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Ian Siegal
Mining blues, soul, country and rock, but not – says
Garth Cartwright – just another retro time server.
U
ntil I ventured down the stairs of
the 100 Club on a warm night last up and sing a song. I did Ain’t Too Proud To
summer I had very little idea of Beg – I learnt it from the Temptations, not
who Ian Siegal was. I’d briefly S
itting for a pint with Siegal in a my cousin’s band and he asked me to get
Soho pub I find a softly spoken man
who appears happiest when
speaking about the music he loves. the Stones – and it went down a storm. I’d
heard his 2007 album Swagger (Nugene Portsmouth-born, Siegal recalls growing never thought about being a professional
Records) which sounded pretty good if a up loving his father’s Buddy Holly and musician before but the response I got sug-
bit ‘trying too hard’. Still, word came that Gene Vincent records and going on to gested I could sing so I began to look at it
Siegal was best caught live in concert and become a massive Little Richard fan (on as a way out of Portsmouth.”
I was interested in seeing a relatively new Swagger he delivers storming
Siegal certainly did get out: he lived in
kid on the British blues block – Ian’s 37 so interpretations of Little R’s I Don’t Know
Berlin and Nottingham, busking in the for-
one of the youngsters of the scene. What You Got and I Can’t Believe You
mer and starting out on the bottom rungs
Ian Siegal and band set foot on stage at
Wanna Leave).
of the British blues scene in the latter,
8.45 sharp and didn’t stop playing until “At school most of the kids were into before shoring up in London and launching
11.15. I don’t often hang around at gigs that
The Jam and Smiths and I was into my blues his career. “I’ve been doing this for a long
last so long but this was the most fun live
and rock ’n’ roll so it used to end up with time and for years I had no ambition
music event I’ve been to in ages. The 100
fights – mods versus teddy boys type thing. beyond living to play gig after gig and have
was packed with a very appreciative audi-
Ridiculous. But I’ve always listened to a good time. I was a professional musician
ence and Ian and band (bass, drums, Ham-
American music since I was tiny. I can’t even and concerned about developing my
mond, occasional second guitar) looked like
recall a time when Muddy Waters’ music singing and guitar playing but I didn’t give
they were having the time of their life and
wasn’t in my life. Aged 16 I was a roadie for much thought to writing and recording. As
their enjoyment was infectious.
I’ve got into my mid-30s I’ve started to push
I mentioned Siegal as blues which is not
harder, see what I can develop.”
totally accurate – his sound is more akin to
Rory Gallagher, Peter Green, Humble Pie,
The Small Faces, Joe Cocker’s Grease Band,
the Allman Bros, Little Feat: white guys min-
S
iegal’s a road warrior regularly
clocking up between 200-300 gigs a
year across Europe. He’s a star in
Holland, got a following in France
ing blues and soul, country and rock ’n’ roll,
and the Italians love him. He’s recently
then creating their own fiery brew from
played Croatia and regularly gigs in
these sources. That said, Siegal’s no retro
Hungary and admits to being interested in
rocker – his music has a focus and dynamism
what the local roots music scenes sound
so many of those late ‘60s/ early ‘70s bands
like: on Swagger he recorded the
let slip; his band cooked and never let the
atmospheric Horse Dream by the
groove go, there were no indulgent solos,
Hungarian bluesman Ripoff Raskolnikov.
everyone played with fire and the Ham- “I can’t say I know much about Hungar-
mond player had such a great sound. ian Gypsy music or flamenco but I under-
Siegal’s sound is also informed by
stand that it all comes from the same vibe. I
more recent American musical history –
liked what Ali Farka Toure did with Hooker’s
Tom Waits and Junior Kimbrough are obvi-
sound. It’s a universal thing blues and that’s
ously influences while, when he dismisses
the way to keep it fresh, not to let it fall into
his band and starts to play acoustic, I hear
the trap that so many on the British blues
amongst the country blues, songs by Tony
circuit have of playing those same Chicago
Joe White and many an alt. country artist.
standards or imitating Stevie Ray Vaughan.”
In a sense Siegal’s a throwback to a UK of Siegal praises the likes of Little George,
old where young musicians absorbed Errol Linton and Matt Schofield for reinvig-
American roots music and then created orating the UK blues scene while admitting
their own sound out of it – most spectacu- the British blues circuit is “shit. It’s just so
lar were the late ‘60s Rolling Stones, Van
static and lacking in new ideas.” The Dust,
Morrison and Fleetwood Mac recordings.
he says, was a chance for him to show just
Today, outside of Alabama 3 I can’t think
how close blues, country and gospel all are.
of another contemporary British artist
“They’re linked but the race problems in
whose sound owes much to American
the US have kept them separate. Jimmie
roots music. With Siegal you intuitively
Rodgers was a bluesman in every sense and
feel he’s absorbed the music and created
Howlin’ Wolf’s favourite singer, while Hank
his own signature from it.
Williams learnt his trade from a black
Siegal’s recently released his third
Alabama street singer. When you play
album, The Dust (Nugene). It’s an acoustic
blues, country and gospel acoustically you
offering with Siegal providing vocals, guitar
know they’re from the same source.”
and percussion. Pedal steel legend BJ Cole
2009 is, Siegal hopes, the big one. He
and two other guests add a little colouring
aims for his next band album to establish
to a tough, sparse album that mixes Siegal
him amongst a wider audience. Here’s
originals with covers (e.g. Steve Earle,
wishing him luck, being a British bluesman
Howling Wolf, Mary Gauthier, Hank
is a tough road these days.
Williams) and is a fine example of what a Siegal is playing the UK in late May &
good singer, guitarist and songwriter he is. June: see news and
www.iansiegal.com F
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