Last night, March 5, 2008, the first spring rain fell in Sofia, BulgariaВ and the city was dressed in melancholy, ready for the two-hour blues performance in which was drown Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture.

Before the actual show, arranged by Joker Media, Chris Rea honored the declared for national mourning day and in 8:15 p.m. the spectators got standing with heads down in memory of the victims of the fire in the train for Kardam... Minutes later the stage was taken by The Delmonts featuring Chris Rea, and they took us half a century back in time on an instrumental walk in the classic rock and roll with warm sound and soft but vivid rhythm. The sixty-year-old “boys” started with “Dirty New Town” (a quickened reading of the old Irish song “Dirty Old Town”), and under the hanging above their heads guitars and the deep red and blue lights they presented six compositions whose names shined on a big screen on the left side of the stage, thus acquainting the audience with their works. Slightly nostalgic mood, typical for the fifties guitar sound blurred in the whole music, smiles and good humour hovered above the hall when at the end of “It’s Behind You” Colin Hodgkinson walked swift his fingers on the neck of his bass guitar, the band turned with their backs on us and in the dark the curtain with their logo fell.

A few moments later the first tones of “I Can’t Wait for Love” sounded, and on the sunken in blue stage The Hofner Bluenotes appeared. And while the forerunning The Delmonts play rock, Bluenotes enchant with pure and hearted, ever-blue blues.

The stage show of Chris Rea is a bright interpretation of the conception of his still hot new album that comes in an edition of 2 LPs, 2 CDs and a book telling the story of The Delmonts – an instrumental band from the mid-20th century that reincarnates in the sixties as the power-blues quintet The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes – two bands born in the imagination of the talented Brit and sharing one stage live in order to give amazing show in two parts.

With the appearance of The Bluenotes from the loudspeakers for the very first time we heard also the voice of Chris, which provoked the applauses of the crowd. His distinctive low timbre, his elegant teases, his unstrained bearing built during the long stage experience, and the warmth of his songs sent few thousands spectators in the coziness of a musical journey through his works. He has always asserted that the blues is his first love and the following songs were marked by the seal of this music. “Legacy Blues”, “Where the Blues Come From”, “Josephine” were among the tracks that made the fans clap their hands and sing along.

In the mild timelessness of the performance, the Englishman charmed the audience with his raspy voice, the profound sound of the guitars and the amazing solos that sprang from under his fingers – picturesque fragments in the wholeness of the compositions. His explosive bursts on the six strings made the songs even more fascinating and emotional in their concert performance. Chris Rea definitely creates music that must be listened to live. His outstanding talent and his love for the blues painted pictures of an easy hot day when you contemplate life behind the smoke of a cigarette, of a confession to a beloved woman, of a long road on a lonely night street, the road to freedom, the road to hell...

With the emblematic “The Road to Hell” the end of the second part of the show came. The audience stood up on their feet only to welcome the band back after a short break with the sunny “On the Beach”, during which behind the drums of Martin Ditcham a canvas  was stretched, showing painted Hofner guitars that have inspired Chris for the name of the band from his latest project.

The invitation for dance “Let’s Dance” placed the finale of the magnificent concert of the singing painter with the guitar. After this there remained the night chill of the city, washed by the rain and the blue magic of the blues.

Words: Ivaylo Alexandrov

Photos: Victor Alexandrov

More photos can be found in theВ GALLERY.

The musicians:

Chris Rea (guitar, vocals)
Colin Hodgkinson (bass)
Neil Drinkwater (keyboards)
Martin Ditcham (drums)
Robert Ahwai (guitar)

Chris Rea's Sofia setlist:

PartВ 1: The Delmonts
1 Dirty Old Town
2 008 Jimmy Bond
3 India Arab
4 Russian Roulette
5 BB Was a Comanche
6 It's Behind You

PartВ 2: The Hofner Bluenotes
1 I Can't Wait for Love
2 Legacy Blues
3 Where the Blues Come From
4 Josephine
5 Easy Rider
6 Julia
7 Stony Road
8 Looking for the Summer
9 Shadow of a Fool
10 Stainsby Girls
11 The Road to Hell (Parts I & II)

Encore:
12 On the Beach
13 Let's Dance