The Table Mountain Blues Summit is hitting the Western Cape – this year it will be held at the Hillcrest Quarry – in less than two weeks. Richard Pryor, organiser and blues guru, answers a few questions.
Good day, Richard. How are things?
Hi Henry. Things are blues and rocking, thank you.
’Tis but a few days until this year’s Table Mountain Blues Summit. How are things coming along in terms of sales, setting up and of course the excitement from organisers, artists and attendees?
It's always a manic time two weeks before the festival and the fact that I'm playing at the festival makes it even more hectic. Otherwise the momentum is really starting to gain muscle and excitement is building as we go all out on spreading the Blues Rock Gospel.
The line-up looks brilliant – how did you go about establishing which acts would be essential for the festival and getting them on board? Were there artists you would’ve liked to book but didn’t have slots for?
Albert Frost
Actually this year we were spoilt for choice and it was quite tough as we did have to leave out a few that were actually unlucky not to have been included.
But the Blues Summit has now established itself as a festival of older, experienced bands joined by the younger up-and-coming bands.
We build the summit around the so-called family of bands that have been a mainstay of the fest for the last seven years and in so-doing keep a solid foundation of quality blues acts mixed in with the exciting younger up-and-coming acts. So a great mix, especially this year, with Dan Patlansky back at the summit again.
According to the “History” segment on the festival’s website you joined up as organiser in 2007. In what ways has the festival grown since then? What elements of the evolution are you the proudest of?
Well, when I climbed on board as co-organiser with Mike Combrink, the summit was still held at The Tafelberg Tavern in Cape Town and was only in its second year. There were no real younger blues bands back then and so we stuck with the backbone of the blues circuit, which are still very much part of the summit today. Growing the Blues Summit from around 400 to a two-day festival with nearly 1 600 today has been a huge achievement considering that this is a niche market. I am very proud of bringing in Combustion Technology as main sponsor of the event. They have been superb in helping us keep the blues alive in some pretty rough conditions. Through their financial contributions we are able to keep the Blues Summit engines turning and the turbines well oiled for hopefully bigger and better things in the coming years. Also the sponsorship and help from Paul Bothner Music and Fender SA has been incredible.
Though the blues scene has been pretty healthy in South Africa for a long time, there seems to be a resurgence these days with the arrival of new, younger acts like Basson Loubser, Ann Jangle, The Black Cat Bones, etc. To what would you ascribe this?
Well, I pretty much ascribe the growth of the blues to festivals like the Blues Summit. I do believe it has a direct influence on the choice of music up and coming bands want to play. Also, bands like The Blues Broers were able to cross over into the mainstream market and for the first time take the blues on to commercial radio. This, coupled with extensive coverage from Albert Frost, Dan Patlansky, Boulevard Blues, Dave Ferguson and Gerald Clark, has augmented and entrenched the blues in so many youngsters today looking to ply their musical trade.
Most notably Dan Patlansky and Black Cat Bones have definitely been able to catch the younger audiences’ attention.
With new festivals popping up all the time, the challenge remains to stay unique and yet keep it financially viable. What steps have you taken to secure these elements and the longevity of the festival? What challenges have you experienced in your time with the summit?
Whew! Many, many challenges, from last-minute venue changes to extremely high expenses to weather conditions and so on and on. But we learn each year and hopefully don't make the same mistake twice. I think the size and quality of the blues festival is unique. Also, the fact that it is now a two-day festival with camping is also a very rare sight in South Africa. The venue is absolutely magnificent and all-round sound quality, high-calibre musicians and huge stage and screen with emphasis on entertainment for the whole family are what sets this festival apart from the rest. Whether you are eight years old or 80 years old, you could enjoy being at the Blues Summit. It's a place where mom and dad can enjoy the same music as their teenage kids.
You’ve been very involved with blues bands yourself over the years. Do you still do “enough” jamming? What are your fondest memories of the local blues scene over the years?
I have thoroughly enjoyed playing with Boulevard Blues for the past 15 years. They are like family. I still get to play about 10 gigs a month, which I am extremely grateful for, and love every minute of playing the guitar. It can be a very frustrating business, especially financially, but the reward of doing the thing you love makes up for it every time.
What long-term goals do you still hope to reach with the festival?
We would like to get to a point where we could afford to bring in just one big overseas blues artist. I still want to keep the fest local, but just that one big overseas artist would turn the festival into something beyond the special. Also trying to reach and convert more and more non-blues supporters and get them to the festival is a definite goal of mine. Another goal is at some point, when the summit becomes more financially viable, we can give back through the blues. Blues is usually about loss, despair and misery ... but the music uplifts and eases the pain and in so-doing the Blues Summit could financially help out charities and such ...
How should new artists hoping to break into the blues scene formulate their approach in terms of gigging, recording, merchandise etc to make an impact?
Well, these days bands need to do Marketing 101, as there is so much they can do with social media, e-mail, sms, twitter etc etc. Unfortunately there is not much in the way of affordable band management out there. You gotta do it yourself ... gig, record, sell, promote, hope. The market in South Africa is small.
A five-year-old kid comes up to you at the festival and asks, “What is the blues?” You say …?
I'll look at him for a while, take a deep breath, and then tell him in a very confident, non-flippant voice: “It's Three Chords and the Truth.” Then I’ll smile reassuringly at him and let him think about that for about 20 years ... That's when he will realise that that's what it is – and that's the truth!
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