June | 2017 | No Fightin': The Red Devils, Lester Butler & California blues, rock and roots music

Archive for June, 2017

New date(s) added: Red Devils July 2017 calendar

Posted in red devils with tags big pete, reunion tour 2017, zz top on June 17, 2017 by J.J.

UPDATED JULY 4: One more added: July 27 at Enler Delta Blues Club in Comber, Ireland.

UPDATED JULY 1: The Red Devils have filled in July 16 with a gig at Das Hobo — the Hobo Jazz Bar — in Hildesheim, Germany. Big Pete confirmed that one with nofightin.com Friday, and we have updated this post. I haven’t seen the date on the club’s website or Facebook, but I don’t speak German! If any German readers can help out, drop me a line.

ORIGINAL POST: Festivals, club gigs and an opening slot on the ZZ Top “Tonnage” tour will give ample opportunity to see The Red Devils in many places in many different situations in July.

Here is the latest roundup we have compiled from ZZ Top, Big Pete and other sources. Be advised that the Top has a couple of gigs listed on their site the don’t include the Devils … this list is all confirmed or pending Red Devils performances in July.

READ THIS: 5 takeaways from The Red Devils’ first 3 shows

Be sure to let us know if there are additions or corrections.

JULY 6: Private event — Netherlands
JULY 7: Band show — + The Goon Mat & Lord Benardo, Le Gueulard Plus, Lorraine, France
JULY 9: ZZ Top — Loreley, Loreley, Germany
JULY 11: ZZ Top — Zenith La Villette, Paris, France
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5 takeaways from The Red Devils reunion weekend

Posted in red devils with tags “big pete” van der pluijm, bill bateman, jonny ray bartel, mike flanigin, paul size, reunion tour 2017 on June 12, 2017 by J.J.

The Red Devils are back, having just completed their first three gigs in 23 years. They returned triumphant June 2-4 in The Netherlands.

Photos and videos of the shows are plentiful, and too many to catalog here. Many of the videos are captured in The Red Devils Facebook group. Also check the Facebook pages for Paul Size, Mike Flanigin and Big Pete, too. The entire Ribs and Blues Festival set is available on Facebook, if you know where to look. Twanny’s Blues has plenty of June 3 Bosuil videos on YouTube, or watch the whole show here. June 2 Fluor clips are available from Joop Chevy on YouTube.

Here are the things that stuck out to us after watching the first three Red Devils shows:

1. There is only one …

From the very first notes of the very first song of the very first gig, it’s clear: These are The Red Devils, and nobody else.

For a generation of fans who only have 24-year-old YouTube videos to go off of, the ’17 Devils are a revelation. The stacks and stacks of bands inspired by the Devils clearly can’t touch them — many of them have been rendered obsolete in just three shows.

You cannot go wrong with Bill Bateman in the driver’s seat, and he makes obvious the fatal flaw for other bands: he just has that beat, locking in with the grooving Jonny Ray Bartel. Paul Size reminds everyone that his guitar playing is singular — his touch and instincts are all still there. He’s been missed.

If you can’t have Dave Lee Bartel onstage, then bring back Mike Flanigin, holding down rhythm guitar. Kudos to the Devils for bringing back a different “brother” when they could have gotten a ringer.

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