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So, and before every second one asks, who that actually is....? 
Dickey Betts it the co-founder of legendary southernrock band 'The Allman Brothers'. And whoever doesn't know them of all you elderly generations, then just forget all this here and close the page. The Allman Brothers belong to american music history, like Beethoven belongs to classical music. Everybody has at least heard once in a lifetime the melody of 'Ramblin Man', concously or unconcously. 
Meanwhile Forrest Richard 'Dickey' Betts is 64 years young of age, wears his hair rather shot, and is no more a member of The Allman Brothers since the year 2000. He's always been very active on his solopaths as well, so he probably didn't do hard to get used to the fact, to do only his own thing anymore for the future with his own band - The Great Southern. This group contains, exept of himself, his son Duane Betts(git), Mike Kach (Keyb), Pedro Arevalo (Bass), Andy Aledort (Git) Frankie Lombardi and James Varnado on drums. And it's exactly this band playing tonight here in Munich at the Metropolis. The event has thrown it's shade ahead, when Dickey has got brilliant reviews in some papers of already done shows on this german tour. So let's wait and see, whether he gets the same response tonight. 
It's only about 350 people in the audiance to check him out and wave the southern rock flag.....

Dickey Betts is supported by a man named Scott Bradoka with his band The Staggering Evil Geniuses. 

To be honest, this artist is even not quite familiar to me. But I will change this lack of knowledge now by studying his performance. Bradoka is most known as a guitarist who doesn't want to be put in a certain draw. His purely instrumental music is a mixture of rock with some jazz influences and funky parts. Whereby the rock is dominating. He's got 5 albums out including one live record. Although his name is only known to insiders so far. And now he uses the opportunity of this supportslot to get a bit more known than what he is until now. He deserves it, because his guitar playing is very good and advanced. 



One thing is for sure, this here is not a leisure muscian, but a little raw diamond, who just has to be wiped to get the right sparkle for the average musiclover. 
Respect, we don't get often such a good musician served as a support. 

http://www.scottbradoka.com/  


Dickey Betts doesn't do that hard to catch everybody's attention in here from the very first second.... 

For most fans of the classic southern rock he belongs next to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blackfoot and 38 Special to the so called institution of this style, which again is almost kind of a way of Life. So you can check out quite a few cowboy hats in the audiance - Howdy! Anyway, Dickey starts playing happily and with him his seven guys up there who are first class musicians for themselves. He drives himself in some endless improvisations. I check my watch from time to time, and I can asure you, no song is shorter than 10 minutes. His son Duane looks like him and he truly tries to be as good as daddy. Apart from that, everybody in the band gets his solo stint. Also there is Andy Aledort who is a guitar capacity for himself. He played as well with the Allman Brothers, but also with Buddy Guy and with the Jimi Hendrix Tribute band, consisting also of Andy Summers von The Police, Slash, Stephen Stills, Mick Taylor and  Vernon Reid (Living Color). Apart from that hi is a editor for Guitar World Magazin, Guitar for the Practicing Musician, Guitar Extra, Guitar Legend and Guitar World Acoustic. And he has written some books about his favorite instrument.
Respect as well, this man knows exactly how to let his fingers dance across the strings. - 
And there is bassplayer Pedro Arevalo, whom I'm really impressed of. I guess him agewise around 30 and he seems with his long dreadlocks rather like a posthum Hippie of the flower power generation.  
  


 




To make it short, the whole concert is a journey into the past. And of course you find on the setlist 'Jessica' and 'Ramblin Man'. These classic tunes belong to Dickey Betts, like his hat does. Just before the end we get some drum magic of both new generation drummers Frankie Lombardi and James Varnado, which is so powerful, as if they want to jump up the Nanga Parpat with the speed of light. 

So, what's the best way to describe all that...? Let's say, it's nostalgic pure, well served from 2 generations and one legend. So what.... long live Southern Rock and it's attitude.....
http://www.dickeybetts.com/