For Joe Bonamssa, one of the finest guitar players in the world today, the live album is as essential a part of his catalogue as Neil Young’s. Rather than simply tour a given album, each set is meticulously thought out and showcases a different side of Joe, whether it be the remarkable acoustic offering from the legendary Carnegie Hall, the horn-soaked glory of the Greek theatre performance or the stunning tribute to Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf at Red Rocks. A such, each Bonamassa live offering arrives with considerable anticipation, yet ‘British Blues Explosion’ is perhaps the one to which we’ve looked forward the most. Filmed in 2016 in the suitably grand environs of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, the British Blues Explosion tour saw Joe play a short run of dates (including a mesmerising evening at Newark, reviewed here) in which he paid tribute to Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. A warm and heartfelt tribute from a master guitarist, the music soars, the setting is sublime and the performances phenomenal. With his core band (“the best band in the world right now!”) of Michael Rhodes (bass), Reese Wynans (keys), Anton Fig (drums) in tow, not to mention the addition of Russ Irwin on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Joe Bonamassa’s ‘British Blues Explosion’ is one of those rare concert films that captures, almost in its entirety, the majesty of the event.
First up, as we’ve come to expect from Mascot, this latest live offering from Joe is available in a wide array of formats. Most desirable, assuming you own a turntable, is the triple, red, white and blue coloured vinyl edition (but be quick – that one’s limited) which, with its psychedelic cover-art will certainly turn a few heads. There’s also a double CD, a blu ray and a double DVD (reviewed here). It’s a shame that there’s no option that combines the audio-visual material into one, but, as always, the prices for each set has been kept entirely reasonable, so buying two of the various options still costs less than the average special edition box set release.
Both the DVD and the blu ray editions come with a suitably generous array of extras. With the concert taking up disc one, the bonus features include Joe’s take on ‘Taxman’ (filmed at the Cavern Club), Journalist Mick Wall talking the viewer through the British Blues Explosion, a clip of Joe being honoured with a ‘Brick in the wall’ and a photo gallery from the tour. The audio is handled by the unstoppable Kevin Shirley and the DVD offers two choices – PCM and DTS 5.1. It’s becoming increasingly redundant to offer a separate review of the audio side of a Joe Bonamassa release – Joe has his team and they know exactly how to get the best out of his live shows. The 5.1 mix is a subtle one, but it’s nice to hear the rear speakers used for more than just crowd noise, with the crisp echo of Anton’s cymbals and the reverb wash of the guitars appearing to fill out the sound. The front, of course, is all action, with the vocals crystal clear and Michael Rhodes’ exemplary bass lines throbbing in the sub. Turn it up and, aside from getting a stern lecture from your neighbours, it’s as close to being there as you can get, short of emptying half a pint of warm lager over yourself and handing your wallet to a passing hot dog vendor. The video, meanwhile, is as crisp as DVD gets, with plenty of potential for the blu ray to offer the same but with a more stable image and more vibrant colours. Yep, it’s another reference-level set, as if you would expect anything else at this point.
And so, on to the show. Following the customary, scene-setting intro (somewhat short, but a nice touch of context), Anton Fig’s crisp tattoo announces the arrival of ‘Beck’s Bolero / Rice Pudding’. The camera work does a great job, both of capturing the grandeur of the surroundings, and the intimate details of each performer’s contribution. It has a filmic quality that recalls Martin Scorsese’s rarely-bettered work capturing The Band and, more recently, the Rolling Stones. What an opening track – a blistering instrumental in two movements, it sees Joe’s gloriously liquid slide work give way to an energetic outing from Reese Wynans and, from the smiles on the faces of the band, it’s something they never tire of seeing. It’s Eric Clapton’s turn next and Joe turns to ‘mainline Florida’ from ‘461 Ocean Boulevard’, the band capturing the sunny opulence of that track and adding in a touch of grit for good measure. It takes skill to reinvent songs of such classic stature and make them your own, but this something of which Joe has long proved himself the master, and the passion and energy throughout makes it feel like you’re watching him play an all-original set. Keeping the energy levels way up, Zeppelin’s ‘Boogie with Stu’, is the perfect track for a sunny summer’s night and with Reese Wynans at the grand piano, the band perfectly nail the song’s rock ‘n’ roll heart, making you wonder how on earth the audience were able to keep seated. It’s so much fun and whilst Joe may be the star, he appears to have no ego at all as he places his band in the spotlight at every opportunity, taking centre stage only when the song merits it.
As the set progresses, what stands out is the way that each track perfectly builds upon what has gone before. Thus, a bluesy, piano-led ‘double crossing time’ (complete with a solo so ferocious, it’ll make your eyes water just watching it at home) gives way to an electrifying take on the Clapton classic ‘motherless children’ in a manner guaranteed to set the blood pumping through the veins. This is the mark of a great showman, and the way that the set ebbs and flows makes for a deeply satisfying listen. Joe, meanwhile, is on fire throughout and his laid back vocal contrasts brilliantly with his unerringly electrifying guitar work, his fingers darting across the fretboard with an intensity that betrays the nervous heat burning deep within.
Following a short band introduction, we get one of the album’s twin highlights. First up is Cream’s evergreen masterpiece of bizarre, psychedelic-blues-rock – ‘SWLABR’, which still sounds like nothing on earth. Joe may laughingly explaining to his audience that he still does not understand its meaning, but as he unleashes the throaty roar of his Gibson 335, it’s clear that he totally gets the music and the band really get their teeth into the piece. Next up is a Led Zeppelin double header – ‘tea for one / I can’t quit you baby’ (‘presence’ and ‘I’ respectively), the energetic former giving way to a suitably smoky latter, Joe really letting himself go on the song’s many stunning lead breaks. Upping the tempo, the Yardbirds’ ramshackle charm is laid bare on ‘little girl’ before one of Clapton’s finest solo works is unleashed in the form of ‘pretending’. A blissful take on that near perfect piece of pop rock, Joe nails the nervy, bittersweet lyric that underpins the track as the daylight slowly fades away. With night having fallen, it’s time for an exceptional instrumental showcase, the blazing, Eastern-tinged workout that is ‘Black winter’ interpolated with the beautiful (and long standing Bonamassa cover) ‘Django’. It has the audience enthralled and it leaves only a rambunctious ‘How many more times’ to conclude the set, with the audience finally unable to keep seated any longer and crowding the stage, shaken from the stalls by Joe’s awe-inspiring performance.
Few artists have so successfully turned the live album into an art form in its own right as Joe Bonamassa. Each live concert in his catalogue has its own unique feel and flow and Joe plays with such quiet intensity on this particular performance that you can tell it means the world to him to be out on such a stage playing a selection of works that are at the very core of his own musical being. Anyone can play a cover, but few people can make them their own with such conviction and Joe is one such artist. A perfect example of a band entirely in their element, ‘British Blues Explosion’ is essential for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the blues… hell of music in general… and is a beautifully played and generous tribute to three master guitarists. 10
JOE BONAMASSA – OCTOBER 2018 UK TOUR
24 HOUR TICKET HOTLINE: 0844 844 0444
BOOK ONLINE: www.jbonamassa.com/tour-dates and www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Plymouth Pavilions Thursday 11 October
Nottingham Motorpoint Arena Friday 12 October
Bournemouth International Centre Saturday 13 October
HAMPTON COURT PALACE FESTIVAL 2018
TICKETS: https://hamptoncourtpalacefestival.com/artists/joe-bonamassa
London, Hampton Court Palace Tuesday 12 June
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