Concert Review in Rocktimes (Germany)

Rocktimes (Follow this link for German text and more photos.)

By Markus Kerren

Photos by Sabine Feickert

Delta Moon

Ducsaal, Freudenburg

30 April, 2013

Style: Blues, Swamp

Concert Review

On 30 April I nearly drowned ... or should I better say smothered. For without resistance during Delta Moon's concert I disappeared up to the hair tips into the deep, sultry swamps of Mississippi. Fortunately, my colleague Sabine saved me just in time and heaved me back onto solid ground ...

But seriously: This evening at Ducsaal was Delta Moon, for a long time no strangers at Rock Times. And in terms of both studio albums and concerts, the band of Tom Gray and Mark Johnson could convince our editors again and again. High time for a small part of the Southwest Division of the magazine to take a closer look at the four musicians from Georgia. I'll certainly not anticipate too much, except to mention here that it was a terrific evening.

The Ducsaal was very well packed, if not sold out, though that was certainly due to the current date. But the day before May 1, a cold, gray and rainy one, was soon forgotten as Tom Gray welcomed the special audience and the first few bars were played. What Messrs. Johnson and Gray pull off when each slides in his own game is in a class of its own. Stoicly calm and almost as if he had nothing to do with the whole affair, however, was Franher Joseph on bass. But man, what the -- in conjunction with Darren Stanley on drums they presented a groove that was out of this world.

Delta Moon's music lives and breathes. They were quite strong this evening on numbers such as "Goin 'Down South", "Clear Blue Flame", "That's It, You're Done" and, and, and ... a blockbuster line-up, and even a spontaneously expressed desire from one not to be named for the song "Slip Away" was fulfilled immediately. Also outstanding in the first set were "Jessie Mae" and "I'm A Witness" from the 2007 album Clear Blue Flame.

That a piece like "You Gotta Move" (probably best known in the version of the Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers) should  come fantastic as hell from the two slide guitars of this combo probably should not be a big surprise. And in the number "Who Do You Love" that night whoever felt no jerks in the pelvic area probably needed no help in terms of love and lived an active life. Not only the band, but the entire Ducsaal was vibrating.

Already announced on stage, drummer Darren Stanley was allowed on May 1 to celebrate his birthday and after midnight the musicians were served champagne and beer, while the audience got carried away with a spirited "Happy Birthday." But this brief interlude did not overwhelm the rest, and on "Shake Your Hips" (also once covered by the Rolling Stones) the two guitarists even walked into the audience, grabbed a table, laid out their guitars and started jamming. Gorgeous!

After the end of the concert, the amazing Ducsaal emptied quickly, the opportunity presented itself to us to talk extensively with Ducsaal chief Manfred Weber as well as the band members about music and God and the world. Finally, there was not only the birthday of drummer Darren Stanley to celebrate, but also that of the house coming in the next few days! All the best for it, Darren!

* * *

RockTimes thanks the entire Ducsaal team for the very pleasant cooperation.

Line-up:

Tom Gray (guitars, lead vocals)

Mark Johnson (guitars, background vocals)

Franher Joseph (bass, background vocals)

Darren Stanley (drums)