France -- Line-up for the La Roche bluegrass festival at the beginning of August is now online

Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

For the program of this year's wonderful European bluegrass festival at la Roche-sur-Foron, France (at the foot of the Alps near Geneva) -- click HERE

The line-up includes:

Thursday August 4th

18:30 - Workshop band

19:00 - Poa Pratensis (H)

20:00 - Dr Bluegrass and the Illbilly 8 (GB)

21:00 - Elenor (CH)

22:00 - Holy Water (NL)

Friday August 5th

18:00 - Autopista (E)

18:45 - Opening ceremony

19:00 - All Bells & Whistles (Cz)

20:00 - Blue Side of Town (D)

21:00 - Blueland (Sk)

22:00 - Kathy Kallick Band (USA)

23:15 - Bluegrass 43 (F)

Saturday August 6th

12:00 - Grass Road (Cz)

13:00 - Veget (Cz)

14:00 - Roots and Galoots (GB)

15:00 - Kid’s Concert with Lonesome Day (F) Square Danse Session, Masterclasses

17:00 - Tupelo (Ire)

18:00 - Le Chat Mort (S)

19:00 - Lilly of the West (Bg)

20:00 - Lazy Tater (NL)

21:00 - BlackJack (Cz)

22:00 - Hickory Project (USA)

23:15 - G-runs ‘n Roses (Cz)

Sunday August 7th

12:00 - Percy Copley (GB)

13:00 - Heather Joyce (GB)

14:00 - Blue REJ (Cz)

15:00 - Melting Times (H)

16:00 - Except 2 (NL)

17:00 - Country Cocktail (Cz)

18:00 - TBA

19:00 - Contest results and winner

20:00 - Lonesome Wally (USA/GB)

21:00 - Field-Thompson Band (USA)

22:15 - Howlin Fox (F)

 

 

Hermann the German's new Album

"Hermann the German" at the Country Music Messe 2010. Photo (c) Ruth Ellen Gruber

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

The German country-western singer Hermann Lammers Meyer has sent me links to information on his new CD, "Nashville is Rough on the Living"-- including to this video clip of the song Honky Tonk Hearts.

I've seen Hermann, who sings, plays guitar and pedal steel guitar, perform many times -- mainly at the annual Country Music Messe in Berlin.

He has one of the longest careers in German country western music, dating back to the 1970s, and he has toured and played in Texas and elsewhere in the U.S. One of his most recent tours was eve further afield -- to New Zealand!

"Hermann the German" on German TV

The German country singer Hermann Lammers Meyer sent me the link to a piece on him on German TV.

I've met Hermann, who sings and plays guitar and pedal steel guitar, a number of times at country music festivals in Germany. Along with Truckstop, he is one of the most enduring German country artists -- his career dates back to the 1970s, and he has also toured in the U.S. The video shows him and his band, The Emsland Hillbillies, on tour in Germany -- you can catch a little of the flavor of a downhome German country music festival.