Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Venue: Jamski dvorec / Postojna
Concert date: 20.01.2010
Attendance: 300
Ticket price: €14
Let’s get real! After Ana Popović’s show (RockLine report here), the third act of the Postojna blues festival served up a long-awaited touchdown that finally rested the eyes and handed the final word, as good music deserves, back to the senses whose primary job is picking up sound waves! The show by British blues-rock heroes Nine Below Zero put music back in the middle of the action as one of the essential forms of artistic expression. No room here for media pomp, makeup or the glitter of any stage kitsch of that ilk. It’s dead simple. With Nine Below Zero, all that counts is a straightforward stage presence stripped of any rock-star arrogance, undeniable musical quality and character. A combination that’s a guarantee of success.
Nine Below Zero come across as a quartet of seasoned musical stallions who don’t waste time on fancy talk. It surely has something to do with the fact that these gentlemen have been shamelessly breathing in blues fumes through their thick nasal hair for decades, successfully taming them over the years by adding the recognizable flavors of more popular musical approaches. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a wild musical experience, and Nine Below Zero are without a doubt the right address for it. After Bluesiana (RockLine report here) and Piran (RockLine report here), Dennis Greaves and Mark Feltham won over Postojna too with first-rate, blues-based melodic playing that, in grit and spice, can stand next to the most convincing players in the genre. Of course, we can’t forget the other half of the Nine Below Zero foursome, which is no less impressive — in fact, with its constant stream of predatory blues, it carries the bulk of the band’s load. The source of Nine Below Zero’s outstanding musical tightness lies in the compact rhythm section, which is probably also the best-known part of the lineup by name. It’s made up of Gerry McAvoy and Brendan O’Neil, old pals you’ll remember from the days when they drove the rhythmic engine of one of the most attractive blues-oriented bands — and, in terms of the authenticity of its musical message, probably a blues-rock machine with a reputation that remains unchallenged to this day. Yes, we’re talking about the legendary outfit of Rory Gallagher. Gerry and Brendan once again showed they know each other down to the last detail. Every twist of the first, no matter how unpredictable, was met with a sudden yet spontaneous reaction from the second, and vice versa. Away with excessive rhythmic fiddling — the duo stayed pretty basic throughout, which is understandable, of course. Beefy and accordingly infectious rhythmic perfection of dubious moral values, with that indispensable primal rawness peeking out from behind it, which has the potential to make a listener’s gallstones turn vehemently! The duo, armed with a heaping dose of superbly restrained backing vocals, delivered a homogeneous musical foundation in this manner, on which Dennis and Mark dazzled without a care, each with their own weapons.
Nine Below Zero seem made for concert stages. The elemental combination of rock, blues and boogie, which doesn’t hide its flirtation with the new wave trends of the early 80s, is an energetic genre hybrid that constantly breathes and grows, and at every step sucks attention out of the gathered audience in big gulps. The whole course of the stage action follows the dictate of the energetic Dennis Greaves, an excellent guitarist with a pretty presentable voice, who handles the character of old warhorses like “On The Road Again”, “I Can’t Quit You Baby” or Walker’s “Call It Stormy Monday” without visible effort. Most of the repertoire prepared for the night was original material, though. Things got especially lively when they presented songs from the latest album, where “I’m So Alone” led the way thanks to the energetic Mark. Mark’s harmonica playing is top-notch — not so much spectacular as basic and full of emotion and pronounced character — and in any case seasoned just right for the expressive style of Dennis Greaves, who was crackling all over from impulsively served guitar tricks. In that regard, there was nothing better on Thursday night than the first-rate rendition of the standard “Ridin’ On The L & N”, where Dennis and Mark gave each other a run for their money, enthusiastically pelting each other with mischievously conceived phrases and motifs (for the occasion, Dennis even polished up a few crumbs of Clapton’s Crossroads).
The Nine Below Zero show was without a doubt a standout, at least as far as concert culture on the sunny side of the Alps goes. A fully immersed stage performance, rehearsed down to the smallest detail, topped off with excellent sound and a solid turnout (great atmosphere naturally comes with the territory), are the attributes on which all future Postojna adventures can be boldly built. Finally, a few words of praise are due to the festival’s programming team, who are boldly shaping this season’s course of events in Postojna with gigs by attractive names, making the monthly trips down to Postojna ever more eagerly awaited.
Photos: Mojca Perdih
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