​Saturday 27th July, The Borderline, London, Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory. It’s a rare night that the four old amigos all get together for a gig but old timers John, Graham and Andy hit The Borderline for the very last time.
 
Before the gig review I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on the closure of arguably London’s best small venue. Anyone who is anyone has played this tiny stage. I have been there over seventy times and is still my most visited venue. Whilst the refurb a few backs ultimately made it a far more comfortable experience I can’t help think the character of the old place was lost. The removal of the photos at the entrance and the stairwell cataloguing everyone who had played there, coupled with the covering up of the iconic logo on the back wall seemed to whitewash (or blackwash in this instance) the history of the place. It will always have a special place in my heart and some of my most memorable gigs have happened on that stage ranging from Tony Joe White, many Chuck Prophet and Rockingbirds gigs through Ryan Bingham, Jason Isbell, Chris Whitely and Dawes to name a few. It’s a sad chapter to close for me and a nail in the coffin for small venues in London with this one another example succumbing to greedy landlords and councils. Quite what the night Czar of London Amy Lame is actually doing is beyond me.
 
Anyhoo onto the gig. The last time we saw this same band at The Borderline some old fans walked out moaning that it wasn’t the blues. This incarnation of AYH is an electric blues band which is very different from Alvin’s usual laid back acoustic blues style. Sadly for those ignorant people this is most definitely the blues.
 
Stylistically tonight though the tunes range from straight blues covers, gospel songs, country songs, some AYH originals plus a great cover of the Mike Campbell penned ‘I don’t wanna fight’ from Petty’s ‘Echo’ album. The switching of styles and the constant guitar changes takes a little away of the continuity of the show but what is clear is that Alvin is a phenomenal guitar player and vocalist and the rhythm section tonight provides the relentless back beat to really showcase his skills. When Alvin lets rip he really lets rip and the band rock the place to its foundations.
 
A new song is showcased also tonight so hopefully there is a chance of a new record as it’s been nearly 15 years since the last one with Alvin’s name on it. It’s a fine way to end my relationship with The Borderline with one of the blues greatest contemporary exponents.
 
Till the next time keep on blues rockin y’all

Thursday 25th July, Shepherds Bush Empire, London, Jenny Lewis. On the hottest day of the year and maybe ever in the UK we make our way up west to a hopefully air conditioned Empire. Luckily, our prayers are answered and it’s a very pleasant cool theatre that welcomes us. After seeing Jenny’s old band Rilo Kiley some fifteen years ago this is the first time for me solo.
 
She is over here promoting her latest album, the excellent ‘On the Line’ and the set obviously leans heavily on this along with tracks from the album before ‘The Voyager’ along with a few from her collaboration with the Watson Twins and a sole Rilo Kiley cut, a beautiful version of ‘with arms outstretched’.
 
It’s difficult to label or pigeon hole Lewis with her distinctive voice that moves effortlessly from Stevie Nicks, Dolly through KD Lang. It’s essentially a pop show tonight but the songs aren’t throwaway they’re thoughtful and moving. It’s a real show tonight with the diminutive Lewis resplendent in her gold lame glittering dress holding centre stage but assisted with a small raised platform so everyone in the venue can see her especially with the notoriously flat floor of the Empire. We have bouncing balls and phone torch spotlight segments too to add more theatrics to this great show.
 
Highlights for me are probably new track ‘Do Si Do’ which really shines the light on that voice and also a fantastically shambolic ‘See Fernando’ which sees Lewis stop the song to recompose herself after a fit of giggles.
 
A lovely evening of pop perfection that shows this young upstarts how to do it.
 
Till the next time keep on pop rockin y’all

Thursday 11th July, Under the Bridge, London, the War and Treaty. Well this is an easy review. Astonishing, astounding, unbelievable, brilliant, superb, moving, outstanding. Do you get the picture? The War and Treaty were good, very good indeed. From the first note of the band and the first vocals from husband and wife Michael and Tanya Trotter you knew this was going to be special. Wow just wow.
 
On this their debut London show in front of a good crowd at Under the Bridge we are treated to a powerhouse of unrestrained country soul. Michael takes the lead on most songs with his deep voice with a remarkable range that is so powerful I’m not sure a microphone or amplification is actually required. He is superbly supported by Tanya who is also blessed with a beautiful soulful voice providing harmonies throughout and with occasional but impactful lead.
 
