Performing blues rock with a liberal dusting of soul and his own unique style, Ben Poole has been making waves on the European circuits for the last decade or so and when I saw he was performing locally, I grabbed the opportunity to go and check him out. As a musician Poole is astounding. With his vocal and song writing capabilities and the support from Steve Amadeo on bass and Ollie Dixon on drums, there is no doubt that Poole is a musical tour de force.
Poole has previously commented that hearing Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile as a 12-year-old was when he knew he wanted to play the electric guitar, and although he originally started playing in a metal band aged 15, he soon developed a love for the blues. With numerous influences including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and Rod Stewart, Poole was also mentored by the late Gary Moore and has even jammed with the late Jeff Beck.
The support for the gig at Studio Five Live was provided by Keighley’s answer to Bruce Springsteen; AKA Adam Boyce, an established local singer/songwriter who I have seen perform a few times and is always popular with his perspectives on life. Boyce gently warmed us up with some of his old favourites along with some of his newer tracks, which made his acoustic set the ideal support.
Tracks performed included Love You Anyway, Alter Me, Mother, House In The Woods, Cameras and the poignant Broken Rivers. After the 40 min set, we had time to get the next round in while allowing the anticipation to build for the headline act.
With minimal fuss, Poole, Amadeo and Dixon opened with a brief intro that not only introduced them to us, but also took us easily into the first blues rock track, Start The Car which definitely did not disappoint. Before moving into the second track Longing for a Woman, Poole mentioned that this is originally from 2016, but he had decided to add it to the set list for the first time in a good while. The blues rock opener soon softened into a more melodic track which after a quick guitar change was then followed up by the soul-infused Take it No More and you can see the official video for that here:
For me, the song Don’t Cry For Me was one of the most memorable as it just seemed to have everything in it that makes a good song great. This was quickly followed up by Starting All Over Again and Fire And Water before moving into what I would say was the most popular track with the audience – the stylish and I would say very funky cover of Don Henley’s Dirty Laundry. It was after this that I felt the noticeable slowing in the set with No Second Chances as it was drawing towards the end. The bittersweet moment of the evening arrived with Time Might Never Come. Poole explained that he usually dedicated the performance of this song to the late Gary Moore, however as he had very recently lost his good friend Matt Long from the band Catfish, he was instead dedicating it to Matt. As difficult as it must have been to find the right track after this, Poole managed to do so – ending the set with the slightly more upbeat Anytime You Need Me.
Poole’s ability to switch between his Fender and his Gibson went almost unnoticed during the set and Amadeo’s bass lines added real depth throughout. I also think Amadeo was such a strong anchor point for Poole – a less skilled bassist would have really struggled. There was also a real variety of drum lines across the songs and some truly superb volume control displayed by Dixon.
Although most tracks were ‘long’ in duration by conventional rock standards, they did not feel long. I often felt that I didn’t want the song to end, as that would mean the end of that particular musical journey. The ability of Poole to build up the anticipation during some phrases and during the bridges was also unsurpassed. The three of them carried us with them for almost every note and you could almost see the audience lean forward at times to ensure that they didn’t miss any of the quieter notes. The musicianship of Poole, Amadeo and Dixon is undisputed, as, I would say is the musical chemistry between the three of them. But, as expected, Poole was the definite star of the show.
The set ran for over 90 minutes but even then, I must admit I felt disappointed that it couldn’t continue for a bit longer. Poole was a first-time visitor to Studio Five Live, and perhaps I am biased as Studio Five Live is one of my regular haunts, but I do think that the intimacy and quality of this space also contributed to what was overall a phenomenal performance.
I’m far from a die-hard blues rock fan, but I would recommend seeing Poole to anyone who appreciates not just the music but also the musicianship. Currently on a European tour, if you’re quick you can still catch him in in the UK – the dates and venues are here . Albums and other merch is also available through Poole’s official website and you can also find out more on Facebook , X and Instagram .
