Blues fans came in search of paradise and found it in Dublin. From Friday to Sunday night, the joints, small and large, were jumpin'. The blues had taken over most of the city's major venues, and if you didn't like the throb of a thumping bass guitar, the squeal of a finely tuned electric model, or finger-picking acoustic strumming, then it was off to the country with you.
Now in its seventh year, the Guinness Blues Festival has gone through a name change (before it grew it was known as the Temple Bar Blues Festival) and a geographical broadening of venue boundaries. This year has been a particular success, with most of the major concerts sold out.
The trick, according to Una Johnston, co-manager of the festival, is to spread the net as wide as possible, snagging old favourites and new names. The results are eclecticism and comprehensiveness, and are fully appreciated by the blues fan who wishes to be challenged as much as pleasured.
"I've been staggered by the size and quality of the audiences," she says to the accompaniment of a blues guitar wailing in the background. She praises this year's atmosphere. "Everyone seems to be in great form. A lot of people have been made very happy by the festival. We're very keen to find and present the best of the blues, past, present and future. We now have 10 headline events, we've expanded the programme, and everybody knows that this is a great festival. Everyone wants to play Dublin - the word is out."
The main activity began from early Friday evening, when most of the Temple Bar pubs (and others nearby) swayed to the sound of local blues bands. The headline concert on Saturday, at the Red Box, featured Eric Bibb. He's been to Ireland so many times in the past year the familiar sight of his smart hat is no longer a style shock.
