First up though is local boy Marcus Bonfanti who I saw on this very stage a year or so back headlining himself. Tonight he provides the blues in RnB with some great licks and stories about women, food and drink. The audience quickly warm to him and it’s a tight short set to gets us in the mood.
Back to the main act. The seven piece band, two trumpets, two saxophones, a sousaphone, drummer and percussionist take to the stage and run through a couple of instrumentals to get the party started and then do a great version of Portugal, the Man’s current hit ‘Feel it Still’ before the arrival of the main man himself
It’s a slow step up on stage for Eli whose leg is in a full plastic cast, as a result, we later find out, of jumping off stage in Madrid and dislocating his knee. However, what he lacks in movement he makes up for in his easy going charm and obvious enthusiasm for just playing music. Reed has such a unique voice hitting notes so high pigeons at Trafalgar Square had to swerve them. But there’s subtlety too and that is one of his strengths with such a great range.
It’s a great relaxed vibe tonight with the band playing fast and loose giving some of these early Reed songs a kick up the ass renewing the energy of these tracks. Every member of the band gets a chance to shine and shine they do. Their enthusiasm is infectious and while the crowd are not break dancing, we are happy nodding, clapping, singing, hollering back and shuffling along. At one point Eli did get the whole of the 100 club to crouch down on their knees before springing up. No mean feat for some older members of the crowd.
Easy highlights for me are two of my favourite tracks ‘Name Calling’ and ‘Take my love with you’ After the first encore the band shuffle off to a New Orleans funeral march before walking back through the crowd and performing a gospel medley right in the middle of us.
Reed and the band were on top form tonight and arguably the best I have ever seen him.
Keep on gospel southern soul, rockin, blues, NYC shakin y’all