Dave Arcari in interview « The blues is a small niche »

Scottish guitarist and singer Dave Arcari holds a singular place on the European blues scene. A specialist of slide guitar, he has developed for more than twenty-five years a raw, repetitive and minimalist style, rooted in Delta blues, Hill Country blues and an energy inherited from garage rock. A direct, no-frills approach, carried by a gravelly voice and a very personal sense of groove.

Met during the 10th (and last!) edition of the Blues d’Automne en Rabelaisie festival in Beaumont-en-Véron, Dave Arcari talks about his journey, the Scottish scene, Brexit, his attachment to Europe and his very free vision of the blues. He also looks back on Steel Friends, his new album recorded, mixed and mastered entirely at home, live, without heavy production. A record that reflects this independent musician and his commitment to musical craftsmanship.

🎙️ Dave Arcari interviewed by Marc Loison

Can you tell us a few words about this place, and also about the fact that this may be, this year, the last edition, the final festival?

Oh yes, it’s very sad that this is the last one! But I hope that maybe, like a phoenix, it will come back!

Can you tell us a few words about yourself and the way you perform solo? You seem completely at ease on stage… How do you manage to be so simple and natural when you perform?

I’m terrified! (laughs) Even though I enjoy playing with a band, there’s a kind of safety net when you’re in a group if something goes wrong… But my timing is a bit strange! My performance, as you may know, is erratic. So it’s actually easier to be on my own, because I can mess up on my own and nobody notices!

So you don’t put safety before freedom?

Yes, exactly!

“Brexit is bullshit.”

This doesn’t really match our 2025 society! Today, everything seems to be about safety, and maybe freedom matters less. How do you feel, with your music, in today’s society?

In my songs, there are often comments, sometimes a bit hidden, but not that subtle… And when it comes to touring, of course, Brexit is bullshit. In Scotland, we want to be part of Europe…

Dave Arcari live — Dave Arcari – Photo: Marc Loison

But you voted for it, didn’t you?

Not us, but some people did. I think the people who voted for it later realised they had made a mistake, but they weren’t clear enough to understand that politicians were lying to them. They thought, “aaaaah, OK, good idea!” And then they understood. We hope that if Scotland becomes independent, we’ll come back into Europe. If Europe welcomes us…

You’re welcome at my place in Normandy!

Thank you! But for now, we can only stay 90 days within each 180-day period in Europe. So maybe we just have to move forward, forward, forward…

Is it easy to play the kind of music you play in Glasgow, in Scotland, in Great Britain?

There’s a very good music scene in Glasgow. I actually think it’s the best in the whole UK!

Thanks to Mark Knopfler, Donovan… David Byrne?

Yes, there’s a history, and also Frankie Miller. But even though there are many venues to play and real interest in music, blues remains a small niche. In Glasgow, people mostly listen to indie, pop, a bit of rock. Blues is very marginal.

So I try not to say that I play blues. We call it “the kiss of death”: an old guy playing blues… I’ve got one foot in punk and rockabilly, one foot in country and americana, one hand somewhere else, and just a bit of blues.

But is it really important to define a genre?

In Great Britain, it’s less important. In France, there’s a lot of labelling, maybe too much.

“A slightly messed-up blues.”

If you say “I’m a musician, I sing, I play guitar, I’m an artist”, is that enough?

My wife Margaret Arcari now takes care of the recordings. She says it’s blues, but a slightly messed-up blues, with original songs. She prefers to talk about influences rather than genres. Because too often, people imagine the same cliché…

Who are the mentors, the bluesmen you liked listening to when you were younger and that you still listen to today?

In electric blues, maybe Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, early Fleetwood Mac. Then John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins. Later, the Mississippi scene with Jr Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside, Cedell Davis. And before them Bukka White, Blind Willie Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, Fred McDowell. Also T-Model Ford and all the Fat Possum guys.

So not only Hill Country blues, but also Piedmont blues?

Yes. And friends like Paul Jeremiah or Catfish Keith. Roy Book Binder has become a very close friend, but now I can’t bring him to the UK. We have to go and see him to spend some time with him in the United States.

Are there artists comparable to you in Europe or in France?

I’ve been told about Mathis Haug, about Björn Berge. In the United States, maybe Scott H Biram. But I don’t really know how to compare.

Can you tell us about your new album, “Steel Friends”?

It was funded through Kickstarter, a campaign that worked very well. They’re all my own songs. This time, I did everything myself: I played, recorded and mixed the tracks on my own. I also did the mastering myself. So it’s a completely independent, home-made production.

I had already recorded some albums at home before, but then we went into a studio for mixing. This is the first time everything was done at home, except for the pressing. The album is also available on vinyl. Everything is acoustic, and everything was recorded in one take. So it’s a bit like live, but in the studio. It’s not perfect, but it’s never perfect for me!

The blues isn’t perfect, life isn’t either!

I think it’s a good collection of songs. It represents what I do in a rather… gentle way.

A final word for the listeners?

I think that the people listening to Blues Actu Radio are not only in France, they’re all over the world. And the best thing is always to come and see a live concert. If that’s not possible, listen on CD or vinyl. And if you want, you can also use Spotify or streaming platforms.