They are backed tonight with a superb six piece band who are on it from note one who all get time to shine throughout the night with a particularly strong brass section.
 
The set tonight draws from both of their albums, coupled with some new stuff and snippets of classic soul covers thrown in. Their own songs are in the classic storytelling style and often deeply personal affairs. One particular song being dedicated to a colleague of Michaels from the US Army who sadly took their own life. The story is painful and touching with a message of taking care of our own and being there for our friends. We are encouraged to hug our neighbour in the room which was much needed as the tears rolled down my cheeks. There have only been a handful of those moments in my over eight hundred gigs attended but this was definitely one of them. Hair tingling, lip trembling beauty and the tears were mixed of both sorrow and joy.  
 
It would be churlish to pick a highlight but I will. It started at 9 o’clock and ended an hour and forty five minutes later with just the two outstanding performers on stage leaving us with an acapella finale.
 
A truly emotional and joyous night and not since the first time I saw St Paul and the Broken Bones has a band had such an impact on me. The records so not do this band any justice as live its incredible stuff. I cannot wait until they come back and I will be lobbying Emily Eavis hard to get these guys at the Park stage next year.
 
Till the next time keep on sweet soulful rockin y’all

Thursday 27th June to Sunday 30th June, Glastonbury. So after a year off for the fields and us to recharge our batteries we were once again lucky enough to get tickets this year. Joining us old timers (well three and four timers), myself, Graham and Julian we welcomed three Glasto virgins, Adrian, John and Andy, to these vast fields in Somerset.
 
After an uneventful easy drive down we are welcomed by beautiful weather that continued across the whole weekend. Wellies stayed firmly in the car and it was shorts and t-shirt weather throughout except for the chilly evenings. (I know poor little lambs but you have to keep these ancient bones warm for fear of failure). The bright side of this weather is the ease of actually getting around this 900 acre site. The step count was over 82000 with approximately 31 miles covered over the four days.
 
Thursday always seems busier as there is no music on the main stages so the 200,000 people are all just orienteering the site, filling the bars and taking it all in. On top of the musical highlights it was a real pleasure for me to take my first time friends up to the top of the Park by the Glastonbury letters and then turn them around to take in the sheer scale of the site. It’s a real child’s Christmas day moment and whilst the view always delivers no matter how many times you see it the first time is special.
 
I’m not usually one for deep social commentary but some wings of the media and other ‘Glasto haters’ really seem to have got their bees firmly stuck in their bonnets this year. With no traditional ‘mud bath’ stories to report on the focus shifted between, poor line-up ( you can’t please everyone and I defy you not to find enough new and interesting music or events to keep you occupied over the weekend), long queues for water (never saw this apart from say at the nearest water point to a mainstage when a band had just finished but with over 800 water points the longest I queued must have been 3 or 4 minutes), why is the festival not vegan ( it’s held on a working dairy farm you idiots), selling out corporately (well apart from a Coop and the BBC  the only ‘brands’ you are aware of are Oxfam, Water Aid and Greenpeace, it is a charity event after all) and finally thousands of abandoned tents (not true with 99.3% of tents taken home and the usage of old pictures is sloppy journalism at best or dare I say it ‘fake news’)
 
Haters are always gonna hate. If you didn’t get a ticket I’m sorry but it’s a lottery but stop whingeing about it. If you don’t like it then don’t watch it then there’s plenty of other options in this big wide world without just criticising something you probably haven’t experienced, wouldn’t have enjoyed but you ultimately feel the absolute need to comment and social media gives you this anonymous platform for a rant. Where is the love man?
 
So this year’s summary was 22 full sets with 17 of these from bands that I had never seen before including catching two very different sets from Vampire Weekend. With the sheer volumes of acts and sets there are always going to be slight disappointments but every band I saw offered their own moments and some absolutely nailed it. The way to enjoy Glastonbury is to embrace the four day bubble that you are living in. suspend the FOMO (fear of missing out) malaise that young people seem to live with constantly, put your phone down you don’t need to be continually checking it and to be fair I saw very little of that including very limited photo and especially video taking during sets and take it all in. The outside ‘norm’ goes out of the window and everyone here is just out to enjoy whatever the days throw at them.
 
