Felipop festival - Limodre, A Coruna, Spain, 9th/10th August 2002
By Andy Morten
We met Pete Dello at Gatwick Airport on the afternoon of Wednesday 7th to catch our flights to Madrid
and on to Santiago De Compostela. Pete was collected at Santiago Airport and taken to his hotel
near the festival site while we hooked up with some friends (hola Alfonso, Eva and Tono) and
spent the night in the beautiful city of Santiago.
On Friday afternoon we met Pete in the village of Limodre where the festival takes place. The band,
Louis Wiggett and myself (from British band Bronco Bullfrog) on bass and drums respectively and
Miguel Angel Villanueva (from Spanish band Los Brujos and long-time friend of Pete's) on guitar,
all squeezed into a tiny room full of drums, amps and mic stands and began running through the songs
for that night's show. Halfway through the rehearsal, Colin Hare arrived, grabbing
a mic and launching into "Big Ship". To my ears, things were sounding great.
After a couple of hours the call came through for us to make the sound check so we packed up and
walked up the road to the huge festival marquee.
Finally, at about 12:30 AM, Pete, Colin, Miguel, Louis and myself were introduced by respected
Madrid DJ and Honeybus fan Sammy and kicked into "Delighted To See You" complete with kazoo solo
from Colin! The 700-strong audience went wild.
Pete and Colin continued as a duo with versions of "Uptight Basil", "Proof Enough" and "Cross
Channel Ferry" before we re-joined them for a rip roaring "Throw My Love Away", dedicated to
it's author Ray Cane.
The set continued with Pete, Colin and Miguel treating us to "Francoise", "Bloodshot Eyes",
"Do I Figure In Your Life", "It's The Way", "Arise Sir Henry", "Texas Gold" and of course
"I Can't Let Maggie Go" with Louis and I joining them for "Get Up The Road", "She's Out There",
"I'm A Gambler", "Big Ship" and ending with "In My End Is My Beginning".
The crowd weren't about to let us get away that easily and we returned to repeat "Delighted To
See You" and "Throw My Love Away" before leaving the stage at around 2 AM to ecstatic applause.
Pete and Colin spent the remainder of the night talking to rabid fans, being photographed and
signing CDs. All in all, a triumphant show.
On Sunday night, Pete and Colin played a two-man acoustic in Casa Arda, a small bar near the festival
site. The venue was packed and the boys played a variation on their Friday night set with Pete
on electric and Colin on acoustic guitar (and harmonica and kazoo).
However, they added a few surprise extras, amazingly knocked together in their hotel during
the afternoon before the show. Flawless versions of "Alice", "New Day" and "Just Like Me" from
Colin's album were played along with a breathtaking version of Pete's "Hear Me Only".
The audience sang along with every song, even providing vocal interpretations of the orchestral
arrangements on songs like "I'm A Gambler" and "Do I Figure In Your Life".
After encoring with a repeat of "I Can't Let Maggie Go" featuring an audience member on vocals,
the lads again posed for photographs and signed CDs. At one point, Colin came running over with
someone's copy of the Old Masters Hidden Treasures CD which he'd never seen before!
Pete, Colin and Colin's wife Myra settled down for a well-earned supper of wine and tortilla
at the bar before retiring for the night. Another successful show and a memorable night for
everybody concerned.
I think a seed was planted this weekend. You haven't seen the last of Pete Dello and Colin Hare.
Watch this space...
Many thanks to Luis, Adan, Manolo and the Felipop organisation for their tireless hard
work and unwavering enthusiasm
Thanks also to Gitte Jensen for the photos
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