Celebrating a remarkable 55 years since the first Wishbone Ash album, founder member Martin Turner and his band have been a constant touring fixture for many years. Recent Central London sightings have been at the 100 Club, but this show was in the rather more spacious settings and high stage of one of my favourite London venues, the 229.

Unfortunately, a tube strike shut the entire network and undoubtedly thinned the crowd quite considerably. With the sound bouncing off the walls, it also meant for a slightly subdued atmosphere during opener ‘The King Will Come’, despite the quality of Danny Willson’s wah-wah guitar solo and the first, but not the last, of Martin’s distinctive bass runs.

On what was inevitably going to be a night of nostalgia, it was a welcome surprise to hear ‘Written In the Stars’, the title track of the sole new album he has made since returning to live action two decades ago, but unmistakably Wishbone with the twin guitar leads and its ethereal feel.

After Martin contested its authorship with Andy Powell, ‘Errors Of My Way’ from that very first album showcased the underrated vocal harmonies of the band’s early days, while it went into a new dimension when just as Danny’s solo started to soar, Martin overlaid a very melodic bass line.

While the set list (and indeed Martin’s humorously delivered anecdotes) could perhaps have been shaken up a little more from recent tours for us faithful, those who have seen the band less frequently were treated to an extremely well-chosen set of songs across their seventies albums.

There were some beautiful melodies gracing ‘Persephone’ (Martin being overly self-deprecating when he warned us not to fall asleep), ‘Ballad of the Beacon’ which saw Danny capably fill Andy Powell’s co-vocal on the original, ‘Front Page News’ and the folky ‘Lady Jay’, including a twin lead passage redolent of the better known ‘Throw Down the Sword’.

Though he benefits from sterling vocal support from Danny, and at times drummer Tim Brown who has returned to the fold after a few years away, on the songs where Martin sang without harmonies, he sounded stronger than for some while, and a short touring break seemed to have had benefits. I was also struck by how Misha Nikolic, after ten years in the band, has gradually taken on a greater share of solos as well as the twin harmonies.

There was a spectacular end to the first set in an 11 minute long ‘Phoenix’ with both guitarists, as well as Tim, in fiery form. Then after a 20-minute break the second half gave full reign to some wonderful longer musical passages. For once there was only a sparing selection from ‘Argus’, but it opened with one of the album classics in ‘Sometime World’, with more of those distinctively prominent bass lines and Danny doing a superlative job recreating the original solo.

Two lengthy instrumentals in ‘The Pilgrim’ and ‘F.U.B.B’ never dragged and also showed how the original Wishbone sound evolved during the seventies from an almost jazzy jamming into something with a bit more groove.

Sandwiched between was ‘Rock and Roll Widow’, Danny playing the Ted Turner role on vocals and tasty slide guitar, before the running gag of him being a stunt double for Wishbone members concluded as he took the vocals originally sung by Laurie Wisefield on ‘You See Red’, where he crossed the stage for the first time for he and Misha to pull some moves to accompany their harmony leads.

It seemed the second half was just getting going when it was already time for the finale in the evergreen crowd pleaser ‘Blowin’ Free’ with more fine slide work from Danny. Fortunately, that left time for a generous selection of encores beginning with ‘Doctor’, Martin screwing up his face as he acted out the lyrics in entertaining manner while the band jammed in probably the heaviest fashion all night. Then I was delighted that ‘Living Proof’, one of the quintessential Wishbone songs, was rightfully back in the set.

There was the usual final encore of the blues-rock chug of ‘Jailbait’, with more twin guitar solos and band intros and thanks from Martin, even if he did flunk the delivery of one of his trademark jokes! Nevertheless, those of us who were able to brave the strike and tortuous bus journeys home had been rewarded with the usual excellent set of Wishbone Ash classics from the evergreen near 78-year-old and his skilled bandmates.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

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