Blues rock is a genre that rewards individual virtuosity, but 95 per cent of the time the star is a guitar hero. So Will Wilde stands out from the crowd with his chosen instrument being the harmonica. I’d been very impressed when I attended his ‘Blues Is Still Alive’ album launch at the 100 Club last year, and was eager for a second helping: favourable reports back from friends at his recent show at the Eel Pie Club made me all the more determined to catch his show at the Thames Side Brewery at Staines.

The brewery site has music coursing through its veins, from the guitars and posters on the walls to their small batch brews with a rock theme, on this occasion including ‘Trilogy’ with a pump clip imitating ELP’s album cover. Even better our host Dorian Mead asked us to turn phones to silent and save our chats with friends for later as he introduced the first of Will Wilde’s two sets. Treating music and real ale with the reverence they deserve- this is my type of venue!

Looking every inch the star in his black vest and cowboy boots and with a bandolier belt of harmonicas strapped round him like a soldier with his ammunition, he opened with equal confidence as the autobiographical ‘Wild One’ included lyrics like ‘I’ve got a belt full of harmonicas’ and ‘when it comes to playing harp I’m the finest on the scene’.

His voice sounded a little strained on that and its fast and frantic follow up ‘Don’t Play With Fire’, but better suited to the slower blues of ‘Stole My Love’. ‘Learn How to Love’ had a bit of a Texas-style blues feel and some impressively vigorous drumming from Steve Rushton who a couple of times nearly topped his kit over, and some audience call and response as Will pitted men against women.

Recounting his pride at collaborating on it with Walter Trout, for me the gig really came alive with the title track of ‘Blues Is Still Alive’, particularly as a jam allowed his other musicians to really start to shine. An organ solo from the impossibly youthful looking Ben Maxwell gave way to a languid solo from the studious-looking Mat Day, both of them recruits to the band since my previous sighting, then Mat and Will traded off lines.

‘Gypsy Woman’ was in a totally different ball park, as inspired by jazz and European folk music as blues, before the pace picked up again with their tribute to Matt Long in ‘Bring Me Down’. Will then mentioned he would be having the honour of supporting Eric Clapton this summer so to mark the occasion ended a crisp 45 minute first set with a cover of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers’ ‘Steppin’ Out’. I hadn’t realised quite how much Deep Purple must have drawn on it for ‘Lazy’ and then I heard a guy humming the tune in the gents during the interval!

The second set opened with a slower song ‘Broken Dream Blues’ but the passion Will and band brought to the table was impressive, while the more Chicago-blues styled ‘Don’t Trust Me’ was more uptempo and he debuted a new song ‘Nothing About the Blues’. Once again the pace, energy and lack of padding was impressive on a trio of ‘Trouble of That Girl’, kicked off by a great drum intro, another new one in ‘Romp and Stomp’ and ‘Girl’s Got Soul’. Only on the closing song, a cover of Koko Taylor’s ‘Voodoo Man’, did they play one of those longer jams, with all the band members, including bassist Russell Carr, getting a solo slot.

There was a solitary encore, which represented unfinished business for me- at that 100 Club gig a curfew cut him off before his cover of ‘Parisienne Walkways’. It’s a song I’ve always loved, but his interpretation was unique- after the opening few bars were played on guitar by Mat, it was Will’s harmonica that took Gary Moore’s place- including that long sustained note which was an impressive feat. Excellent stuff from a talented artist who deserves the attention he is getting from blues legends.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

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Power Plays w/c 11 May 2026

BREITLER Sentinel (El Puerto Records)
FIRE IN HER EYES Too Late To Change (indie)
KING FALCON Wait (indie)
BEAUTIFUL SKELETONS Come What May (indie)
KARIN PARK Shadow (Size Records)
HARSH Don’t Mess With Me (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 11 May 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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