Patlansky’s music career is anything but blue
GUITARIST, singer/songwriter and globally respected purveyor of the blues, Dan Patlansky, is the headline act for the 12th Durban International Blues Festival next month.
The festival, which takes place over the first weekend of September, highlights some of South Africa’s top local talent and also features American blues singer, guitar player, harp player and band leader, Charlie Love.
Patlansky is looking forward to playing in the city again. “It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been in Durban,” he said. “And it’s going to be one of my last shows with the full band this year.”
He will play a number of solo acoustic gigs around Gauteng next month before a final tour of his IntroVertigo album in Europe in September and Britain in November.
His gig will comprise many of the IntroVertigo hits, and quite a few popular numbers from the “back catalogue” as he describes it.
Also on the cards is the launch of a new album early next year. As yet it has no title.
“I’m staying true to my sound. It’s modern blues rock. But this one may be rawer and more real with some strong songs.”
Having achieved critical acclaim with IntroVertigo and 2014’s Dear Silence Thieves, which were voted number one blues albums, he says of his upcoming album: “I don’t think about it. I don’t want to stunt my creativity. I don’t want to fall into a cookie-cutter mode. I record an album I want to listen to.”
Patlansky tells of growing up in Johannesburg listening to guitar-based music, from the classics of Hendrix and Clapton to Pink Floyd.
“My love of the guitar grew from there. I really wanted to pursue a music career and my parents backed me. I started young, when I still lived at home – no bonds, no car payments. It would have been very difficult otherwise.”
He tells of his first professional gig at the age of 16. “It was a pub cover band. I think I was included to give it a bit of a blues spin. I was just thrilled to earn something playing music.
“From there I just followed my passion for blues-based, roots-based music.”
Festival director Themi Venturas is looking forward to Patlansky’s gig. “We started the festival in 2005 at Wilson’s Wharf. The intention was to create an event synonymous with Durban and to make Durban the blues capital of South Africa and, hopefully, Africa,” he said.
Visit www.durbanblues festival.co.za