Bo Diddley & Hiram Bullock in Basel 2001
Bo Diddley European Tour 2001
07.11.01 - Tilburg, Holland -
013
09.11.01 - Basel, Switzerland - Messe Basel
10.11.01 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Supernova
11.11.01 - London, England - The Astoria
12.11.01 - Liverpool, England - Cavern Club
Hiram Bullock European Tour 2001
07.11.01 -
Vienna, Austria -
Reigen
08.11.01 - Maribor, Slovenia - Satchmo
09.11.01 - Basel, Switzerland - Messe Basel
10.11.01 - Minden, Germany - Jazzclub Minden
12.11.01 - Prague, Czech Republic - Lucerna Music Bar
13.11.01 - Moscow, Russia - Le Club
14.11.01 - Moscow, Russia - Le Club
15.11.01 - Moscow, Russia - Le Club
16.11.01 - Moscow, Russia - Le Club
17.11.01 - Moscow, Russia - Le Club
21.11.01 - Gilwice, Poland - Teatr Muzyczny
22.11.01 - Swidnica, Poland - Club Bolko
23.11.01 - Gorzow Wlkp, Poland - Club Pod Filarami
24.11.01 - Bogatynia, Poland - Club Energetyk
25.11.01 - Warsaw, Poland - Club Hybrydy
26.11.01 - Warsaw, Poland - Club Hybrydy
28.11.01 - Poznan, Poland - Club Blue Note
30.11.01 - Katowice, Poland - Club Marholt
01.12.01 - Kalisz, Poland - Centrum Kultury
02.12.01 - Warsaw, Poland - Natolinski Osrodek Kultury
03.12.01 - Warsaw, Poland - Club Remont
04.12.01 - Warsaw, Poland - Club Remont
Sound Check
Hiram Bullock
Bo Diddley
Concert Reviews
About 4000 people attented the Rock'n'Roots evening during the Avo Session Festival
in Basel, Switzerland. Probably 75 % of the tickets were sold. The show was taped by a
Swiss TV Station named SF DRS and will be broadcasted on August 31th 2002. There
were two big video screens beside the stage where we could see the performers very closely.
Anyway, support act Hiram Bullock started at 8 PM, did a great show and played for 90 minutes.
Then he told us he has to go cause of Mr. Bo Diddley coming up.
After a 30 minute break, Bo Diddley and The Debby Hastings Band entered the stage and opened
with the famous Bo Diddley beat. His stage moves were very slow but he looked ultra cool.
And to be honest, I never saw him jump on stage or things like that on the old videos.
It's just his style. Then he played, played and played... he just didn't stop. And here is the big
difference. While other performers stop after 40 some minutes which is fixed in their contract,
Bo just doesn't seem to care. He is still a musician and not a business man. He did fantastic
solos on both drums and keyboard additionally to his crazy guitar sounds. During the two hours,
he played Rock'n'Roll, Blues, Reggae and Rap and there was even an encore.
Set List
Introduction
Bo Diddley
I'm A Man
Can I Walk You Home
Crackin' Up
Bo Diddley's A Bad Seed
Roadrunner
That Mule
Who Do You Love
Unknown Song
Drums Solo
Keyboard Solo
Rap Improvisation
Hey Bo Diddley
Diddley Daddy
---
And 50 years were as nothing
AVO SESSION: BO DIDDLEY ROUSES THE AUDIENCE WITH HIS 2-HOUR APPEARANCE
Three
dotted eighths, a sixteenth, an eighth and then a quarter note: this is the
rhythm Bo Diddley
has stamped on rock'n'roll since the mid-1950s, one that famous bands like the
Rolling Stones
later copied. And it is still this rhythm that the now 73 year-old "primary
rocker" together with a
convincing Hiram Bullock roused his audience in the opening program of the AVO
Session.
For what seemed like minutes, the drummer beat it on the snare drum. Then bass
led in, followed
by the Hammond, the rhythm guitar and then Bo Diddley himself. Rolling ever on,
minute after minute,
the beat began to work its primeval hypnotic effect, taking the whole hall with
it. It was magic, timeless.
And it always moved on one harmony - real one-note blues.
Three dotted eighths, a sixteenth, an eighth and then a quarter note - and 50
years are as nothing. Then
Bo Diddley's square guitar begins to howl. It sounds strage, unrecognizable,
just like it did back in the
fifties, when the young man from Mississippi was one of the first ever to work
with effects and distortions
on the guitar. Suddenly his vocal starts, with a deep, full blues voice,
overriding everything its carrying power.
What an entrance.
Bo Diddley may be 73, but he didn't show the slightest sign of slowing down, and
continued with the same
intensity. "I'm A Man", one of his hits from the 50s, had a fresh and
new-sounding effect. Diddley made an
impressive appearance, without any gimmicks, and the band gave him very good
support. Then he played a
couple of mid-tempo numbers, during which he talked a lot with the people in the
front rows, from which
fortunately the seats had been removed. He stirred them up, urged them to dance
and to sing along. And they did.
Bo Diddley gave lots of solos, continually pressing the buttons of his specially
made guitar to achieve the unusual
effects. He even added a couple of rap pieces (!) and did a solo with felt socks
on the drummer's floor drum.
After taking it easier for a stretch in the middle part, Bo Diddley moved into
high gear for the finale. He invited
everybody to the party, played a classic rock'n'roll number, said, "I feel
good this evening, very good!" and gave an
super extra chorus of "Who Do You Love".
After more than two hours the very strong concert finally came to an end with
the classic "Hey Bo Diddley". Yeah,
with three dotted eighths, a sixteenth, an eighth and then a quarter note.
By Marko Lehtinen, translated by John O'Brien
Basler Zeitung of November 12, 2001