Last updated 05:15, Friday, 28 November 2008

Ian Siegal has been described as “the saviour of British blues”. But does British blues need saving?

Entertainment: Ian Siegal returns to Carlisle on Saturday and Sunday

By Roger Lytollis

“It certainly needs a kick up the arse,” says Siegal.

At 37 Siegal is a boy in the old man’s world of blues. And that’s one of the problems. Ageing performers, ageing audiences. How much longer can it last?

“UK audiences tend to be older than abroad, which is worrying in terms of the future,” Siegal says. “In Europe music’s not fashion-led. There’s less talk about genres. They just want to hear good music.”

But he isn’t overly impressed with most of the British young guns who do play the blues. “I see younger guys playing but they tend to be very unprogressive. They’re stuck in the traditional ‘70s and ‘80s rock blues, like the great Stevie Ray Vaughan and Clapton.

“It’s kind of lost that old-fashioned sense of entertainment. With guys like Howlin’ Wolf it was a bit Vaudevillian. These days guys stand stock still. They enjoy themselves on the guitar for hours on end with no connection with the audience.

“There’s the image that blues is depressing music, or music for people that are depressed. But there’s lots of happy songs. For a long time it was popular music.

A comment unlikely to be aimed in Siegal’s direction. His heart and soul approach to singing and playing guitar wowed the crowds at last year’s first Carlisle Blues Fest, to which he returns this weekend with his band on Saturday night and a solo slot the following afternoon.

Siegal has also impressed at the Penrith and Maryport Blues Festivals.

He came to prominence in the blues world five years ago after two European tours opening for Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings. This was followed by UK tours as a duo with Big Bill Morganfield, son of Siegal’s hero Muddy Waters.

Siegal’s album Swagger was Mojo magazine’s second-best blues album of 2007 and he was the only artist outside North America in Mojo’s top 10.

But the majority of music lovers have never heard of Swagger, or Siegal; a sign of how marginalised blues music has become. What does he think of the British music scene and the popularity of X Factor-style talent shows?

“I think they’re really harming music in a big way. Standards are so low. We’re happy if someone can barely sing but they have a nice personality or are funny or a bit weird.”