Has it really been a year since we last saw the mighty Joe Bonamassa on stage? I suppose it must have been, but with his shows so often proving to be a highlight of the year – and with an exciting new album just announced – here we are once again, the sense of anticipation undimmed as one of the world’s greatest blues guitarists prepares to the stage at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena.
One of the hardest working musicians currently treading the boards, Joe seems to spend so much time out on the road, you wonder that he ever has a moment to actually stop and record an album. Such ruthless honing of his skills means that his appearances are always special, with even familiar songs taking on unfamiliar guises, and it’s simply a privilege to be able to spend a few hours in his company.
Tonight, the primary focus of his varied set is 2023’s exquisite Blues Deluxe Vol II, with five songs from the twelve-track set list drawn from that album. This includes opening cut Hope You Realize It, which detonates the night, Joe covering the absence of the big band found on the album with explosive riffing and a nervy energy that has the arena struggling to stay in their seats. One of two original numbers from that album, Hope You Realize It has it all – a soulful vocal delivered with panache, a piledriving central riff, and some truly epic lead work, all of which makes for one hell of an opening number. From there, a short solo spot leads into a sublime Dust Bowl – a stone-cold classic from the album of the same name, with a chorus to die for. Always a highlight of a Bonamassa set for me, tonight it soars, with the band clearly enjoying the performance every bit as much as the audience.
It’s back to Blues Deluxe Vol II next for a pair of covers. First up, Bobby Bland’s Twenty-Four Hour Blues cools the temperature a little, the smooth chorus and dreamy leads drifting languidly across the venue. In contrast, Well I Done Got Over It, led by a toe-tapping beat from drummer extraordinaire Lemar Carter, gathers an energy only hinted at on the recorded version. With stinging leads peppered across its run time, it’s a masterclass, and the band deliver the goods with an irresistible swing that makes you wish, and not for the first time, that Joe would tear the seats from the venue floor with his bare hands. This is music to make you move after all, and it seems that there’s more than a few among the audience who feel the same.
Slowing the pace once more, Joe offers up another of his masterpieces – the beautiful Driving Towards The Daylight which, in tonight’s rendition, feels heartbroken yet hopeful. Further evidence, as if any were needed, that Joe’s original material can go toe-to-toe with any of the classic artists he covers, it’s a track that even familiarity fails to diminish. Then, marking the set’s half way point, the band execute a joyous take on Ronnie Earl and the Broadcaster’s I Want To Shout About It – given all the more oomph by Jade McRae and Danni D’Andrea, whose warm presence adds considerable depth to the band’s sound. Not only are they talented singers but also engaging performers and watching their interplay with keyboard legend Reese Wynans never fails to bring a smile to the face.
Having had the venue singing along with gusto during the previous track, it’s time for another slow burner, with Joe returning to Dust Bowl for The Last Matador Of Bayonne. A deeper cut from his catalogue, the song was given new life when an amazing live version was released from the Hollywood Bowl album, and it’s great to see it take up a central position in the current set. Better still, it does what all great live performances should do – encouraging the audience to go back to the source and listen once again to this hidden gem amidst Joe’s incomparable collection.
Harking back to the first Blues Deluxe album, Joe gives Freddie King’s Pack It Up a brisk going over, but it’s The Heart That Never Waits that provides the second half of the set with its emotional core. Massively extended, this stunning highlight from Time Clocks is one of Joe’s most brilliantly arranged and performed pieces and tonight is no exception. Once again, it’s Jade and Danni who bring the house down, their sweet vocals adding additional heart to the piece, while the solo that brings the song to its conclusion is nothing short of stunning.
With the set nearing its end, Lemar Carter gets a chance to show off his seriously impressive skills on Bobby Parker’s It’s Hard But It’s Fair, only to double down on climactic Led Zeppelin cover How Many More Times, which features a ferocious drum solo and a glorious snippet of Albert King’s The Hunter, the latter slipping in as if it’s always been there. It makes for a perfect set closer, with Joe rocking out and the band matching him every step of the way, leaving the audience cheering in the aisles as we pay tribute to a brilliantly paced show that seems to have flown past in a matter of minutes.
It’s a matter of record that only occasionally does the mask slip with Joe. Usually, his stone-faced façade keeps him on point where nerves could otherwise take over. However, on occasion, the sunglasses come off and you get a glimpse of the boy who dreamed of being a blues hero. This happens only rarely tonight but, as the band return to the stage, off come the glasses and other comes that rarely seen grin. Briefly thanking the audience, Joe goes on to introduce his superlative cover of Tim Curry’s Sloe Gin – seemingly slightly baffled that so dark a tune would remain so beloved nearly two decades since it was first recorded. Nevertheless, as he says, he’s willing to give way to audience demand on this one and, laughing that “this’ll give you a hangover” he goes on to prove the point, delivering one of the most poignant songs in his storied catalogue and earning another standing ovation in the process.
It’s been noted on these pages before, but every Joe Bonamassa show is an event. No frills, no fancy screens, and no pyrotechnics – just timeless tunes and stunning musicianship, drawing the audience in from the opening moments and refusing to let them go until the last note has faded from the PA. An artist who only seems to get better, who knows what Joe has up his sleeve next (although, on the strength of the new single, it’s going to be something huge), but wherever he goes, we’ll be glad to follow.
