blues « No Fightin': The Red Devils, Lester Butler & California blues, rock and roots music

Archive for blues

3 live bonus tracks on 13 reissue

Posted in 13 with tags 13, 13 featuring lester butler, blues, lester butler, Rockbeat Records, tamines festival on February 22, 2011 by J.J.

The “13 featuring Lester Butler” reissue will include three live bonus cuts from the Tamines Festival in 1997.

The tracklist for the disc, out March 22, was revealed today in a news release and e-mail exchange with RockBeat Records, a division of S’More Entertainment:

13 FEATURING LESTER BUTLER

There are very few white blues bands that have been able to take the blues to a new level without compromising the integrity of the sound. Lester Butler seemed to understand the blues structure and he performed with an attitude and an edge that stands him apart from his contemporaries. He was able to shape his sound by bringing the blues harp more upfront and not take a back seat to the lead guitar. His playing reflects the passion and love for the blues that remain long after his active career. Butler worked with some great musicians, including Bill Bateman, Paul “the kid” Size, Jonny Ray and Dave Lee Bartel during his stint with The Red Devils. In both bands, Lester was clearly the star, but he always had topnotch support with musicians that propelled his sound to fever pitch intensity. In America the scene was pretty jaded, but it was in Europe where Lester really gained popularity playing at festivals such as Tamines in France. He passed away tragically in May 1998.
Read more »

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

Leave A Comment »

More Netherlands ticket stubs, 1993-97

Posted in 13, red devils with tags 13, blues, feelgood, netherlands, red devils, tickets on September 1, 2010 by J.J.

We are continuing to sift through Feelgood’s fantastic collection of Red Devils and 13 memorabilia. He’s sent us a lot of great stuff to look at, including images of several ticket stubs, and the really cool handbill at right. It is from the Nov. 18, 1993, gig at Schaaf, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Appears that Paul Size and Dave Lee Bartel were unceremoniously scratched-out from this promo item; Size had probably already left the band a few months earlier.

Feelgood also sent us these two ticket stubs, one Devils and one 13:

Both tickets are from the venue Oosterpoort in Groningen, Netherlands, three years apart; ABOVE LEFT is the Devils Sept. 4, 1994, and ABOVE RIGHT is 13 Sept. 7, 1997.

Finally, Feelgood shared his own ticket collection with us: Chuck Berry, Flaco Jimenez, Bo Diddley, Georgia Satellites, Steve Earle, John Hiatt, the Paladins, Billy Joe Shaver, and many more. That’s an impressive resume!

Watch for more from Feelgood’s collection, soon on nofightin.com.

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

Leave A Comment »

Paul Size now offering guitar lessons

Posted in paul size with tags blues, guitar, johnny hoy and the bluefish, red devils on June 21, 2010 by J.J.

For the past several years, Paul Size has carved a niche for himself as the guitarist for the blues-soul-party combo Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish. Size’s chops remain top-notch since leaving The Red Devils, as I can attest personally, having seen Hoy and the boys here in Bloomington a few years ago.

Those of you lucky enough to live in the vicinity of Martha’s Vineyard can take advantage of Size’s generosity: Paul Size is offering guitar lessons through his site, paulsize.com.

For roughly 50 bucks or so, you — yes, you! — can get some blues guitar instruction from the man who played this, this and this.

The site offers contact information for Size, including a land and cell phone numbers. Please, do not bother him with geeky questions about the Devils! But if you do take him up on the offer for lessons, tell him nofightin.com sent you (and be sure to file a report when you’re done).

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

1 Comment »

Bateman drums: Old school, new ideas

Posted in bill bateman with tags blasters, blues, drums, red devils on June 6, 2010 by J.J.

