Now an annual fixture, Joe Bonamassa’s welcome return to the UK coincides with the announcement that his British Blues Explosion Tour Film is to receive its much-anticipated release. Billed, as always, as ‘the guitar event of the year’, there is no question that Joe Bonamassa elicits fierce loyalty from his many fans and the air of excitement in Manchester’s cavernous arena (thankfully with the stage at the half way point) is palpable. Not always the most intimate of venues, it is Joe’s irrepressible personality that binds the audience together and, with his superb band in tow, Joe rarely puts a foot wrong throughout the two-hour show. Before we get to the show, however, it’s worth sparing a word for the fantastic staff and security at Manchester Arena, who carried out the necessary security checks with unflappable cheer and who could not have been more helpful. The Manchester Arena itself may be a large and imposing venue, but its staff do a fantastic job of making the massed gig goers feel welcome.
Once through security, we head to our assigned seats to wait this evening’s spectacle. With the auditorium filling up nicely, it’s comforting to see Joe’s now-familiar back drop beautifully lit up on stage, lending a touch of class to an arena that typically resembles a partially-decorated cattle shed. As the house lights dim, the only thing visible is a hint of chrome hardware reflecting the torches guiding the band to the stage. There’s always an adrenalin rush that greets this moment, and, as Joe peels out the opening riff of a buzzing ‘King Bee Shakedown’ (one of four brand new tracks that open the show), the lights blaze on, electrifying the audience and setting a hard-rocking tone for the evening. As is now the norm, Joe does not spare time or energy on addressing the crowd (that comes later) and he leads his band headlong into ‘Evil mama’ which, with its big bass intro, is precisely the sort of rollicking crowd pleaser that you want at the start of a show. The band let up a touch on ‘Just ‘cause you can’, a soulful piece with an extended, ecstasy-inducing solo that provides Joe with the opportunity to strike a heroic pose or two, much to the audience’s delight. The night peaks early, however, with the majestic ‘self-inflicted wounds’, a song that recalls latter-day Pink Floyd with its smoky sax and epic climax. There’s a moment of flickering disappointment when it transpires that the stunning ‘mountain climbing’, which was aired in Cardiff the night before, is absent from the setlist, but it’s quickly quelled when we get a rousing rendition of Albert King’s ‘I get evil’. Not that Joe’s latest album is forgotten – the band take us off into ‘Blues of Desperation’ territory next with a double hit, starting with ‘no good place for the lonely’. We also get the beautiful ‘how deep this river runs’, a song that should have been a hit single with its ear-worm chorus, soulful backing vocals and exquisite solos. It certainly sets the Manchester Arena alight, and the temperature is raised a couple of notches further as the ghost of Albert King is summoned once more on a recklessly flamboyant ‘breaking up somebody’s home’, here extended to epic proportions as Joe goes the full Hendrix on it. The applause is lengthy and sustained for this one.
Following on from the customary band introductions (be honest, how many musicians can make the claim they have the best touring band in the world and actually mean it?) Joe takes the audience one step closer to heaven with a gargantuan rendition of ‘slow train’, reworked to give lead vocals to backing singers Jade MacRae and Juanita Tippins, not to mention Paulie Cerra, who takes a rare break from the sax to demonstrate his impressive vocal range. Also making a welcome return to the set list is the lovely ‘driving towards the daylight’, which benefits from Lee Thornburg’s elegant brass arrangements. The unstoppable Reese Wynans gets to wax dangerous on the keys for a rabble-rousing take on Led Zeppelin’s ‘boogie with Stu’ (which leads to a well-deserved standing ovation), but to my mind it’s ‘Last Kiss’ (taken from ‘the ballad of John Henry’ album) which marks the second high-water mark of the night. Effortlessly groovy, it’s given stacks of soul (pun very much intended) thanks to Lee and Paulie’s interjections on the brass, not to mention an astounding performance from Jade and Juanita. Full of energy, but perhaps not the best choice of ending, ‘how many more times’ sees Joe channel Led Zeppelin once more, but it’s hard to escape the feeling that there’s any number of Bonamassa originals that would be better suited as a finale. Happily, an encore is not far away and the set ends with the now ubiquitous ‘Hummingbird’ and we’re left to make our way out into the cold night air, once more in awe of Joe’s remarkable ability to deliver a set so chocked full of soaring highs.
Joe Bonamassa is one of those rare artists for whom no amount of exposure can dull the impact. With a back catalogue that is a veritable treasure trove, he could play for an entire day and still not play everyone’s favourite track. So, whilst you may not get every song you wished for, you’ll always be well entertained. The advantage of Joe steadfastly refusing to stick to the ‘hits’ is that a new favourite song is usually waiting in the wings to blindside you. Tonight, it’s ‘Last Kiss’ that sandbags me with its awesome presence, Joe extending it into a gargantuan jam that leaves no head unturned. The joy of a Joe Bonamassa gig is that you never quite know which Joe you’re going to get. Tonight, he seemed to be on a mission to rock the MEN to its very core and, in this, he very much succeeded. Roll on the next tour! 9
