As he told us midway through the set, it’s now 15 years since the relatively inexperienced Joe Bonamassa gambled in following in the footsteps of his blues rock heroes at the Royal Albert Hall.

It capped a meteoric rise, just a few short years after our own Pete Feenstra brought him to less auspicious venues like Beards Blues and the Boom Boom Club, but his popularity has been sustained and just like Eric Clapton his name has become synonymous with shows here, in this case a brace of UK dates constituting the extent of a whistle stop tour after playing the ‘provinces’ last year.

As always with Mr B, music takes precedence over showmanship and wearing a trademark sharp dark suit it was straight to business, with the opening half of the set focusing heavily on his recent ‘Blues Deluxe Volume 2’, and therefore allowing him to trawl a broader variety of blues related styles than might normally be the case.

So opener ‘Hope You Realise It (Goodbye Again’) was a slice of Ray Charles-like R’n’B with Joe trading solos with organ maestro Reese Winans, and unselfishly pointing at his sparring partner to ensure the crowd gave him full credit.

Bobby Bland’s ’24 hour Blues’ was more stately yet still featured an electrifying solo from Joe, while ‘Well I Done Got Over It’ had a traditional Chicago blues feel, but again with plenty of fiery guitar playing. ‘Self-Inflicted Wounds’ boasted a full, rich sound with gospel style vocals from Danni D’Andrea and Jade MacRae, the latter even taking a solo slot at the end.

Since I last saw him here in 2019 there had been a few line up changes with bassist Calvin Turner (succeeding the late Michael Rhodes) and drummer Lemar Carter both unfussy but precise and worthy bandmates. ‘I Want To Shout About It’, another with an R’n’B and soul feel, broken down and including a crowd clapalong, featured a solo from second guitarist Josh Smith, extremely talented in his own right.

‘The Last Matador of Bayonne’ was certainly a showcase for Joe, his underrated vocals only bringing out the haunting sparseness, even desolation, of the arrangement and an epic guitar solo where each note seemed to be held for ages. However ‘Breaking Up Somebody Else’s Home’ illustrated the way he generously shared the limelight from time to time with Josh, who played the first solo before a lengthy one from Joe, superbly technical yet always melodic.

He also seemed more relaxed and comfortable as a performer than when I last saw him, epitomised by his trademark mid-set speech sardonically relating his experiences with an unhelpful customs officer.

The rest of the set felt more archetypally Bonamassan, starting with ‘The Heart That Never Waits’, a lively Texas-style blues, but with a mid-section where he took the band down to virtual silence. ‘Is It Safe To Go Home’ saw his guitar and Reese’s electric piano do battle before another remarkable long solo, yet one where he always seemed in utter control.

After a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Lazy Poker Blues’, Reese trading lines mainly with Josh on a 12-bar, as if by some invisible force, the whole of the seated floor – and indeed a few in the stands – rose to their feet as Joe played the unmistakable riff to ZZ Top’s ‘Just Got Paid’. It’s a song where over the years he has achieved the unlikely feat of taking it to a different scale, and sure enough became a full on rock jam, complete with the briefest of snatches of How Many More Times, some of his trademark playing stances and a drum solo.

Surprisingly that was the end of the main set already, but opening the encores he paid tribute to a much-missed friend and collaborator in Bernie Marsden. As a result- despite hinting he was tiring of playing it every night and wanted to drop it- he played the latter’s favourite ‘Sloe Gin’, which was an object lesson in how to gradually build tension and intensity, concluding in an epic solo.

In time I am sure the next generation of would-be blues rock guitar heroes will adopt that song as a standard (maybe they already do?), but in an unexpected close, Joe paid tribute to his own influences with an authentic cover of ‘Crossroads’, as accomplished as you would expect and with Reese and Josh both given solos before he of course had the last word, ending a set a little shorter than previous efforts at exactly two hours.

Yes, it is possible to quibble at the event high ticket prices encouraging an older and corporate audience at the expense of younger fans looking for inspiration. However no-one present left feeling short-changed by the quality of a perfectionist right at the absolute peak of his game.

Review by Andy Nathan
Photos by Laurence Harvey

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 14 April

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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 14 April 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 9 April 2024.

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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)

Featured Albums w/c 29 April 2024

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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