So another great festival with old and new friends just doing their own thing with no judgements enjoying some great music and most importantly …life itself. With the 50th anniversary next year we will all F5ing in October for who knows what adventure.
 
Below is a brief review of all the bands I saw over the weekend for those remotely interested. Keep on festival rockin y’all.
   
Thursday 27th June
 
After a quick dash down the 303 we decamp at the tent crack open a couple of brews and head out to the festival proper.
 
Three Dead
 
Joining Andy to see his nephew’s band, three local boys from Bristol it’s a family affair with most of the Birbeck clan here to see one of their own. After some tech difficulties and a late start they rock through thirty minutes of solid guitar based tunes. It’s a nice start to the weekend’s activities.
 
We wandered up to Strummerville to meet the rest of the gang and enjoyed a beer or three while sort of listening to the worst kept secret show of the weekend from Frank Turner. Turner seemed to be going for some kind of record on how many shows he could perform over the weekend including a short set in our tent and on the layby going away from the site on Monday being joined by the seemingly ever present Chris Martin on backing kazoo.
 
Elvana
 
Pigeon holes and labels are an interesting thing but tonight we witness an Elvis fronted Nirvana tribute band. Its sounds crazy and it is but somehow it works. The segue from ‘A Little less conversation’ into ‘Smells like Teenage Spirit’ needs to be seen to be believed. Great fun in a packed Williams Green tent.
 
The evening ends with a debriefing session at the Avalon Inn where the first memories are shared and thoughts turn to the first day proper.
 
Friday 28th June
 
Today’s tentative schedule seems to centre on the Park area of the site which is my favourite part of the festival. A natural bowl down to the stage offers a perfect view wherever you are. Coupled with the Bimble Inn and Crow’s Nest it offers something for everyone
 
The Vaccines
 
But before the Park a bit of a Glasto tradition going to see the opening act of the whole festival, the first act on the Other Stage at 11.30. I have their first album but to be honest haven got anything since but they delivered a superb power pop rock set that surprised us all with how many of the songs you actually know. A big crowd for this opener that whetted our musical taste buds for the rest of the day
 
Trevor Moss and Hannah Lou
 
Relaxing on the floor, bean bags and camp beds to the lovely folk tunes of these two talented musicians who I had never seen before. But I will certainly check out when they are next in London.
 
Dr Alice Roberts/ Chris Difford
 
A short walk up the hill to the Crow’s Nest for two ‘in conversation’ sessions that both draw a good crowd. I think the summary from Dr Roberts is we are all fish and Mr Difford regaled us with funny stories from his interesting musical career.
 
Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real
 
Fresh from being Neil Young’s backing band for the past few years, Lukas (Willie’s son) and his band are here in their own right. They deliver a joyous sixty minute country rock set full of great songs, guitar solos climaxing in a barnstorming version of ‘Rockin in the free world’. That certainly blew any remaining cobwebs out
 
Tensheds
 
Seeking solace from the strong sun and heat we head back to the Bimble Inn where after catching the end of some Turkish Goth band up walks Tensheds. You certainly can’t judge a book by its cover as this guy dressed in black with mostly shaved head but with long shoulder length hair on top sits behind a piano and deliver what can only be described as a cross between Tom Waits, Dr John and Jools Holland with some great boogie woogie keys but delivered with a raspy gravelly voice. A surprising find indeed.
 
Idles
 
It’s back to the park for the rest of the night and first up are local punk rockers Idles. I think it’s a strange choice of stage and time (7.30pm) for them. I think the Peel stage would be more suited for their relentless aural bombardment. It’s a massive crowd but we have a good view from a respectable distance so these two fifty somethings don’t get too moshed. It’s an emotional affair for the band and a sort of homecoming as they rattle though their songs delivering social commentary on the state of the nation. It’s tiring just watching them as half of the band end up in the crowd at one point or another. Breathless tuff.
 
Michael Kiwanuka
 
After the noise fest of Idles we take the tone down a notch or three for the sweet soul of Michael Kiwanuka. He’s no one trick pony though and the band are hot tonight delivering elongated musical jams with special props to his lead guitarist.
 
