My own experience with the older bluesmen are much closer to Walter Tore's experiences with them. Even when blues was super popular in the black community, it was at times thought of as low class with the swearing, flask of whiskey sticking out the back pocket, heavy drinking, womanizing and gambling and there was some of the violence towards women in the lyrics plus plenty of trash talking between musicians as well, just like you'd hear with a lot of professional athletes. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Again, you had to be there. The crowd felt like he was cussing at them instead of with them. Nothing positive even for the hardcore blues fans..like me. I won't be promoting top blues performers in my area again. They wouldn't trust me anyway. I won't argue that Buddy should or shouldn't do this or that. Fine, he's old and may be the last of his kind. That gives him the right to do whatever. It would have been a huge mistake for someone like Johnny Lang. He wants to win fans, sell records, and get invited back to lucrative gigs. A tad of irony here. The "Dirty-South Blues Harp Forum" doesn't allow such language. I understand why. Do you? On a personal note I am far from prude. I was embarrassed for Buddy. Shit, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to walk in on what's going on in this video. The language fits the situation!
Buddy is a bluesman first not an " entertainer" first
You are embarrased for Buddy ? You dont have that right
Its not like he pissed on a church alter-- he is a musician playing and speaking the way he has fior years
Last Edited by Goldbrick on Sep 21, 2016 12:25 PM
To clarify - certain musicians , often blues or jazz, have a style that takes precedence over all purpose crowd pleasing. They will be themselves and not change to fit the crowd
For example Van Morrison or Miles Davis mostly playing with back to the audience--they were into the music more than the " show"
The audience is there because they like the music-
Other performers may mold a show to the audience- Wayne newton for example -"ENTERTAINER" first
Then you had guys like Frank Zappa who made living theater out of it artistby abusing the audience ( they encouraged it)
There is a niche for everybody-just dont expect an musician to fill yours
@ Minor Blues: I have NOT been invited to many blues festival and told so directly or via my agent for use of language, because of my sexuality, appearance and lyrical content. I am still told at festivals I actually get that they were scared/tenative before hiring me...The ones that actually do hire me have never asked me to tone down my act because they KNOW I won't and hired me to be me. Blues acts and real blues acts are not real expensive, festivals definitely hire "safe" acts all the time as this crowd becomes older and fails to draw younger audiences. I agree with Joe L again.
@ harp dude: First as a self congratulatory side note I have played and recorded with the band you posted in your Sam Jackson video..Second: I don't think anyone here is denying you your right to be offended or anyone else and I don't think any of us actually: "had to be there"... Many of us have seen Buddy and many others do all this stuff your talking about first hand exactly as you experienced it and were just simply entertained or didn't care as much you (which is ok). I once saw AC Reed play Mustang Sally and after he finished he said : "Y'all like that Bullshit music, Don't ya?" I personally thought it was hilarious and really funny that he played it, everyone loved it and then he reprimanded us for liking it! HILARIOUS!Priceless! He was definitely "insulting us and talking at us" I just thought it was awesome and funny I guess I'm use to that sort of thing...Made me grow...Incidentlly: Johnny Lang's career went south when he became Born Again and made a gospel record, so I don't know that there is any "clean/dirty" formula to winning fans and I'm pretty sure most of us here as blues fans don't value the success of an artist on the size or numbers present for their record sales or shows or we'd all be Miley fans (btw I LOVE her!) ---------- www.mooncat.org
Last Edited by Moon Cat on Sep 21, 2016 1:40 PM
harpdude61: "The "Dirty-South Blues Harp Forum" doesn't allow such language. I understand why. Do you?"
No, actually I don't, I find it hugely hypocritical that a site dedicated to this music has the politically correct rules that it does. I think its absolutely hilarious that the forum creed says this place isn't a locker room, yet Barbeque Bob's post above uses that very pro-athlete analogy to describe what it's like hanging out with the old school blues guys. But it ain't my site, so most of the time I want to post something I refrain. Lest I get banned or suspended.
BTW: Right on , Mooncat.
Last Edited by Honkin On Bobo on Sep 22, 2016 4:39 AM
