Joe Bonamassa - Tour De Force: Live In London (Album Review)
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Written by Simon Ramsay
You've got to hand it to Joe Bonamassa, the guy's certainly got balls. Even though he's part man, part blues-rock machine, by playing four London shows in as many days at different venues - changing musicians and setlists every night - he was potentially setting himself up for a magnificent fall. Factor in posters proclaiming it the 'Guitar Event Of The Year' and he'd essentially pinned a target on his back for critics to shoot at. Did he buckle? Not one bit.
These exceptional shows were conceived to celebrate the end of the first chapter of Bonamassa's career, with him playing songs from his entire discography at the same venues he appeared at while perfecting his craft.
With his eclecticism in mind each gig had a specific musical theme, while musicians who'd backed him over the years were drafted in and rotated to give each night a unique feel. Although their contributions are outstanding, claiming it's 'four different bands' is a little specious because after the first gig, the line up changes become less of a factor.
There are other gripes with the overall premise, as the themes aren't always adhered too – for example The Ballad Of John Henry during blues night - and some songs are repeated too many times at the expense of others. But that aside, the quality of what's delivered is beyond reproach. Each set is vibrant without seeming over rehearsed, and loose enough without feeling under prepared.
The intimate Borderline is packed to capacity for the 'Power Trio Jam' night as Bonamassa ambles out in jeans, t-shirt and an army surplus jacket brandishing his old Fender Stratocaster. With backing from Anton Fig and Michael Rhodes he tears through a masterclass of blues-rock excellence, replete with nuclear sized grooves and stunning bursts of improvisation.
The set mostly revolves around older material like the blues-funk of I Know Where I Belong and blunt force battering ram Burning Hell, while the band's chemistry fizzes and Bonamassa is so pumped he's knackered after the second song.
Next up, Shepherd's Bush Empire sees Bonamassa in a black suit, snazzy red shoes and shirt accompanied by his usual band - drummer TalBergman, bassist Carmine Rojas and crazy keyboard wizard ArlanSchierbaum – for a wonderful night of blues.
A brilliant horn section brings a swinging Chicago feel to proceedings as You Better Watch Yourself and So It's Like That are given a delightful bounce courtesy of the sparkling brass. The lesser known Chains And Things is also a treat, while a spine tingling rendition of The Great Flood is the icing on the cake.
Many fans will have been looking forward to seeing Bonamassa unleashed at the legendary Hammersmith Apollo for the 'rock night'. Unfortunately, he walks out with an acoustic guitar and plays the first 25 minutes unplugged. Although cheekily subversive it backfires, because from then on the whole evening feels a little unsure. On its own merits it's a good concert, but within the overall scheme it's a conceptual misstep, never fully embracing the proposed rock dynamic.
The most rock-centric album of Bonamassa's career is 'So It's Like That', and not one of those songs is played. Hard hitters like Had To Cry Today, Lonely Town Lonely Street and Dirt In My Pocket would also have been more appropriate than acoustic numbers and the repetition of songs played the previous night.
This is evident during a thunderous cover of ZZ Top's Just Got Paid. Featuring chunks of Whitesnake's Still Of The Night and Led Zeppelin's Dazed And Confused, its roaring riffs are a microcosm of what should have been.
When Bonamassa left the Royal Albert Hall in 2009 he'd delivered a fiercely hungry set that sent his career and reputation into orbit. Four years later, he returned as an all conquering hero. The first half of this gig reunites the multinational musicians who performed on Bonamassa's recent acoustic live album. It's great to see the same instrumental virtuosity again as they rattle through cracking versions of Athens To Athens, Black Lung Heartache and Around The Bend.
Then, the electric show threatens to blow the roof off the legendary venue. Bonamassa appears like a kid on Christmas morning, covering every inch of the stage, interacting with the audience and soloing like his guitar is about to be confiscated forever once the gig's finished. The band is in full flight, kicking ass and enjoying their victory lap, while an appearance from Rory Gallagher's legendary battered Fender Strat enhances Bonamassa's fretwork even more during The Ballad Of John Henry.
Each concert is available on individual DVDs or as part of an all-encompassing box set. The sound is superbly produced by Kevin Shirley, while director Philip Klose masterfully captures the energy and sense of occasion for each concert. Minor gripes aside, the overall concept, planning and execution of these landmark gigs will go down in the annals of music history as something very special indeed.
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