A voice that’s catchy and infectious, a sparkling band, and a feeling for great songs: "Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s always showtime for The
Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns!" Rhythm & blues dripping with sweat, soul, funk and ballads that never fail to get under your skin. Live performances of
The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns around the charismatic singer Michael Fanger have received international acclaim like few other German bands.
Whether playing in a small intimate blues club in Ireland in 1989 or on a huge open air stage in front of 8,000 people in Canada in 2000: The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns always leave their audience
breathless! Cover songs are creatively interpreted by The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns and undergo an exciting transformation: imaginative, powerful, convincing.
This outstanding band with the excellent horn section The Guinness Horns has been the attraction at international festivals for years and appeared together with acclaimed musicians like The Blues Brothers,
Albert Collins and Meat Loaf. The band has polished their skills at more than 700 concerts, taking them as far afield as Canada, Ireland and Russia.
Above all it is Michael Fanger, the lead singer of the band
since 1997, who provides
the decisive kick with his variable, powerful and emphatic voice.
He has the persuasive power to carry the great evergreens and
give them a credible new touch. Whether he’s driving the thrilling
backing sound through rock songs like Hard To Handle or
crooning, screaming and whispering in sensitive soul ballads à
la Georgia on my mind, his voice, his dramatic effect and
his special aura give the band the touch that guarantees an unmistakable
live experience.
So what’s the unique story behind this German R & B band? In 1983 guitarist Hubsi Eggeling founded a rhythm & blues quintet. Their idols were John Lee Hooker, James Cotton and The Nighthawks.
The addition of The Guinness Horns - who since then have characterised the orchestral big band sound of  the band - expanded the musical scope of the band. Funk, soul and rock songs from Bobby Byrd, Sam & Dave and Wilson Pickett now complete the program. Besides well-known evergreens like
Soul Man and Everybody Needs Somebody, whose interpretations can easily bear comparison with the expressiveness of the originals, The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns have a good feeling for almost
forgotten, unknown or new songs. Keziah Jones, Slickaphonics, Blues Traveller or Tower of Power, Thin Lizzy, Jonny Lang, Huey Lewis or ZZ Top; the repertoire was carefully selected, while the arrangements
developed the right groove throughout the extensive tour program. After intense and successful touring in Germany, the band received some tempting offers from abroad. This raised the question of
whether the band would be able to establish itself on the international stage. But to everybody’s satisfaction The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns more than mastered the challenge and there has been an
international tour nearly every year since.  In 1989
The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns had their first experience abroad. In Ireland, the band proved its professionalism: the largest Irish music magazine "Hot Press" elected the gigs of The
Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns as being amongst the top ten of the year - alongside Rod Stewart and Status Quo. During the following two tours they had several live guest
performances and interviews on Irish radio and TV.
Apart from Ireland, one more country has become a fixed date in The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns’ tour calendar. Since 1993 there
have been extensive Canadian tours every year except 1999. And there were always superlatives. In 1993 the band played at the "Sherbrooke Blues Festival", offered a furious show during the "Trois
Rivères en Blues Festival" in 1994 and they were the first and only German band to play at Ottawa’s "International Jazz Festival" in 1997.  In 1996 The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns played as the first non-Russian band in the Caucasus as the official messenger of
German-Russian city partnerships. Here, too, the enthusiastically received musicans were welcome guests in the media, on radio stations and TV channels. In the Netherlands and in Denmark, more radio
presentations followed.
In 2000 there is no sign of stagnation: "Danke schön, Herr Michael und seine Freunde" was for example the German headline of the
overwhelming article about their concert in August 2000, published in the Canadian newspaper "Le Courier". All in all more than 30,000 spectators followed their concerts during their recent 14 cities tour
across Canada.
In autumn 2002 The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns played a few smashing concerts
in the Cosovo. Here the band also recorded their live-cd "live...airfield...kosovo".
The band's highlight in 2003 was the celebration of their 20th birthday in the "Bischofsmühle" in their hometown Hildesheim with plenty of renowned guests.
But what about this year's climax?
In september 2004 The Blues Guys & The Guinness Horns are asked to take part in the german-russian cultural exchange. The band will ship the river
Wolga from Kasan to Astrachan where they will play various concerts.
After all these years the band's message is still credible and
optimistic: "Let The Good Times Roll".
Article: Johannes Knoblauch/Blues Guys
Pictures: Andreas Hartmann
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