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/
|