Rhythm & Blues Festival

ELECTRIC blues dominated the last day of the best Colne festival ever, writes PAUL BARRY.

But not before Thorpe, Tatton and Dyke pulled in an early crowd with their stunning acoustic set.

After that it was decibels all the way, starting with Pete Orr's band The Electric Experience and their gutsy 60s-influenced material.

The surprising star of the afternoon was Memphis man Colin John whose guitar playing and singing has a unique hybrid quality - the songs from his album Evolution were stunning.

But the evening was dominated by one person - Sista Monica Feisty, charismatic, witty and blessed with an awesome vocal range, she was a very hard act to follow.

Long John Hunter made a sterling effort, coming across as a man who really has paid his dues and played his blues. HIs versions of All By Myself and Kansas City were great stuff. The penultimate act was Little Milton, whose blues review band got things started with some funk and soul-influenced sounds. But once he picked up his guitar, the mood turned true blue.

Who better to round the weekend off than Colne favourites King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys? With songs like Blow Torch, Red Headed Woman and the wild Can't Get Enough Of Your Stuff, this band have enough variety to spice up anyone's life. And although the crowd begged for more, it was the perfect end to a wonderful four days.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.