European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 17, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 16 the stars and stripes april entertainment Story and photo by Anita Gosch staff writer More than just a cult figure the brits have a secret and the rest of the world is just beginning to discover Hes Chris he plays a mean slide he has a powerful he writes romantic and Hes been a cult figure for much of the past seven the British press touts Rea As the English Bruce his voice resembles the husky vocals of the with perhaps a Little Bob Seger thrown and his songs Tell tales of everyday reas Ameri can style As he describes brings to mind the Mellow Side of Springsteen the in on fire and even though on stage Rea is the Antithesis to the energetic his performance is As Rich in intensity and Amateur band contest at san Sebastian festival As in previous an Amateur contest will be part of this years 20th annual san Sebastian jazz this Beach resort City in Northern near the French will Host the event for five july with the first Days concert devoted to the Amateur jazz groups of any who do not derive their major source of income from their Are eligible to Partick four groups will be selected by the from demo tapes and other information to perform at the lodging will be provided for those be plus financial help for travelling the amount depending on the distances a first prize of pesetas about second prize of about and a prize of pese tas for Best soloist will be awarded to the submission of tapes and information about the group should be made by april 30 to jazz Centre de at accion y san the schedule for the professional part of the festival is not yet but the following International artists have promised to appear the count Basie band with Thad Jones Joe George Norris Oliver slam Scott Jack Sun Johnny Woody Donald Johnny slide Nathan Kenny Art Jimmy Dave Vlady Pedro Al Dimeola and Airt Joe Weisel the most striking resemblance is that like has been playing the Rock v Roll game according to his own he turned his Back on com Mercial Success in the United states in 1978 when his debut whatever happened to Benny turned Gold and the single fool if you think its Over reached 5 on the not even a grammy Nomi nation for most promising new artist could seduce him into staying in the american i was being promoted As a pop and that int what i in a slide guitar he they kept flying me to grammy things like i never knew what i was supposed to be doing because when its your first you think that must be the Way it once i realized that there was this other Way of which was and not the show Biz part of i realized that the area i want to be Rea shaped his Rock dreams on the european club avoiding the trends of the late and devel oped his own style of Lidback Rock v steady ticket and record sales among a growing cult following assured him of a in Success touched Rea again this time on his own terms with his fifth water it included a top 20 european can hear your Rea has earned a reputation As a imaginative a lot of myself have a lot of sad Ness tinged in their mainly because its a sad he i never agreed with the Rock journalists of the late 70s who said you should write up music As a form of escape that like some foolish Ostrich burying its head in the i find it quite foolish to behave flippantly about things that one topic that concerns Rea is the plight of the steelworkers in reas latest Shamrock includes the song steel a Semi autobiographical song about his childhood in the British town of its about a Guy who goes Back to his which is a steel and finds out its not there any he remembers the whole history of the the second verse mentions the fact that Hitler and bombers wipe out the yet Margaret Thatcher wiped it out in two Rea says his songs Arent but human Itari there sparked off by Day today an image of the i think that Why its quite Lidback music be cause i think that How most bodies tend to feel within themselves during this hectic life we Lead in the now that Success is coming his Way will he be so Quick in shunning it this time he still dislikes being in the prefers live gigs to and Doest want to be a Jet set As Long As people Are Happy to come and see me and buy the in he Chris Rea on tour Germany 17 die 19 21 27 28 Holland music 30 Belgium 2 Ireland Leisure 10 11 13 City Leisure 16 19 England 23 City 24 25 Royal 26 28 29 31 1 Hammersmith 2
