Rob Tognoni by Tom Brundage

Rob Tognoni typifies the spirit of old school rock and roll. It isn’t the fact that he and his band have just driven 16 hours from the Orkney Festival in the highlands of Scotland to the heart of London, or that he has to rebuild a connection with an audience already satiated by an avalanche of post psychedelic guitar riffs from London based Chilean guitarist Miguel Montalban and his band, and the contrasting funky grooves of the aptly titled Back To The One.

No, Tognoni is all about capturing the moment and making something happen. He’s at his best on the anthemic ‘Product of a Southern Land’ and he digs deep for an luscious groove on Tony Joe White’s ‘Roosevelt and Ira Lee’, but ultimately his forte is simply to deliver what it says on the tin.

He’s billed as the Tasmanian Devil, and he is indeed a performer whose sheer force of nature always pulls him through. It helps of course to be armed with killer riffs, bone shaking power chords, hip shuffling boogie figures and a charismatic presence with a ready smile.

He’s ably assisted by the rock solid Mike Hellier on drums and the fluid bass playing of Gaz Rackham, as part of a sinewy power trio.

And so what if his brand of power chord driven classic rock has long been superseded by fellow Aussies AC/DC, Tognoni’s musical versatility and his intuitive ability to draw a crowd into his whirlwind of energy is something to behold.

After a quick glance at his pedals and a cursory eyeball of the room he’s suddenly at the mic asking if we are ready? And whether we are ready or not, he hits his stride on the opening chorus of “Rock and Roll Business Man, get your money while you can.”

As the crowd populates at the front of the stage, he makes the first of several darting movements across the stage, which surely would have made the late Wilko Johnson smile. Barely pausing for breath, he slashes the neck of his guitar through the warm night air, while locking his piecing gaze at those who aren’t yet dancing.

He’s a rock and roll dervish whose body language is an extension of his powerhouse playing. On the stuttering ‘Bad Girl’ he leans shoulder to shoulder bassist Gaz Rackham in a clichéd pose that suggests; “it’s only rock and roll but we still like it.”

The trio create an enveloping drone, only for the jagged verse to splinter it into a thousand pieces, as some piercing sustained notes fill the room with an arc of sonic arrows. And in the split second it takes for them to fade into the ether he’s busy shaping a funky wah wah groove in a stop-start whirl of busy dynamics.

Tognoni makes light of the significant width of the stage with further jolting movements, some exaggeration arcs of his non playing hand, and the sheer cut and thrust of his tight rhythm playing. The effect is that of a piston deriving is motion and unrelenting drive from a front man whose energy levels would shame some guitar slingers half his age.

And while there’s nothing from his forthcoming ‘Rebel’ album, he does delve into the “new” live ‘Product of a Southern Land’ BBC session EP, actually recorded back in 2007, but finally released now. There’s the long time favourite ‘Drink Jack Boogie’, an inevitable John Lee Hooker tribute on ‘Mr. John Lee (The Boogie Man’) and the show stopping title track.

Rob Tognoni tapped into the fabric of the 100 Club’s musical history to remind the die-hards that rock and roll is still about generating spark through sheer passion, guts, energy and an ability to connect with a crowd, a combination of facets that served him so well tonight.

Back To The One by Tom Brundage

Finally a poignant footnote to the photo of Back To The One, featuring Canadian vocalist Steve Braithwaite an early contemporary and band mate of the late, great Jimmy C (Coletsis). Their mellifluous grooves and funky undertow provide a perfect foil for the storm to follow.

Review by Pete Feenstra
Photos: 1 & 3 by Tom Brundage
Photo 4 by Pete Feenstra

EP review (2023)

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Power Plays w/c 29 April 2024

BRIGITTE PURDY Sugar Fried Candy (Dirtshack Records)
ATTIC THEORY The Legacy (indie)
THE HOWLERS I Need Your Love (indie)
VELVETEEN QUEEN Bad Reputation (indie)
WILLS AND THE WILLING Scuffed Knees (Smash & Grab Music Ltd)
READY THE PRINCE Still Believe (indie)

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09:00-12:00 PRAYING MANTIS Defiance (Frontiers)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023

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