Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings @ Poppodium Iduna – Drachten (NL) – 06.10.2012

You wanted a lot of reelin’ & rollin’ music by some „Olden Golden Goodies Misters & 1 Lady-Queen“, then the sold-out Poppodium Iduna at Drachten in Frisia of Holland was the ideal place to have joy, to dance and to have good drinks.

It was Saturday Night Fever time by Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings. Naturally a lot of freaks of the Rolling Stones gathered there to see Bill as Stone-Alone.  There was one sad thing that Mary Wilson, founding member of Motown legendary act The Supremes was missing this night. She had some more important dates in the US. It all started by ‘Route 66’ and cool, rockin’ vocals and gonzo keyboard-solos by Georgie Fame. Do you remember The Blue Flames? That’s this man. He even cooperated with Muddy Waters and Van Morrison. The atmosphere was broiling immediately. By ‘Tell Mama’ Lady Beverley Skeete entered the stage. Her singing was full of rockin’-bluesy-soul and she put a spell on the auditorium.

If you looked at her, by her afro-american extraordinary pretty face, her dreadlocks, long black evening gown with white flower ornaments she could play the role of Mary Laveau The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans in any musical or as film-role. Terry Taylor on lead vocals and slide-guitars was next by his interpretation of ‘Too Late’. He was a good singer and his guitar-solos were very solid too, but if you have ever had the chance to see Albert Lee you missed Mister Speedfinger for his fingerstyle and picking technique. By ‘Three Cool Cats’ there was a hot dancing-couple on stage by Beverley and saxophonist Nick Payne on lead-vocals. The musical travel continued way down to zydeco land by a hot performance by Geraint Watkins on accordion. It was Bill to convince not only by his special rhythm on bass, but also that he can sing excellently by ‘All Night Long’. The first set was concluded by Beverley as soul-diva on vocals by ‘Sweet Soul Music’.

Set two began to remember The Godfather of  Soul James Brown by ‘This Is A Man’s World’, ironically it was sung by Miss Skeete, hihi. The wizard on Piano Mister Fame was to steam up again by ‘Jump, Jive and Wail’. But the hammer was yet to strike down the Iduna and and to turn it into a tollhouse by the encore ‘Honky Tonk Woman’. Everybody was clapping hands and the background-chorus by the fans was thunderous. There Bill proved why he is sadly missed by the Stones die-hard-tongues for his groovy, dry bass-play. What a steamy end! The noisy applause asked for more, but a last stand- and wave-out by the band and the honky tonk highway was opened for the return of the happy music-lovers.