Van Tastik and Richville played on the café stage. A varied, energetic festival day full of strong blues performances.
For the fifth time, Engel Blues was held in Oss at the Groene Engel.
This year, due to Heath’s cancellation, the main stage featured an entirely international lineup: Erika Baier from Sweden, José Ramirez from Costa Rica, Shakedown Tim from Belgium, and the headliner, Danny Bryant from Great Britain.
Performing on the small stage in the café were Van Tastik from the United States (who live in the Netherlands) and, last but not least, the Dutch band Richville.
At 4:00 PM sharp, Erika Baier’s show started. The blues volunteers at De Groene Engel had seen her at Blues@theFactory and were so impressed that they asked the programmer to bring her to Oss.
She was accompanied by Blues@theFactory’s regular house band. Her set was excellent – a wide variety of styles, and Harm van Essen regularly let loose on his guitar.
Towards the end, it became a bit more rock ‘n’ roll with Big Mama’s Hound Dog and her own song Shake Your Bones.
That style suits her voice well. She might not have Big Mama’s vibrancy, but she does have the power. I love her voice: not that crispness that many women have, but warm and with a punch where it deserves. A fantastic start to the festival.
The festival was structured in such a way that after a concert in the main hall, a small band would start in the café—starting with Van Tastik.
The Dark Reverend Van Tastik is a globetrotting troubadour and was in Oss today.
His music is a beautiful blend of various styles; you’ll hear blues, but sometimes also Spanish influences.
Van Tastik makes modern, dark blues with raw energy and a touch of rock ‘n’ roll theater.
Meanwhile, José Ramirez was soundchecking in the main hall. From the start with The Hunter, José has always been a force to be reckoned with.
What a fantastic showman – you can’t miss him. He comes on stage playing, and his usual rounds through the audience were never missed.
The audience loved it. Besides José, keyboardist Jeroen van Helsdingen also got to show off his class. José closed the set with two covers.
The first was Prince’s Purple Rain. Unfortunately, his voice had a nasty reverb; his voice has plenty of body and really didn’t need it – and neither did the song, for that matter.
The guitar solo made up for everything. What class he has. The closing track was a cover, and I think “Why Can’t We Live Together” wasn’t necessary in such a short set; it’s not really suitable for a festival.
The organizers had added a longer break to the program – a great way to stretch your legs and grab a bite to eat in town or at home.
We were back in plenty of time for the evening’s substitute, and that’s certainly not meant in a negative way: Shakedown Tim had been asked to play at the last minute because Heath had to cancel their performance due to unforeseen circumstances.
But what a band they were! Tim had brought along none other than Steven Troch, his old buddy from the bands Fried Bourbon and Half a Bottle, to play harmonica.
A fantastic show, featuring mainly classic blues from the 40s and 50s – both covers and original songs.
Highlights included Steven Troch’s “9 Below Zero” and the beautiful tribute to the Belgian blues musician Tiny Legs Tim, who died far too young: “Tiny Legs, Big Soul!”
In the overcrowded and warm café, Richville was the next band. Richville is a Dutch duo consisting of Richard van Bergen (vocals & guitar) and Jody van Ooijen (drums & percussion).
Close your eyes, and you won’t notice there are only two musicians. If you enjoy an honest, unpolished blues sound, Richville is highly recommended.
Richard van Bergen was clearly enjoying himself; he gave some great comments between songs to the audience and volunteer Liesbeth van Hal. The first set was tight, and at the end, there was even time for a quick Chuck Berry performance.
Danny Bryant is back – and how! He’s become Bryant 2.0. He’s lost a lot of weight and hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol in two years. I last saw him in 2024 at Luxor Live in Arnhem.
Back then, he looked rather apathetic on stage. How much has changed! The band has a lot of fun, they often play next to each other and laugh a lot on stage.
Of course, we all know his harder songs, but perhaps his calmer songs are even better live. “Guntown” remains a beautiful song. Second guitarist Marc Raner traded his electric guitar for an acoustic, while Danny poured all his emotion into the solo.
The new song “The Enemy Inside,” about his drinking problem, was also very impressive. The highlight remains “Painkiller” – what a beautiful buildup that song has. The piano piece in the middle even brought the audience in Oss (almost) to silence.
Conclusion: this 5th edition of Engel Blues was once again a strong one. Not established acts like Erika Baier, but also a top-notch act. Among them were established names that gave the festival the right variety.
Hopefully, this festival will remain a permanent fixture on the Groene Engel calendar.
