Artists
One of the hardest working European blues bands, Wentus Blues Band celebrates its 30th anniversary this year 2016. WBB will be touring throughout the year of celebration which will culminate August 5-6th in their hometown of Kokkola, Finland. We would now like to invite everybody to join us for this spectacular event, a new Family Meeting with artists and audience from all over the world. On this page you can check out who is coming – and there is even more of them than listed here!
On Friday 5th you will get to see the current line-up with Wentus Blues Band performing songs from the last album ”Lucky Strike Mama”, Headliner on Friday is the very popular J. Karjalainen who has had a lot of hits throughout the years.
On Saturday 6th we will open the doors already in the afternoon and give you a concert with Wentus Blues Band along with special guests, some listed here.
EERO RAITTINEN
Eero is the grand old man of Rock´n´Roll in Finland. Eero toured a lot with Wentus in the end of the 90´s performing a set of Fabulous Thunderbirds-songs.. Let´s put it this way: Wentus learned the way of living on the road with Eero.
HUNGRY JOHN (N)
Hungry John was the first guest Wentus ever invited to come to tour Finland. Hungry John is a harmonica player and singer from Norway and he has received the Norwegian Blues Award 2003 Bluesprisen. John became famous with his Bergen Blues Band and was also on the top lists in Europe. Wentus met him the first time in 1992 in Copenhagen when Wentus did their first Sweden/Denmark Tour.
HONEY B DUO
None of that run-of-the-mill grind, but a heady cocktail, where the best psychedelic elements from 1960’s San Francisco meet Mississippi blues in a garage, with serious intentions. The phat bass lines and the funky and rich drumming build a house, where fiery and earthy slide will take no prisoners. The cherry on the cake comes by courtesy of Honey B’s singing. Think of updated Memphis Minnie and you’re close. She hails from Finland.
SVEN ZETTERBERG (SWE)
Talking about blues players outside America it’s hard to leave out Sven Zetterberg, Sweden’s most versatile artist in this field. Being both an excellent singer, guitarist, songwriter and harmonica player extraordinaire, he has become a house-hold name all over Scandinavia. Sven has a long history with Wentus and he came to work with Wentus first as a harmonica player on a tour with Louisiana Red, Sven was also part of the Family Meeting and we are very glad to present him at this fest.
DUKE ROBILLARD (USA)
Here’s a quick quiz:
What do Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Jay McShann, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, John Hammond, Dr. John, Roomful of Blues, and the Wentus Blues Band all have in common?
Answer: Duke Robillard
Guitarist. Bandleader. Songwriter. Singer. Producer. Session musician. And a one-man cheering section for the blues, in all its forms and permutations. And every one of those names has shared recording studio space or stage time with a man who is a legend in the blues community. In 1987 Wentus played as support for Duke Robillard at the Hotel Vaakuna in Kokkola. Now we have him here at the 30-year-anniversary!
LAZY LESTER (USA)
Lazy Lester has been called a “National Treasure, ” the “High Sheriff of Louisiana” and “a nut.” As one of the key creators of the South Louisiana swamp blues sound in the 1950s, Lester has been often imitated but never duplicated. Blues fans worldwide prize his early singles on the Excello label that were recorded in Lake Charles, Louisiana. From town to town, his fans are always bringing up his old Excello albums, 45s, and on occasion, a 78 for him to sign. Lester’s high-pitched harmonica and ‘lazy’ vocals are blues archetypes.
Many Wentus fans remembers him from the Family Meeting, and he certainly knows how to cheer up people.
BARRENCE WHITFIELD (USA)
Barrence Whitfield is a full-throttle soul screamer in the spirit of Little Richard, Don Covay, and Solomon Burke. He has been described as the owner of one incredible pair of lungs, with limitless energy and unmatched enthusiasm for his music and his audience.Barrence is a rarity in this business – one of a few black, rock n’ roll singer/entertainers who maintains a frenzied performance.
Whitfield is a performer so consumed with satisfying his audiences that he has been called ‘crazed, frenetic and completely unhinged.
OLLI ONTRONEN & MIGHTY SHITTY
Along with his work as a freelancer musician Olli has been running his own band since 1998. It all started with a band called Bluesology which was a 6 piece west coast blues band. After ten years Olli decided to change concept and this is whats going on at the moment;
Olli O. & Mighty Shitty; it includes all about it. The blues, the blue feeling and trying to live with it. Even though the name is a bit shady it describes the songs and the style quite well. It is ment to be scandalous!
WENTUS BLUES BAND ORIGINAL LINE-UP
In the evening you will get the hear the classical line-up with Antti Sjöberg on vocals performing the local hits we had in late 80’s/early 90’s. A must for everybody around the Kokkola-area who grew up with this band!
DR FEELGOOD (UK)
The Wentusfest will end with an old Wentus partner in crime: DR FEELGOOD all the way from Canvey Island, Great Britain.
No further introduction needed.. Let’s have party!
On top of this we will have great food and drinks!
We will post the menu later!