Cat Power
 
Taking it down even further its Cat Power for the late night closing set. Sadly, it’s an uneven set that lacks atmosphere, engagement and continuity. She was clearly being hit by on stage sound issues as she spent the first fifty minutes of her hour set complaining about the sound. The constant gesticulating was distracting but I watched most of this back on the BBC and it came across a lot better on screen
 
Back to regroup once again to the Avalon area we are ‘treated’ to the final number of yet another Frank Turner set.
 
Saturday 29th June
 
Vampire Weekend
 
It’s back to the Park for a secret last minute early morning set from Vampire Weekend. After a couple of set songs the floor is opened up to the fans for requests. Random album tracks and rarities are requested and played faultlessly. Ezra and his band are having a blast and there’s a real connection with the fans. He expresses his love for the Park as his favourite stage and their jangly guitar tunes are the perfect mid-morning sound and this band bookend end the next two days.
 
Fantastic Negrito
 
I drag most of our Glasto gang to the Other Stage to see this talented young blues guy and his band. It’s a sparse crowd for this relatively unknown but I think an hour later there are a lot of conversions to his Prince like blues.
The Dead South
 
Making our way across the whole width of the site to the Avalon Stage for Canadian Bluegrassers, The Dead South. Despite a broken hand Nate Hilts leads this vagabond troupe of guitarists, mandolin and banjo plays through their synchronised routines in this packed tent. Another great feel good show of traditional music.
 
Jade Bird
 
Rising young starlet of the poppy folky Americana scene if there is one and fresh off supporting Isbell in the states delivers a fine forty minute set of witty tunes. She is almost giddy with excitement and I’m sure she is only about fourteen but her talent clearly belies her young years.
 
Sharon Van Etten
 
A change a tone and venue as we walk again completely across the site to the John Peel stage for a masterclass in atmospheric dark rock. Visually it’s stunning and this is matched by the deep heavy grooves of the band. A real highlight of the festival so far.
 
The Chemical Brothers
 
With no real stand out headliner tonight for me I opted for The Chemical Brothers. Review of their shows are always raved about and so this was my chance to experience this first hand. Visually it was stunning with an array of clever graphics accompanying the relentless dance beat. Sadly, this music leaves me cold and this was matched by a massive drop in the temperature too that I lasted an hour before suggesting that we head back to The Avalon for our late night debrief.  I guess that you need to be right down the front to let the beats completely envelop you but as a committed song person it just wasn’t for me.
 
Hobo Jones and the Junkyard dogs
 
It’s the traditional late Saturday night of shambolic folk music with Hobo Jones. With a never ending cast of guests on stage they are running so late that there is no time for their classic track ‘Country Boy’. Check it on youtube.
 
We ended the night at the Avalon Inn where we witnessed I’m not sure what. Blackberry Wood were a rag tag band of ‘musicians’ with a talented female saxophonist, a lead singer guitarist who couldn’t really sing or play guitar. A drummer with a single strapped on bass drum who couldn’t keep time, a cymbal player who could actually hold a tune but was rarely allowed to and then some strange woman who pranced around and then jumped down to the floor with a merch case before stripping off and dancing about the place. A truly memorable sight but not necessarily for the right reasons.
 
Sunday 30th June
 
Mavis Staples
 
It’s a Sunday morning gospel soul session on the Pyramid with octogenarian Mavis Staples. Resplendent in matching Glasto t-shirts after their bags were lost by the airline Staples delivers a faultless lesson in soul.
 
Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
 
It’s an early afternoon Jazz fest with Hollywood legend Jeff Goldblum. Wandering on stage early for his sound check, his view is that the show has started as he engages directly with the crowd with his witty shtick. This completely confuses the TV people who ask him will he let them know when he will start. ‘I have’ he responds. He is joined on stage through the set with super talented Annie Ellicott who delivered the right balance of sass and swing to proceedings. There’s also time for a guest spot from Sharon Van Etten who shows her versatility after the previous nights rock show.
 
Keb Mo
 
First trip this weekend to the Acoustic Stage for one of my favourite blues guys who I have never seen, the great Keb Mo’. He delivers a faultless relaxed and all too short blues set. A unique voice in the blues coupled with some great picking and slide too.
 
The Bootleg Beatles
 
Decanted to the adjacent Cockmill bar we can hear every note of the Bootlegs set. They do exactly as they say on the tin in a rammed tent. It drifts over you and you all have a sing along to those well-worn tunes. A pleasant way to waste an hour.
 
