completely different gear and this incredible voice effortlessly won over the audience. A lovely mix of blues, R&B, a little soul and gospel, it's easy to see why she's rated so highly. A wonderful live performer, definitely one of the highlights of the festival. A fine guitarist and lovely vocalist, with a delivery and timbre not dissimilar to Bonnie Raitt.

One of the Primer favourites, Joe Louis Walker, was up next and he didn't disappoint. He delivered a set which pulled from many stages of his career, mixed it up nicely and easily got the crowd up dancing and cheering on what was now a very pleasant and warm afternoon. He had a superb band with him and, despite Joe's own abilities on guitar, he wasn't afraid to share the spotlight with his talented musicians. Lovely to hear and see some wonderful blues piano given centre stage on a number of occasions throughout the set

The day had to this point consisted exclusively of electric, reasonably high octane blues performances, so it was difficult to gauge how Eric Bibb would be received. We shouldn't have worried, Eric revelled in the surroundings - the larger than usual setting for his performances seemed to allow him an extra gear than would be appropriate in the smaller more intimate venues - and we got a fantastic demonstration of the breadth and variety to be found in the predominantly acoustic blues form. Great stuff, rewarded with a standing ovation from the crowd

I'd be lying if I said that Jimmy Vaughan was one of the Primer's favourite artists. The live set was not without real merit however - he played a range of material, including a touching homage to brother Stevie with 'Texas Flood'. We also got the really positive bonus of Lou Ann Barton guesting on vocals for much of the set. Good to see her looking well and sounding in such fine voice. She and Vaughan really seemed to gel and enjoy the show

The whole event was wrapped up by Jools Holland and his R&B Orchestra. This guy has got to be one of the best ways to close such a feel good festival. He's the consummate showman and the ideal lead for the switch to live TV, which showed an element of Jools' performance and then linked up with the rest of the UK on BBC's 'music day' for round the country renditions of 'Perfect Day'. Jools and the band improvised superbly when the live switch didn't happen quite as smoothly as anticipated and then brought on some of the other performers, including Taj Mahal, Charlie Musselwhite and Nawfel, to share in the fun for the last part of the set. Wonderful, good time stuff, a lovely way to finish!!

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