The blues from Groningen: homemade, could do less

Wim Entzinger once called the weekly rehearsal evening in the hamlet of Meulnhörn near Siddeburen the highlight of the week. The drummer, corporate lawyer and ex-chairman of FC Groningen is now releasing a third CD (and LP) full of his own work with The Sidekicks, Homemade .

Indeed, just recorded in East Groningen. And just like on the strong debut Blues And More Than Blues (2012) it was already clear that in addition to blues there was also room for soul, pop and rock, it still is. Teo de Haan sings with a sense of drama, beautifully supported by the singers CT Heida and Inki de Jonge, while Arnout Arkenbout makes a Hammond buzz. A big difference from twelve years ago is that The Sidekicks now have to do without guitarist Hans van Lier for the first time; on Texas Of The North (2017) he could still be heard, although he and The Sidekicks had already parted ways when it was released.

Within the beaten path

The Groninger now has his Hans van Lier Band (including 78-year-old Lou Leeuw). The performance that producer Michiel Hoogenboezem captured in Veendam has now been released on Spotify, among others: It Could Have Been Less either Could Less in good Groningen. The registration shows that Van Lier – in combination with guitarist Bennie Timmer (also ex-The Sidekicks) – still has the sacred fire and that singer Marjon van Dijk holds her own in material by Susan Tedeschi, among others.

Both The Sidekicks and Hans van Lier Band stay within the beaten path, but both bands prove to belong to the northern top in the field of music that is indebted to blues.