Vampire Weekend
 
Back to the Pyramid Stage for my second helping of the Vampires for what will be a very different set to the secret show the day before. Its more hits heavy with a sprinkling of new stuff. The band don’t seem as engaged and the first interaction with the crowd is after about a half an hour. The songs are still great though but the Saturday morning set stands out as one of my highlights of the weekend.
 
Janelle Monae
 
Closing the West Holts stage this weekend is Atlanta’s Janelle Monae. For those who don’t know her, think Prince meets Madonna meets Michael and Janet Jackson. She has the funk, the sass, the licks, the moves and the tunes. It’s a fantastic production with an elaborate set, choreographed routines and funky outfits. After dazzling us with the glitz the set ends with Monae stripping to her leotard and climbing into the crowd and making her way to the centre of the field dropping to the floor and cleansing herself in the Glasto dirt.
 
It’s a spectacular show from start to finish, perfectly paced moving through the gears to ten and staying there for the whole show.
 
We make our weary limbs one last time to the Avalon Inn to meet the rest of the troops who are equally effusive about the Cure, Christine and Queens and others. A consensus is had that it’s been an amazing weekend and we make our usual pledge to do it all over again next year. Fingers crossed in October. We missed you last year but welcome back old friend. See you next year, hopefully.

Friday 21st June, the Forum, London, Band of Horses. It’s best to get this out of the way first. BoH are probably my favourite contemporary band. They probably have about a dozen stone wall classic songs. It’s been ten years since I first saw them at Lollapalooza in Chicago where they took on Janes Addiction on an adjoining main stage and blew them away. Tonight’s show is a dilemma as its clashes with an electric Ryan Bingham and band in Islington but Ben Bridwell and his compadres get the nod.
 
It’s rare we get to The Forum these days unlike the nineties heydays when we seemed to be there every other week. It’s a big room and tonight the sound is very off from the outset. This isn’t helped initially by an under the weather Bridwell who has been nursing his throat for a few days. I am happy to say that both the overall sound and Bridwell’s voice warmed up during the night and although you could still barely make out his between song chat it didn’t detract from the great music.
 
Band of Horses have had a bit of an upheaval in the past two years with two long standing members, bassist Bill Reynolds and guitarist and harmonist Tyler Ramsey both quitting the band in 2017. Ramsey especially is a huge gap to fill both musically and vocally who I think acted as an important file for the band’s rough edges.
 
Back to tonight and it’s a big set with large spotlights surrounding the sound which I guess they are needing for their Black Deer festival appearance on Saturday. These are used to great effect and really add to the musical spectacle.
 
The set tonight kicks off with a new songs and then leans heavily to the first two albums and last long player ‘Why are you OK’. All the classics are here ‘Laredo’, ‘Ode to LRC’, ‘Great Salt Lake’, ‘Ghost’ but it is obviously set closer ‘The Funeral’ that makes the hairs on your arms stand up. It’s a truly spiritual moment, beginning with a simple hushed guitar and just Bridwell’s fragile voice building and building to that spectacular crescendo when the band and audience kick in and take over before we are taken right back down to basics of one man and guitar and then repeat. Stunning.
 
How do you follow that in the encore, well with a shambolic but enjoyable version of ‘Throw my Mess’ and finally a superb ‘The General Specific’. Despite sound and voice problems another standout show from one of the best live bands out there.
 
Till the next time keep on rockin y’all

Tuesday 11th June, Dingwalls, London, Eli Paperboy Reed. It’s a much more mobile ‘Paperboy’ tonight since when we last met a year ago after he had recently suffered a dislocated knee. He’s a busy boy tonight as he joins support act Big Joe Louis for a couple of tracks on harmonica and backing vocals and the relaxed nature of the show tonight provides Big Joe with a longer set than most opening acts are often afforded.
 
We have been with Eli since the start first seeing him eleven years ago and this will be our sixth time in six different London venues and with probably six different line-ups and configurations with and without horns, with brass and without. The constant though is Eli’s enthusiasm, musicianship and that voice. Tonight he is joined by bass, keys, two piece horn section and the happiest smiliest drummer I have ever seen crammed on the small Dingwalls stage.
 
Tonight is very much a career retrospective spanning the last ten years and six albums. Whilst obviously promoting his fine new album ’99 Cent Dreams’ tracks are grabbed from throughout the catalogue with a couple of covers thrown in for good measure but sadly no room for my request for his great version of ‘Ace of Spades’. Maybe next time.
 
