Joe Bonamassa kicked off the UK leg of his tour in Birmingham. This gig marks his 25th year of performing and is one of the three shows he is doing in the UK on this tour. It all began with a dimly lit stage and Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’ playing in the background. Upon entering the stage the smartly dressed Bonamassa was greeted with an uproar by the 4000 strong audience many who must have travelled from afar to witness some of the best blues on offer today!
I feel it is only right to start by giving credit to the musicians, all of whom are very well respected in their fields. These include: Reese Wynans – a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame keyboard player who maintained a strong presence throughout the show. Of particular note were outstanding synthesizer and piano solos which complimented the music well.
Anton Fig – a session drummer who has played for Mick Jagger and B.B. King and is described by Bonamassa as “pound for pound the best in the world”. Special mention should be given to his solos which were blisteringly fast and had the audience staring in awe!
Michael Rhodes – a virtuoso bassist who has played with the likes of Buddy Guy and Lady Antebellum. His unusual techniques and unique sound during the performance are unlike this reviewer has every heard.
Lee Thornburg and Paulie Cerra who played trumpet and saxophone, respectively. Both men looked like they had stepped straight out of of the set of The Blues Brothers with suit, glasses and talent to match.
Last but not least, Joe Bonamassa who had an outstanding stage presence. His vocals powerful, but not forced and guitar work exceptionally refined and clean. Not to mention his collection of guitars, which would cause any aspiring guitarist to salivate.
Midway through the performance Bonamassa ceased playing to talk briefly to the audience. It would have been nice to have heard more from him given the length of the performance. Even the best music needs the occasional break. Aside from this, interaction was generally more subtle and the band were very well received by the audience. The charisma of Bonamassa as a lead-man and the technical prowess of the musicians made up for the lack of verbal communication.
For the band it must have been a long show at 2 and a half hours, however the balance of old and new material kept the show alive. As to be expected there were many improvised solos from Bonamassa which extended many of the familiar tracks and gave the show a flair without straying from the fundamental sound of the songs.
One of the highlights of the night was the title song from the new album – ‘Blues of Desperation’ which involved good use of the wah wah pedal by Rhodes and excellent slide guitar by Bonamassa, giving the song a typical southern undertone. It also gave us a glimpse into the possible theme of the new album. We shall soon find out!
As the set reached its finale, fans were treated to some of the more familiar tracks including Sloe Gin and The Ballad of John Henry. At the end of the performance the band received a standing ovation.
A thoroughly enjoyable performance. We look forward to hearing the band’s new album which will be released on the 25th March.
James Grocutt
Click here to see the FULL gallery, courtesy of Lisa Billingham, Billibee Creative.
