Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Time to put on The Blues Goggles....and It's Always An Irish Jam Day...


I know what I like...

The Hat has been listening to The Radio. Not just those wonderful blues night owls who hold our hand and guide us as we pick our way through an avalanche of blues music, near blues music and not quite blues music but I have been in the comfortable arms of Auntie Beeb and the magnetic power of the spoken word. The Hat has been listening to the fabulous Grayson Perry and being cracked around the head by his current Reith Lectures.

Perry takes no prisoners in his ruthless quest to rip asunder some of the veils surrounding 'Art'. He has donned what he calls his 'Art Goggles' and in an amusing, highly entertaining and forthright series of lectures peers right through a lot of the nonsense, illusion and silly verbiage that has grown up around the art world, its participants and its creations. I can heartily recommend that you go and have a listen on replay somewhere just as soon as you can.

One of the lectures reflects on 'beating the boundaries' of art – by which he means having a look at what may or may not mark the extent of 'what is art?' From almost the first paragraph you are impelled towards a comparison with our world of 'The Blues', where that somewhat amorphous debate over 'what are the blues' crops up all the time on the social media and in far too many blues magazines where deadlines dictate a quick page filler. What was defining about the lecture is that Perry bravely offered up some 'rules' as to how you make the judgement – and the musical echoes are very alluring.

One is 'is it a borrowed version of something else?' Oh dear. Where should we go with that one? Well, my friends, I know that like me you can quickly fill a page with the names of the guilty parties and we can fight about that later...and The Hat doesn't even include that bete-noire of so many blues lovers – the Tribute Band. Yes, you've seen Tilda Hilton in a glass box once but do you want to see her again and again year in and year out...for Tilda Hilton please substitute the appropriate blues name....you're ahead of me again...

Then there is the question of a 'serious or proper context'...for 'gallery' insert live stage, festival, audience environment. Does hanging your musician on a wall and charging for admission, by implication, make it the Real Deal. Because they're 'on the bill' does this legitimize their brilliance, originality or talent? The idea that most people visit the Mona Lisa to 'tick it off' and have their photo taken alongside it really tickles The Hat's sense of humour and immediately brings to mind the squillion posted pics of 'me with my arm round this famous bluesyperson'....(fine by me, if that rocks your boat).. Of course context may well be a hugely important way of gaining access but The Hat knows that the tiny front parlour blues festival might well turn out to be far more authentically blues 'art' than sitting in row Z watching your artist on a screen because they are too far away to see... Consider this. The Grand Context might help but it doesn't necessarily make it Grand Art. Of course this may be the only opportunity to see your Grand Artist....but peering over the shoulders of those with more money just to catch a glimpse may not be that rewarding?

I don't want to spoil your potential enjoyment of Perry's excellent lectures, but I couldn't resist one final smiley analogy...”Is there a queue?”. That notion immediately brings to mind the sellout concert or gallery exhibition. Wearing an old and different hat, The Hat knows well that it is possible to create a queue. The application of good pr, marketing and applied common sense can conjure up a queue for anything. The implication that there is a limited supply, (for that read 'limited edition') is a good place to start and a good catch-phrase is sure to help...(er..Brit Art...er...Brit Pop..er..suffering for your art..ad nauseam). Once you give something that perpetuating imprimatur of originality or brilliance it will run and run - and there will be queues.

I'll stop now, as I know all blues fans are much smarter than that. We have a broad church. We give everyone a fair crack of the whip. We all know when we are being manipulated. We can spot a star. We know what we like. We know our art. Er....don't we?

And now a small 'chapeau' or two. The first is to the wonderful on-line blues community. I recently posted a small piece about the way bluesman Ron Sayer had been treated by his supposed royalties company and the potential losses involved. The Hat posted a piece about this and within just 24 hours over 1500 people had read it and many passed it on. Hopefully this will have a happy ending and much credit to the power of the blues community.

Secondly, The Hat who, as you know, is well battered and gnarled when it comes to the blues, doesn't often do birthdays and doesn't often single out individuals for a nod - is making an exception. So here is a nod to the lovely personable Paddy Maguire. With his own band but ceaselessly playing and working on behalf of others, his contribution to our blues world is often under the radar. Trust me. It is Substantial. Let's all hope he celebrates in an appropriate fashion and long may he continue to make that famous tasty and moreish Midnight Jam.

Pip Pip!

The Blues Man in The Hat.