Bill Bateman is featured in the May/June 2010 issue of Drumhead magazine, mostly talking about the craft of drum building. Bateman began building kits for his own Bateman Drum Company a few years ago, and he talks, in detail, with Drumhead about the why and how:

“I noticed that some of the drum companies have made choices in their production that aren’t geared towards a better instrument, but rather are a by-product of mass production. Some companies are good. Gretsch still does it the old 1940s way, which is great. Ludwig is kind of imitating what they used to do, but they have all butt joints. They didn’t have butt joints in the old days.”

Bateman is revealed as a true drum gearhead, with an astounding knowledge of styles and companies. He even talks at length about studying Civil War-era snare drums, eventually building two rope-tension snares in the 19th-century style, according to Drumhead. Much of the article is about how he and his brother-in-law experimented with making wood shells. But Bateman always keeps the player in mind, even when selecting hardware (which he gets from old drums): “All of that double-braced hardware isn’t going to fit into the back of your Toyota,” Bateman told the magazine. “Even if it did, your back would be pissed at you the next day.”
Read more »

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

1 Comment »

Moulin DVD highlight reel

Posted in 13 with tags 13, alex schultz, blues, dvd, eddie clark, lester butler, lester's legendary last gig, mike hightower, moulin blues, music, ospel, red devils on December 16, 2009 by J.J.

The Web site that brought us the 13 Moulin Blues DVD, www.bluesdvd.nl, now has a YouTube channel. Of interest to us: A great quality highlight reel of the 13 DVD. If you’ve been on the fence about getting this concert, watch this video and get going!

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

Leave A Comment »

Another fan weighs in on Moulin 1998 DVD

Posted in 13 with tags 13, blues, dvd, lester butler, lester's legendary last gig on September 23, 2009 by J.J.

More than a year after its release — and more than 11 since the gig — the Lester Butler DVD, “Live at Moulin Blues Ospel 1998 — Lester’s Legendary Last Gig,” is still being discovered by fans.

A review posted today by “Slidin’ Slim” from Sweden underlines some of what we’ve been saying about this DVD:

To watch Lester’s very last performance (he died from a drug overdose one week after the gig) at the Moulin Blues Ospel in The Netherlands 1998 together with some very rare rehearsal footage and a few songs from 1993 with The Red Devils was both joyful and extremely sad.

Again, you can pick up a copy of the DVD from www.bluesdvd.nl.

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

3 Comments »

Doghouse Lords unleashed in California

Posted in bill bateman, related music with tags bill bateman, blasters, blue shadows, blues, california, chopper franklin, cramps, doghouse lords, javier matos, john bazz, rockabilly, roots, video on August 1, 2009 by J.J.

For all your Bill Bateman needs, look no further than The Doghouse Lords, with dates next week in California. As an added bonus, it looks like Bateman and John Bazz are pulling double duty with The Blasters on a couple of these gigs.

Doghouse Lords guitarist Chopper Franklin (late of The Cramps) tells nofightin.com that tour dates and more can be found on the mutts’ new site doghouselords.com.

Aug. 5: Redwood Bar, L.A.
Aug. 6: Red Devil Lounge with The Blasters, San Francisco
Aug. 7: Thee Parkside — the “Doghouse Duo” in San Francisco
Aug. 8: 19 Broadway with The Blasters, Fairfax, California
Aug. 9: Redwood Bar — the “Doghouse Duo” in L.A.

If anyone hits these shows, give us your review on nofightin.com.

And for those not familiar with the Lords, watch “Georgia Chain Gang:”

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

Leave A Comment »

Found! ‘Louisiana Blues’ rare promo tape 1992

Posted in red devils with tags andrew dice clay, blues, cassette, def american, four horsemen, jayhawks, louisiana blues, mp3, muddy waters, promo, rare, red devils, sir mix-a-lot, slayer, wolfsbane on July 13, 2009 by J.J.

After years of myths, faded memories, lost opportunities and cold trails, the rarest of Red Devils recordings is discovered, recasting the band as a semi-acoustic traditional blues combo.

