It’s been just over a year since we last saw Joe Bonamassa, at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena and, as we have come to expect from one of the hardest working musicians currently treading the boards, Joe has not been idle in the interim. The release of the excellent Breakthrough in July of the same year as well as the announcement of the forthcoming Rory Gallagher tribute live album have kept him busy, and yet here we are, back at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, to see Joe in his element.
And yet…
Having followed Joe for now [counts on fingers and runs out] twelvty years or more, there’s always that nagging doubt that this will be the moment when ennui sets in. After all, few artists can take to the stage with such regularity and still have something new to say, and Joe is rarely off the road.
So, perhaps this is the moment where the magic wears off?
Is it hell!
Marking an astonishing fourteenth stint at the hallowed Royal Albert Hall (tomorrow will be the fifteenth), and with both parents and girlfriend in the audience, Joe is on the form of his life.
The night starts with the hard hitting, funky Hope You Realize It (one of two original outings from Blues Deluxe Vol. 2), which immediately sets the place alight. While we may briefly miss the gleaming brass section from the recorded version, a lengthy keyboard solo from talented keyboardist Lachy Doley and a series of cracking riffs from Joe and Josh make this one hell of an opening number. Right from go, it’s immediately apparent that the band, rounded out by Lemar Carter, Calvin Turner, Jade MacRae, and Danielle DeAndrea, have truly gelled, and there’s an energy on stage that has the audience cheering loudly and frequently.
With the lights set to a deep blue and smoke rising from the stage, Joe introduces the next track with a lengthy solo that paves the way for a sublime Dust Bowl, here sounding more Floydian than ever and beautifully rendered by his skilled band. It’s always a pleasure to hear this wonderful song and, as with so many of the set choices tonight, it just seems tailor made for the stately environment of the Royal Albert Hall.
Not everything is so hypnotic, however. As Joe switches to a battered Strat, he unleashes a vicious Love Ain’t A Love Song which, for all its funky bass, is so mired in distortion the riff feels like it’s ripping its way from out of Joe’s straining amplifier. Blessed with a massive central solo that earns its own round of applause, it’s one of the best renditions of this awesome song that I’ve heard yet, and it causes the faint of heart in the crowd to rock back at the hurricane force of it all.
Another classic Bonamassa track is up next. Always a favourite, Driving Towards The Daylight has a melody to die for, something that comes out firmly tonight. It’s a lovely moment of calm after Love Ain’t A Love Song’s amped-up fury, and it leaves the audience emotionally cleansed.
We’re not done with the surprises, however. Josh kicks off a funky Drive By The Exit Sign (the only track from Breakthrough to be aired tonight), only for Joe to unleash his ES-335 which, coupled with what sounds like an Octaver, creates a sound as thick as molasses. It makes the instrumental showcase at the heart of the track all the more disorienting, and it highlights the fact that Joe has never been one to simply rest on his laurels, always looking for new ways to expand his sonic palette.
It’s around now that I take a moment to look at my watch, convinced that there’s still a long way to go, only to find that around an hour has somehow flashed past. It’s long been a theme of Joe Bonamassa gigs, but it’s still somehow remarkable that an artist I’ve seen so many times still has the ability to make time disappear.
Certainly, this is the case with the next pair of tracks. A stunning Double Trouble includes a dynamic solo section that runs the gamut from whisper quiet to Bonham-esque loud (the latter thanks to the exquisite skills of Lemar Carter behind the kit) while a slinky Heart That Never Waits produces a massively extended solo section that becomes so quiet you could hear a pin drop. One of those songs that simply demands you sing, tap, and nod along, it elicits spontaneous whoops of delight from the audience, and the applause that greets it is sustained.
Following a brief moment of banter with the crowd, in which Joe reminds us that he could be anywhere, but here is where he wants to be, Joe steps away from the limelight during an explosive Well Well (Bonnie & Delaney) to allow his band a chance to shine.
And shine they do. Josh breaks out a frantic slide solo, while Lemar unleashes one of the few drum solos in history that doesn’t lead to somnolence. His playing is so musical, you can hear the song, even when it’s just him playing, and you get the sense that the band (presumably seeing this for the umpteenth time) are as in awe as we are. It’s followed by a hard rocking take on Bobby Parker’s It’s Hard But It’s Fair, which has a ZZ Top vibe to it, before a mystical Mountain Time wraps up the main set, earning the first of two standing ovations.
A scant moment or two after leaving the stage, the band return for a rare double encore. First up is a rambunctious take on Crossroads (“it doesn’t feel right anywhere but here,” notes Joe) before, with a nod of thanks to Bernie Marsden’s family for the loan of his guitar, Joe takes us through the slow burning wonder of Sloe Gin. Delivered with emotional heft, it’s the perfect closer, and it has the audience on their feet long before the final hulking chords have rung out across the packed auditorium.
Joe Bonamassa is not just an astonishing artist, he’s also a wonderful entertainer and tonight, he walks a fine line between giving the audience what they want and giving them what they need. Despite the set largely being populated with well-worn gems from across his extensive back catalogue, there are a number of rarer cuts aired tonight which really raise the roof, including Well Well, It’s Hard But It’s Fair, and Crossroads, all of which makes for a show that simply captures the audience and keeps them hooked.
An artist who has truly earned his place among the pantheon of greats who have graced the Royal Albert Hall’s stage, Joe Bonamassa never, ever fails to deliver, and tonight is no exception. With his band firing on all cylinders, and a back catalogue that is increasingly essential in any collection, the only question really is: when is he coming back?
