Motor’s and Blues, a summer musical curtain raiser

Mstop the rain and this summer that never comes? The Dax arena park should see the first elements of the big stage bloom, from Tuesday July 2 in the morning, which will welcome the headliners of the 14^e edition of the Motor’s and Blues festival.

Created in 2009 around a group of friends, this festival offered at its baptismal font to bring together their two passions, the blues and motorbikes. “Last year, we set up a new system, after a difficult edition, but friends, motorbikes and blues, it’s still our triple identity. Of course, there are always things to improve, each year, to welcome the public in the best conditions, to make it an event that speaks to several audiences, while betting on a quality musical program”, explains its president, Stéphane Duboscq.

A “women’s blues” evening, this is not the first time that female singers and guitarists have been honored at Motor’s and Blues. But the headliner on Friday, July 5th is simply making guitar lovers around the world swoon: the Serbian Ana Popovic, a virtuoso guitarist, rightly nicknamed the “female Jimi Hendrix”, interrupts her European tour to spend an evening with the Dacquois, on the banks of the Adour.

From Dublin Soul to New Orleans

“She’s only doing three dates in France, including Dax. Her career has exploded and seeing her outdoors for 5 euros is just an incredible opportunity.” Seeds and her blues, sometimes inspired by Creole, Gladys Amoros Quintet, which draws on gospel, and Alyssa Galvan, an American musician from Missouri, aged only 19, will complete this line-up. “She just graduated, before going on tour! I think that in the years to come, she’s really going to count. This evening is to highlight female voices in the blues, which bring a particular flavour and creativity.”

Another female artist on stage on Saturday, Mayflies, for example, promises a real reinterpretation of the repertoire of the great Ray Charles. “And doing Ray Charles with a female voice, which seduced us, is a real gamble, the result is really original and successful”, confirms Stéphane Duboscq. Covers also with Fuzz Top, who covers the standards of the group ZZ Top, beards and show, with the “spin guitars” included, and covers, finally, with the original soundtrack, on stage, of an unmissable film, “The Commitments”. The group Dublin Soul, composed of eight musicians, interprets the standards of the masterful biopic of Alan Parker. A treat of soul and blues classics, to put between all ears.

Sunday is traditionally a more family-friendly day. The Bourbon Street Band will offer a stroll, like in the streets of New Orleans, and Teddy Costa Duo, then Nico Wayne Toussain, will provide the closing concerts of this 14th^e edition, with the final word at Place Thiers. And let no one say that voting is not guaranteed: “We had thought about setting up a polling station in the park, but the idea was rejected,” jokes the festival president. “No problem going to vote, the site only opens at 10 a.m., and once you have the bracelet, you can come and go as you please,” he specifies.

Street-art en live

Street art will also be visible live at the festival, with the Muralis association. This is the new feature of this edition: eight painters are invited to come and express themselves during the festival. The association provides the material and on Sunday afternoon, all the painters will present their work, inspired by the atmosphere in the Parc des Arènes: “It’s the common thread of the weekend, they all have very different styles, sometimes come from far away, from Marseille, Mexico…”

Motorcycle dealers, forty stands and exhibitors will be present, with a campsite nearby, with a shuttle system, bikers are also invited to leave their motorcycles on display in the park, where they will be monitored. Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, the two big rides will be offered to the most valiant, riding their noble mounts. It will of course be necessary to check the agricultural weather forecast and equip yourself accordingly.