At the end of August and the beginning of September, we were able to take advantage of several opportunities to participate in the cultural life of Bolesławiec. An assessment made from a certain distance is more valuable because it is more objective. I think I will express the opinion of the majority by stating that the most important event of this summer was “VII Blues nad Bobrem.” The final concert was watched and heard by between 3,000 and 5,000 young people. Giving an exact number is impossible because, as the Head of the Organisational Office at the “Perfect” Impresario and Tourism Agency, Krystyna Juszkiewicz, claims, more than half of the participants—listeners got into the amphitheatre dishonestly. The mechanism of passing around the badge serving as an admission ticket is known to the organisers, and this problem will be resolved next year—but how? That is already the organiser’s concern.
The opening concert took place in the amphitheatre on Parkowa Street, was free of charge and filled the venue with blues enthusiasts on 24 August 1996. It began half an hour late with a performance by classical guitarists Roman Puchowski and Nick Katzman, who played characteristic Mississippi Delta and Chicago blues. I particularly enjoyed the blues played solo by Nick on a metal dobro guitar.
The instructors of the 4th Blues Workshops played two standards with a short vocal performance by Krystyna Prońko, getting the listeners up to dance on the forestage. The night and colourful lights added charm to the next blues group, Wanted Friends. Their music could be listened to over a plastic cup of Żywiec beer almost until midnight.
An important element of the blues gatherings in Bolesławiec was the 6th Music Workshop, which brought together 141 young musicians playing not only blues but also heavy metal.
The instructors were the best musicians, previously chosen by the “workshop participants” themselves. The very “cream of the crop” had come. This time there was no “harmonica class,” but a “saxophone” class appeared in its place.
The head of the workshops, Andrzej Pluszcz (an excellent bassist!!!), and the musical director, Leszek Cichoński (a magnificent guitarist!!!), unanimously emphasised the event’s unique atmosphere, a higher educational level than the previous year, very good working conditions at the Music School, a good place for the Jam Session at the “Brytania” Pub, good musical equipment, lighting, weather and Bolesławiec’s cultured young people. Interestingly, a similar opinion of us was held by Damian Szczepanowski from the Głogów band Who Knows, who was staying here (not for the first time). He gave his high assessment from the position of a “workshop participant” and a participant in the 4th Review of Blues Bands in Bolesławiec, held on 30 August 1996 in the amphitheatre by the Bóbr, for which the distinguished jury had selected nine bands.
The winner was Blues Beer Drinkers from Lublin, while Jacek Siciarek took first place individually, ahead of Damian Szczepanowski. They also received the main prizes—the private prize named after M. Kobusiak went to Oskar Kunicki as the best fellow “workshop participant.” It is difficult not to mention the wonderful performance by Martyna Jakubowicz and Jurek Styczyński, as well as the band “Gang Olsena,” which got the audience moving and concluded the 4th Review of Blues Bands—Bolesławiec 96 with a night concert.
The following day (31 August 1996), the amphitheatre by the Bóbr was already crowded; the Final Concert of the 7th Blues nad Bobrem was beginning. The performances and festivities lasted until dawn. The master of the harmonica himself, Sławomir Wierzcholski from “Nocna Zmiana Bluesa,” hosted the event, and besides his band we heard: Combo 1-2-3, the Festival Orchestra, Monkey Businness, Zdrowa Woda, Blues Rock Guitar Workshop, Największa Kosa w Mieście, Outsider, Recydywa Blues Band, Wielka Łódź and Easy Rider. The only drawbacks of this interesting event in Bolesławiec were:
-weak lighting of the amphitheatre’s upper rim,
-too few toilets (disproportionate to the amount of beer sold),
-too many primary-school pupils seeking pleasure in beer, cigarettes and vulgar language.
I did not see any parents come or drive over at dawn to collect their “adult children.”