Stef Paglia, in particular, made an impression with his vocals, guitar playing, and blazing solos.
The annual free Duuves Mixed Music Blues Festival takes place every year on Remigiusplein near the church of the same name in Duiven, Gelderland, just outside Arnhem.
This year Mad Lee, the Gerrit Veldman Band, plus headliner Sean Webster (who also performed there on Sunday in 2025) could be seen. We was where performances by Sweet Bourbon, the Thomas Toussaint Band, and headliner Stef Paglia, the trio of Belgian blues-rocker singer/guitarist, took place starting at two o’clock in the afternoon. To be honest, I had only seen one of these bands perform before, namely Sweet Bourbon, active since 2014, years ago.
Due to circumstances, I was unfortunately only able to catch the last two songs of the seven-piece Sweet Bourbon, but it was nice to see and hear keyboardist Willem van der Schoof again. Regarding the Thomas Toussaint Band, I particularly enjoyed the second part of the performance.
Singer and harmonica player Thomas was active on the same stage last year, back then with the Livin’ Blues Experience; I really liked the double bass for the sound, although the bassist also alternately played an electric bass guitar during the heavier pieces.
I soon understood why the internationally active and multi-award-winning Belgian Stef Paglia has been receiving such positive reviews lately, as he turns out to be a great singer and an excellent guitarist, delivering one blazing solo after another, and he also has an excellent repertoire, together with his fine keyboardist and drummer.
The majority of the audience was seated on one of the many terraces around the square, but during the performances, quite a few enthusiasts moved closer to the stage to stand or dance.
In addition to this festival, the organization, Stichting Duuves Mixed Music, also organizes several performances at various locations in Duiven and the surrounding area.
They hope that the number of donors will grow significantly, because organizing free performances naturally costs a lot of money, and despite the many sponsors, it is now uncertain whether a festival can take place again next year…
