Full house at the 8th Mettmann Blues Festival: A feast for the senses!

Full house at the 8th Mettmann Blues Festival: A feast for the senses!

A full house and a hot atmosphere: The 8th Mettmann Blues Festival drew an enthusiastic crowd to the Konrad-Heresbach-Gymnasium on June 28, 2025. In the hot, humid air and the smell of home-made distillate, around 180 fans from all over North Rhine-Westphalia gathered to celebrate and listen to the sounds of the blues. While the stage spotlights cast beams of light into the haze, music lovers enjoyed a varied line-up that made the hearts of blues fans beat faster.

The festival, which took place in the cradle of the blues, at Mettmanner Bach, offered a stage for talented artists. Among others, the well-known ones were there Phil Seeboth Band, the “Crazy” Chris Kramer Duo and B.B. & The Blues Shacks. The latter band has been making a name for itself for over 30 years and has given around 4,000 concerts worldwide during this time, including in Dubai and Los Angeles.

A sound that connects

The musical genres celebrated at the Blues Festival extend far beyond the boundaries of traditional blues. The Phil Seeboth Band combines blues, southern rock and Americana and is known for their unique style, while Chris Kramer rocked the stage with his duo, which has already won the “German Blues Award” six times. “There is nothing better than live music to heal the soul,” said one festival visitor as the sounds of the bands echoed through the high school.

Admission prices were 25 euros in advance and 30 euros at the box office. Ticket sales took place until June 20, 2025 in stores such as art reisen, me-sport and AWO-Treff.

The roots of the blues in Germany

The roots of the blues in Germany are deep. After the American blues movement had already reached a peak, German artists also began to become enthusiastic about this music in the post-war years. With the first American Folk Blues Festival At the end of the 1950s, organized by Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau, interest in blues was sparked in Germany. Artists like John Lee Hooker and Willie Dixon helped the blues gain a foothold in the German music scene.

A vibrant blues culture was established in the 1970s, with many groups performing at festivals as well as in jazz and youth clubs. The “German Blues Circle” was founded to promote the scene, and numerous local blues festivals emerged, allowing important performances by both German and American artists. The Mettmann Blues Festival continues this tradition and still brings fans together today.

The thriving blues culture in Germany is a wonderful example of how music can bring people of different generations and backgrounds together. The Mettmann Blues Festival, with all its flair and the passion that the artists and fans share, is a real highlight of the German blues scene.