A sold out show at Oxford’s lovely New Theatre and whilst most of the audience have doubtless been Bonnie Raitt fans since her early days, it was good to see some younger fans dotted around the audience.

Support for Bonnie Raitt’s UK & Ireland tour is Gareth Dunlop, whose recent album ‘Animal’ comes highly recommended by this reviewer. Hard to pigeonhole his musical style – although to quote my review of said album “Sophisticated pop with a modern feel and appeal” – suffice to say he has a showstopper vocal that demands the listener’s attention.

Backed by guitarist Pete Wallace, Gareth Dunlop kept his between song patter to a minimum, bar a recollection of watching ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ on repeat and in particular Bonnie Raitt! ‘Look Back Smiling’ is one of the highlights on the ‘Animal’ album and it sounded even more powerful when performed live.

He spent many years in Nashville penning songs for TV and film with ‘Devil Like You’ one of those performed this evening. Really loved ‘Train Driver’. First time hearing this and with its hypnotic rhythm, those sublime vocals and a neat lyric, it was another wonderful highlight in a set full of them.

Gareth certainly made many new fans based on this evening’s stunning performance. Rarely have I seen people give a standing ovation to a support act and it is well deserved in this case.

Onto the headliner Bonnie Raitt, whose music this reviewer didn’t know much about until tonight, bar that you always used to see a few of her tour t-shirts at rock and metal gigs down the years. After tonight’s gig this reviewer has a lot of catching up to do on her musical catalogue and what a joy that will be!

Her latest album, the Grammy award winning ‘Just Like That…’, had a few songs scattered around the set including the opening number ‘Made Up Mind’. ‘Love So Strong’, also from the album, was one of many dedicated to musicians no longer with us. In this case Toots Hibbert of Toots & the Maytals fame.

Bonnie Raitt is a top class blues player and singer, although as tonight’s set proved she enjoys performing in many musical styles. It helps that she has a top draw band consisting of Glen Patscha (keyboards, vocals), Duke Levine (guitarist, vocals) and the tight but loose rhythm section of drummer Ricky Fataar and bassist ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson. It is like listening to a bluesy version of Toto at times as they jam, yet never veer off into self-indulgent solos.

The band thrive on the upbeat ‘No Business’ and ‘Livin’ For The Ones’ (complete with some tasty keys from Glen Patscha), yet are just as much at home on the gentle ‘Love Letter’. There are the hits too with ‘Have A Heart’ and ‘Something to Talk About’ one that got a rousing cheer when the opening notes were played.

One song that stuck in the mind long after it was finished was the Grammy Award winning ‘Just Like That’. The song lyrically details the story of a woman who is visited by the recipient of her son’s heart, which he received in a life-saving organ donation operation. Music has such a power to help and uplift the soul as this song ably demonstrates.

Superlatives don’t really exist to describe the moving version of John Prine’s ‘Angel From Montgomery’. What a voice and for once, no nattering from some annoying members of the audience. As an aside, how nice to be at a gig where there were no phones in the air and the audience were focussed on the here and now.

The set finished with a rip roaring take on the Talking Heads cover ‘Burning Down The House’. What a way to bow out on the main set and a well deserved standing ovation was given to Bonnie and her band.

Two songs in the encore, ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ and the heartfelt ‘One Belief Away’. The latter another song with a strong and uplifting lyric.

Touch of class from Bonnie as she invited Gareth Dunlop back onstage to join herself and her band for a final bow.

What a night of music! Gareth Dunlop surely is destined for bigger stages based on this performance and as for Bonnie Raitt, this reviewer has quite honestly seen and heard one of the best gigs in years. A musical masterclass in putting on an enjoyable and memorable live show. Bonnie Raitt showed why she is one of the all time best blues guitarists and singers, and still at the top of her game.

Review by Jason Ritchie
Photo by Steve Goudie

The Best of 2023

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)