Beginning in 1962, the American Folk Blues Festival toured Europe as an annual event for several years, introducing audiences to leading blues performers of the day such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson, most of whom had never previously performed outside the US.

The tours attracted substantial media coverage, including TV shows, and contributed to the growth of the audience for blues music in Europe. Fairly profound was their influence, as the audience at Manchester in 1962 included Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones and Jimmy Page.

A package formula which had a format similar to the Motown and Stax revues, the artist coalesced around a single label. In this case it was Bluesway, a subsidiary of ABC/Paramout which was set up by Bob Thiele in 1966. Organised by Al Smith, bandleader, producer, promoter, and head of A&R at Bluesway, the backing band included guitarist Eddie Taylor, bassists and Jerome Arnold and J.C. Lewis, the harmonica of Big Walter Horton and pianist Curtis Jones, who at that time was living permanently in Europe.

Taking place after the Stockholm date, Gothenburg was the third date on the tour and like all global youth culture, the Blues continued to exercise considerable influence in its development. As well as heavy Blues being a component of the major new rock bands immerging from the Staes and the UK, it was a major component in the sound of important Swedish prog bands such as November, Made in Sweden and Baby Grandmothers.

Konserthus

Built in 1935, the architect Nils Einar Ericsson was seen a major advocate of Functionalism. There was however an incorporation of Neo-Classical forms in its exterior, no doubt to compliment the architecture of its surrounding Götaplatsen area. The interior remained steadfastly modernist with Functionalist principles at its heart.

Home of the Gothenburg Symphony, its programming has seen a diversity beyond that of classical music and high culture. Jazz legends such Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Stanley Clarke, Thelonious Monk, Boby McFerrin, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock graced this Auditorium. Pop acts such as Beach Boys and The Kinks in the 1960’s, along with major prog bands such as Pink Floyd, Procol Harem, Canned Heat, Iron Butterfly, Frank Zappa and more recently Sigur Rós, Soundtrack of Our Lives, Weeping Willows, First Aid Kit, Mogwai, Elvis Costello and Ryan Adams have also played shows there. A venue of prestige, its acoustics are still considered one of the best in the world

Peckham Soul Prints

Designed by Craig Jamieson, these prints explore the unique diversity of Gothenburg’s cultural and social history. Focusing on archive research, and as well as re-discovering original prints, they often draw on contemporaneous listing material to create completely original artwork

All designs are silk screen lithographic printed and use 100% recycled and sustainable paper.