It is a sultry evening in the capital, almost stormy, which is appropriate given the force of nature that is about to hit the stage at the Royal Albert Hall. A venue that continues to inspire awe, some one hundred and fifty years after it first opened its doors to the public, The Royal Albert and Joe go way back (“it feels like home” he muses) and now, for Joe’s eleventh visit to this iconic venue, he’s on fiery form. Thus, with a new band in tow, Joe readies himself backstage as an excitable audience pack the venue, just waiting for the lights to dim and for those guitars to roar again.
Joe veterans will know that, when it comes to Bonamassa on stage, you never quite know which version you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s the geeky blues guy, smashing out covers in tribute to the legends (the British Blues Explosion tour); sometimes it’s the album guy, focusing on a particular release, with just a few of the hits sprinkled, like fairy dust, through the mix. Today, however, it’s Joe the rock guy and he’s taking no prisoners whatsoever. As the lights drop and the cheers from the crowd intensify, Joe hits the stage like a hurricane. He kicks off, red SG in hand, with the blistering riff of Evil Mama (a highlight from Redemption) and the audience find themselves rocked back against their seats in the face of the blast. It’s an immense start and, if the introduction to Dust Bowl is more Pink Floyd than ever, the song itself has the same potency as when it was aired back in 2011. Then, just as you think Joe will cut us a little slack, he stomps on his wah and delivers the paint-stripping intro to Love Ain’t A Love Song. With it’s extended lead break, Love ain’t… is a hulking behemoth and, as Joe unloads on his fretboard, you catch glimpses of the twelve-year-old prodigy who so impressed B.B. King with his raw spirit and visceral playing.
The first opportunity for the audience to take a collective breath arrives with the majestic Midnight Blues, a Gary Moore cover that often finds its way into Joe’s set and which is always welcome. Of course, it builds quite a head of steam and Joe ekes out a monumental solo before cheekily miming a mic drop. It’s a moment of sparkling humour amidst the heavy, heavy blues coming off the stage tonight. Always a highlight, the steaming I Didn’t Think She Would Do It, has considerable force (although it misses its horn section), while a huge cheer is reserved for a show-stopping Sloe Gin. Sometimes it feels that Joe’s relationship with the song is such as any artist has with an early hit, but there’s no denying the power of that sweet melody, and Joe sings it with real emotion. A bouncy Conversation With Alice sees the set hurtling towards its end but, before Joe brings it all to a head, we get a brilliant Lonely Boy. A real 50’s swing number, Joe hands over to Reese Wynans, who unleashes hell upon his keys in an extended tour-de-force that takes the breath away. It is here, with the audience fully under the band’s spell and the band on fire, that Joe instructs us to stand for a monstrously heavy Ballad of John Henry, which brings more than a few headbangers out of the woodwork. With Jade McRae delivering a pitch perfect vocal solo in advance of the ubiquitous Theremin jam, it’s a whole band effort and the Royal Albert Hall may very well have to check the structural integrity of its roof in its wake.
Leaving only a few moments (enough to get a feel for the roar of approval that greets this display), before the encore, Joe emerges with his acoustic guitar for the solo showcase, Woke Up Dreaming. Prowling the stage, he picks out one particularly excited individual near the front and toys with him (and by extension the whole audience) mercilessly, his fingers zipping across the frets with a dexterity that’s almost magical. Then, after a short introduction that gives a little background to the track, we end with Mountain Time, a poignant finale to a stunning show.
Joe Bonamassa shows are always special. There’s an aura of expectation that surrounds them and not just from the newcomers. As every tour is different, even veterans can be surprised, and tonight’s hit-heavy set proved to be just the antidote the Royal Albert Hall needed in the wake of a destructive pandemic. Joe can’t come back soon enough…
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