It’s a breathless non-stop set tonight kicking off with a superb version of ‘Cut Ya Down’ and the Van Morrisoneque ‘Bank Robber’ from the new album. The band are ‘on it’, tight as a packet of Rizla’s and even a broken string doesn’t stop Eli and after quickly borrowing Big Joe’s SG we are back in business.
 
The balance of the set is perfect with the right blend of high tempo dance alongs interspersed with some time for both band and audience to draw breath on the slower numbers. You can’t help warm to Eli, always with a smile on face and he genuinely looks happy to be here which cannot always be said of some bands. This energy and enthusiasm easily transports itself across to the audience who give it back in spades.
 
On a night where I don’t think a foot was put wrong (no joke intended) everyone leaves in an ultimately better frame of mind than when they entered. The encore starts with a mini tribute to the recently departed Dr John and ends on singalong crowd pleaser ‘Take my love with you’.
 
Probably the best show I’ve seen the Paperboy perform and certainly up there as a contender for my favourite gig of the year so far.
 
Till the next time keep on soulful rockin y’all

​Wednesday 5th June, Village Underground, London, Guided by Voices. So it’s been sixteen years since GBV last graced these shores. And by the way that the songs were sung back at them most of the audience were probably at that gig too. I am breaking my GBV duck tonight and clearly in the minority and after talking with some others present they have a very committed fan base reciting track and album titles at will which is even more impressive when you consider Pollard/GBV release three or four albums a year. It’s difficult to describe the GBV sound to someone who hasn’t heard them but they are a cross between Pixies, REM and a touch of Teenage Fanclub and it’s very much borne out the US guitar scene of the nineties.
 
Before my review a word about the venue. It’s terrible. It’s bad enough that unless you are pretty near the front the sight lines are atrocious on flat floor in this narrow room, the sound is often of dubious quality, they have about four spotlights on stage, only four urinals for the whole venue and no aircon. But tonight we have to queue for nearly half an hour to get into the place and I am sure that a number of people would have missed the start. Despite 21st technology they are checking off individuals names on a clip board and had no idea what to do with my eticket on Dice which wasn’t scanned.
 
Enough about the venue and onto the show. There’s no support and they are on promptly at 8.30 for what promises to be an epic set where they regularly play over fifty songs. Touring in support of just the two albums released this year! the set really does span the last twenty five or so years. The great thing about GBV is that no song outstays its welcome. If you don’t like something then with an average length of probably about two minutes you are not too far from the next great song.
 
The sound and pace to the night is relentless from note one and each song seems to get heavier thanks in no small part to the return of guitarist Doug Gillard and the back beat Kevin March on sticks and harmonies. Its breathless stuff and the occasional feedback feels like a defibrillator restarting your heart. The usual gripe about sound in this venue doesn’t apply tonight as the levels are set to eleven from the beginning and probably hit twelve.
 
Pollard is a witty raconteur and takes comic pops at Trump, Flaming Lips, Aerosmith and REM tonight. Back to the music and there’s enough in the set to keep everyone happy with tracks performed from over fifteen different albums and they could still be playing now and yet have hours of material left.
 
An epic gig and there’s going to be a lot of worn out middle aged men this morning, me included.
 
Till the next time keep on rockin y’all

Tuesday 4th June, The Forum, Kentish Town, London, Rockin the Blues featuring Kris Barras, Walter Trout and Jonny Lang. There was a time in 97 through 98 where Jonny Lang’s debut album ‘Lie to Me’ was played relentlessly in our house and this aural brainwash obviously worked on my son. Twenty one years after I last saw Lang live the same son has bought us both tickets for tonight’s mini BluesFest in North London.
 
First up is a brit, Kris Barras. I’ll be honest I had not heard of him before but he plays a great opening set with a big powerful sound, good voice, strong songs including a solid version of ‘Rock n Roll’. Most of all, given the name of the tour, the solos are most definitely on the rockier end of the blues. It has a feel of early Whitesnake about it who were at their best the finest British blues rock band of their time before Coverdale homogenised their sound for the American market.
 
