More than 7,000 music fans are expected to turn up and tune in for three days of tributes to music’s greatest legends by more than 100 international musicians at this year’s Saveurs & Legendes festival in Mondorf, from 25 to 27 May.
This is the 13th running for the popular festival, but just the third year that it has dedicated itself to being a “Live Jukebox” with tribute musicians bringing the soundtracks of our lives back to life with a line-up of some of the most renowned tribute musicians working in Europe today.
But not all of the star show are re-imaginations of the originals. Two headlines acts are the real thing, with Dire Straits Legacy, made up of the same exceptional musicians who brought us Brothers in Arms, albeit less Mark Knopfler, and Imagination featuring Leee John, the original “slinky, sexy” group whose disco funk defined the 1980s (and made them so much better).
Among those remembered and re-animated by the tribute groups lined up, are Queen (Bohemian Dust), Robbie Williams (Supreme RW), Madonna (Vogue), The Beatles (The Menlove), Daniel Balavoine (Clin d’Oeil à Balavoine), Scorpions (Scorpion), Aerosmith (Mama Kin), Jimi Hendrix (Voodoo Wild), France Gall (Hong Kong Stars), The Cure (The Obscure), Simple Minds (Waterfront), and Coldplay (Goldrush).
Voodoo Wild are setting out to take us back to the Monterey Festival — 50 years ago — where The Jimi Hendrix Experience played for the first time in the US, after Paul McCartney persuaded the organisers to invite him, and history was accordingly made.
While the bands above have been hauling in the accolades for years, younger groups are still making their name, and will be competing at Saveurs & Legendes before a jury. These include, The Guardians (Alanis Morisette), Holy Addiction (Guns ’n’ Roses), Ed Stevens (Cat Stevens), and Olive Enscene (Sting).
The crowd will get a chance to chime in too, for the good of music or not, with a Karaoke competition that runs into the early hours over the whole festival, with the chance of picking up hotel stays and a year’s supply of Bofferding beer.
Among the other festival offerings are record sales, a guitar expo, vintage cars, pinball machines, and table football. This year the festival’s “godfather” is Tony Frank, a photographer whose images are as renowned as those he photographed, including Bob Dylan, Michel Polnareff, Johnny Hallyday, Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, The Who, Jacques Dutronc and James Brown. An exhibition of his work will be available for the duration of the festival.
Entrance to the festival is €19 per day, or €40 for a three-day-pass. For more information and to book tickets, see the website: www.casino2000.lu.
