Joe Bonamassa-Liverpool Echo Arena 23 October 2015

Joe Bonamassa makes a welcome return to these shores since his four night residency at London’s Hammersmith Event Apollo back in March. The current tour is only eight dates though, and a most are sold out.
Joe’s popularity has skyrocketed since he played his first UK date to less than 100 people at MR. KYPS in Poole Dorset, nearly ten years ago. Now quite rightly he is being hailed as one of the all-time blues greats.

A nice public service announcement about One Direction gives everybody a chance to cheer and shout just as Joe walks onto the stage and recieves a thunderous welcome; Opening up with a storming cover of Jeff Beck’s ‘Spanish Boots’, then it’s not stop into ‘I Know Where I Belong’ from his ‘Tour de Force’ album released back in the year 2000. Joe powers through the song, and the next one ‘The River’ complete with a tasty slide solo with barely any let up, the passion he has for the blues really shines through in his playing tonight.
With the stage now fully lit, as opposed to a couple of single spots for the first 4 songs, the stage is fully revealed, nothing, no backdrop, no massive Marshall stack, no gimmicks, just Joe, his guitar and the band, Joe shifts up a gear.
What follows is an incredible show, in the next two and a half hours Joe goes from Jazz fusion, through to some seriously heavy riffs.
When Joe introduces his backing band as “the greatest musicians on earth” you could be left wondering why he makes such a bold claim, however when he throws names at you like Lee Thornberg on Trumpet, Paulie Cerra on Sax and keyboard player the great Reese Wynans ( Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Double Trouble) you have to take him seriously. Add the thunderous rhythm section of drummer Anton Figg and Bass Player Michael Rhodes and this is a heavy hitting group of musicians.

‘Goin’ Down’ see’s the brass section take the lead which has a real old Chicago blues swing to it.
‘Give up everything’ is powerful live, stunning the 3,500 people here tonight into appreciative silence, while we are treated to an extended solo in ‘Love ain’t a love song’.
Two of Joe’s heavy hitters finish the show; some truly wonderful jazz piano leads into ‘Sloe Gin’ which has the whole venue cheering, and Joe responds by playing some outstanding guitar.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the crushing opening riff from ‘The Ballad of John Henry’ echoes around the arena, midway through joe takes the song off on his own, leading into a very quiet solo before Anton Figg hits the drum kit hard and brings everybody back in, loud; another verse complete with the opening riff and it’s all over.

As joe and the band leave the stage the seated crowd rise to show their appreciation, there is barely time to sit back down again before he re-appears to do two encores ‘Angel of Mercy’ played this time on a semi-acoustic that has such a mellow tone it really makes you think ‘just how good is he’ wonderful dexterous playing has the audience captivated once again. The last song of the night is ‘All Aboard’ this clearly has a place in his heart from the recent Muddy Waters Red Rocks tribute and it’s a superb way to end a very memorable concert.
The current Joe Bonammasa uk tour is only eight dates long, so if you haven’t had a chance to catch Joe live, get out there now and buy a ticket, you will not be disappointed.

Setlist

1. Spanish Boots
2. I Know Where I Belong
3. The River
4. Burning Hell
5. Hey Baby
6. Oh Beautiful
7. Happier Times
8. Trouble Town
9. Going Down
10. Gave Up Everything
11. Double Trouble
12. Breaking Up Someone’s Home
13. Love Ain’t A Love Song
14. Sloe Gin
15. Ballad Of John Henry

– – – – – –  (encore)  – – – – – – –

1. Angel Of Mercy
2. All Aboard