Ana Popovic – Hard Hitting Highheels

Since first seeing Ana Popovic in Koblenz four years ago, her shows there have become something of a yearly highlight for me.  Each time the empty streets in sleepy Güls  make me wonder if the audience is coached in en-masse or dropped ‘Close Encounters’ like from space-ships.    Wherever they come from though one thing is certain – those who see Ana once will  be back next time, and the next…

There are quite a few changes since the first show in 2005, and not all music related.  Not least is the baby seat in the Tour Van.  A bit of a novelty on the Rock circuit as Mark, Ana’s Man and Manager, acknowledges when I see him outside before the show.   In truth there doesn’t seem room for a mouse, let alone a baby, in the van.  As bass-man Ronald Jonker begins unpacking equipment I stifle the urge to ask if there is a jigsaw box picture somewhere to help show how it all fits together.  In the end I just leave Ronald and co to demolish their version of the Berlin Wall drumstick by guitar case and head for a bite to eat before the show (watching people work always makes me hungry).

When I return at 7.30 the van is empty and Café Hahn is filling up.  Playing the blues and coming from Güls has it’s up-side as  Local band ‘Blues Side’ can attest.  They’ve bagged  support slots for a number of top acts at the venue such as Walter Trout and Nine Below Zero.   Tonight it’s Ana Popovic and certainly ‘Blues Side’ are worth a listen with a good raw electric blues sound.

It’s true that I was a bit concerned having a support band would mean Ana  shortening her set.  It would certainly be an easy option;  especially since her band just flew in from playing a festival in Copenhagen the previous day. An easy option wouldn’t be for Ana Popovic though.   She played a support slot for the great BB King earlier this year and whilst they might be different colours, different ages and different blues stylists, both clearly share a desire to bring the music to the people;  and treat the people with respect.

The truth is Ana, will need at least two hours to play all the strong material she now has to draw from.  The new CD, ‘Blind For Love’ has what I think will be great live numbers on board; but will I have to miss old classics like ‘Navajo Moon’ to hear them?  I will soon know as Ronald gets the show off to a unique start by busting a string before Ana has even got onstage.  He’s shouting ‘Welcome Miss Ana Popovic’ and brandishing a bass string like he’s planning to garrot anyone who doesn’t applaud.  Help comes from the ‘Blues Sides’ bassist who comes to the rescue (and thereby proves how important support acts can be).  Finally the strings on and the show is off and rocking with ‘Wrong Woman’.

New drummer Frenchman Stephane Avellarzeda  is young but doesn’t lack in the punch department.  His hard hitting style pushes Ana’s sound into rock territory and I’m reminded of Phil Lynott’s advice many years ago to young Irish Band Mamas Boys – ‘Hit ‘em hard from the start and don’t let up’.  They do let up momentarily though for the moody and romantic ‘Song for M’ but the songs generally come hard and fast, none more so than the poppy ‘Nothing Personal’ – a hit single if ever there was one.

During the break I check out the merchandise stand where Mark is doing good business but I’m keen for part two.   I want to hear more of the new material and I am not disappointed.   Ana is back onstage with the title track ‘Blind For Love’ but the highlight for me is ‘License to Steal’ which also shows Ana’s very considerable guitar abilities.  I had this figured as a steel guitar number but there’s Ana playing a standard Strat and hell, it sounds like a National Steel guitar.  I would  like to hear this stripped down to just Ana and maybe the drums with a good measure of foot-tapping.  This is a good point to mention Ana’s style.  She’s not afraid to switch between finger picking and plectrum  within one solo.  Her eyes half close as she reaches for the sound in her head and I really believe that when that happens we in the audience no longer exist.  She’s somewhere else and wherever that is, we get it’s soundtrack in all it’s glory.  Just at times maybe there seem too many songs and not enough guitar,  so thankfully ‘Navajo Moon’ is still a set regular  to redress the balance and it’s still Ana’s musical Tour De Force.

The anthemic ‘APB’ has everyone clapping  along as I knew it must and the evening is, even at two hours, over  too soon.  When at the encore Ana asks what we want to hear and someone calls out ‘House Burning Down’ she seems a little disappointed.  She wants (needs?) to sing Blues.

We get T-Bone Walker and it’s a celebration – that Ana wants to play Blues and that quite simply, Ana wants to play, period.  When I later ask how she feels about people demanding she play Blues she emphatically replies that she plays what she wants to play and not what others want to demand she plays.  She says it smiling an enigmatic smile with a well earned drink in hand, but there’s a steely tone to her voice that says this lady is not for turning -  and if you love contemporary music with a heart and soul as I do then that is very good news indeed.

MORE PHOTOS

Make a diary date for Oct 10 2010 when Ana is back at The Harmonie in Bonn – and there’s still a chance to catch her live  this October  before she heads back to Tour the USA:

Oct 30 2009 8:00P

HAMTORKRUG

NEUSS, GERMANY

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