Even after the package arrived in the mail, it was still hard to believe the search was over. In our hands was the much-rumored “Louisiana Blues” promo tape. It existed and was ready to be played.

“Louisiana Blues” is the alpha and omega of The Red Devils’ legend: It is both the first cut released on Def American in the early ’90s, as well as the last remaining musical mystery in the band’s official discography.

Twelve years of Internet queries, e-mails with friends and collectors and several wild goose chases had finally lead to prize: The cassette turned up in Nebraska as a listing on discogs.com before coming to nofightin.com.

There are many reasons why this particular song has eluded collectors and been such a source of confusion for so long:
Read more »

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

3 Comments »

13 rehearsal videos 1998

Posted in 13 with tags 13, blues, chris masterson, eddie clark, lester butler, rehearsal, rock, video, youtube on June 11, 2009 by J.J.

Thanks to drummer Eddie Clark, much of 13′s history has been preserved on video, including excellent rehearsal videos of Lester Butler and 13 from 1998..

You should recognize these videos as the source of the “Business in the Street” clips from the 13 Moulin Blues DVD, recorded at YO! Studios, Van Nuyes, California, in March 1998.

The guitarist is Chris Masterson; in an e-mail, Clark tells nofightin.com that “Chris replaced Alex Schultz and Enrico Crivellaro and did most of the gigs in the Los Angeles area and short road trips outside of L.A. Alex Schultz was the ‘ringer’ for festivals and such, as promoters asked if Alex was in the band for those events. Hence his appearance on MBO 1998.”

Clark — who says he does not remember the bassist on this session — says he was the man who insisted on rehearsals, including three in 1998, “mostly going over old material and creating Lester’s new material. We had to make up our own parts for those new songs and try to make it fit.”

“Shake ‘Em on Down”:

Read more »

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

2 Comments »

Live in Bloomington, 1992

Posted in red devils with tags article, bill bateman, bloomington, blues, jake's, king king, lester butler, mike flanigan, paul size, red devils, rock, set list on May 4, 2009 by J.J.

Just a few months after first hearing The Red Devils in 1992, I was thrilled to learn the band would be performing just down the street, at Jake’s Nightclub in Bloomington, Indiana.

The show — originally Sept. 28 — was rescheduled for Oct. 13, one week ahead of my 21st birthday. A press pass from my college newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student, would basically get an underage reporter into any bar — as long as the reporter promised not to drink.

The show was advanced in the local media; I imagine they all received the same Def American press kit I did. Dave Mac of the daily Herald-Times said:

The music is rough, raw and rootsy, and the gut of the sound is Chicago blues. But the Red Devils push the sonic requirements of traditional blues to include more bass lines and more guitar sound. The result is a band that is as rock and roll as it is blues, and mainly young and hungry. Size is the youngest member, the Texas-bred guitar whiz being only 20 years old.

The weekly alternative the Bloomington Voice actually interviewed Butler:

“Blues is a shared language,” says Butler. “It’s still really fun for me … Because of the chord structure, it’s similar to jazz. You can go and have a jam session, and it sounds f—in’ great. It’s different than rock … We all share that language. Music is a dialogue between five different individuals.”

The Voice also noted that Texan Mike Flanigan had taken over rhythm guitar duties from Dave Lee Bartel for the tour.

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

2 Comments »

No Fightin': The Red Devils, Lester Butler & California blues, rock and roots music

Archive for blues

3 live bonus tracks on 13 reissue

Like this:

More Netherlands ticket stubs, 1993-97

Like this:

Paul Size now offering guitar lessons

Like this:

Bateman drums: Old school, new ideas

Like this:

Moulin DVD highlight reel

Like this:

Another fan weighs in on Moulin 1998 DVD

Like this:

13 rehearsal videos 1998

Like this:

Live in Bloomington, 1992

Like this:

Pages

Follow “No Fightin': The Red Devils, Lester Butler & California blues, rock and roots music”