Next up is the old timer on the bill Walter Trout. He’s certainly lived a life and indeed is arguably on his second after a liver transplant and having to learn to walk and talk and play the guitar again. I didn’t know most of the set but it was certainly a lesson in old school blues. The band are great and the solos while a little samey showcase Trout’s continued dexterity especially at a couple of years shy of seventy.
 
Quite why it has taken so long to see Jonny Lang again is beyond me but after tonight’s show I won’t be leaving it another twenty years. The set is a mix of oldies and new ones which blend together well. What’s clear from the off is that Lang is an extraordinary guitarist. The solos are rich and varied and he is ably supported by a fine band complete with bass player wearing a puppet on his hand. Highlights for me are probably oldies ‘Still rainin’ and amazing version of ‘Lie to Me’ that started off as a reinterpreted acoustic ballad moving effortlessly to a full electric finale. Truly amazing track.
 
The evening is topped by the return of Walter and Kris for a couple where the three protagonists trade guitar solos with each other. Whats notable in this finale is that the Barras solos seem even more energised and he really launches a brutal attack of blues power. A great night that took me back twenty years and also introduced me to new British blues talent.
 
Till the next time keep on rockin y’all

Wednesday 29th May, 100 Club, London, Yola Carter. Its a warm night in the centre of London as we await Bristolian songstress Yola.

Ms Carter has reinvented herself recently dropping the Carter with a newly produced album by Dan Auerbach. It’s a highly polished affair and obviously designed to break the American market. It’s a little over produced for me and a lot of the songs just wash over you and I think that this works against Yola’s stunning vocal talent. It’s a unique voice evoking ‘in Memphis’ era Dusty along with a bite or two from other greats of soul and country. I can’t put my finger on it, whether this is the quality of songs or the shift to a more soulful approach but it doesn’t move me. I do think that the slight move away from the country tinge of her EP has taken a little of her character out of the music.

The same criticism is true for tonight. Backed by a tidy six piece backing band it all feels very safe. The set tonight airbrushes nearly everything that she has done before save one track from her EP or previous band Phantom Limb. Whilst the opening forty minutes was pleasing enough it wasn’t really until ‘It Aint Easier’ that she really lets loose and that amazing voice sends shudders through the room. This is quickly followed by a great cover of Birds of Chicago’s ‘Never Go Back’ and the album’s standout track ‘Faraway Look’. The momentum carries through to the encore of ‘Spanish Harlem’, ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ and ‘The Letter’.

So, like the football last night it was a game of two halves with an uninspiring 45 minutes of nice enough music followed by an immaculate display from a unique talent to win the day.

Till the next time keep on rockin y’all

Monday 27th May, Omeara, London, Strand of Oaks. It’s a balmy bank holiday evening in old London Town as we welcome a great double header of Frankie Lee and Timothy Showalter and friends, aka Strand of Oaks.

Its been four years since we’ve seen Frankie Lee at the tiny Social off Oxford Street and as many years between his two albums. Tonight, he’s accompanied by just a pedal steel guitarist, but it compliments his brooding songs perfectly. Its an accomplished short opening set showcasing his excellent new album ‘Stillwater’.

Now the main act. On the back of a return to form new album ‘Eraserland’, although he never really lost his form, Showalter is back in these shores with new band in tow and the welcome return of keys featuring higher up in the mix. It adds another dimension to the sound and allows for a lot more light and shade to proceedings as opposed to the riff heavy metal show the last time we saw them. That’s is not to say that the show does not have its heavy rock moments with the band finding their inner ‘Sabbath’ on an extended jam during ‘Rest of It’.

A humble man who wears his heart very much on his sleeve, the show is packed with sweaty emotion as the excellent band takes us though predominantly tracks from the masterpiece that’s ‘Heal’ along with a fair chunk of the new one. Its by turns, raw and brutal and but also surprisingly sensitive. There’s a couple of hair tingling moments with undoubtably stand out moments for me of ‘Goshen’ and ‘Shut in’. That said the new songs more than hold their own and I really see ‘Eraserland’ as a bit of a sequel certainly musically to ‘Heal’.

The intimacy and the lighting of the venue really add to the show and it really has a feel of just a bunch of mates performing great songs to another bunch of mates and it’s difficult to manufacture that.
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Much love all round for a great night in what is becoming one of my favourite small venues in London even more so after the recently announced shutting of the iconic Borderline.