A lovely evening spent in a great venue in my home town. I have passed on many chances to see Joanne Shaw Taylor in the past. A few of my friends have seen her in concert and recommended I go along. So, here she was playing locally so I had to catch up with her and see what I have been missing. Well, I have been missing quite a lot of good music actually. I was (more than) pleasantly surprised by the bluesy voice and outstanding guitar playing of Joanne.
For some reason, I have had Rory Gallagher in my mind lately. I was and remain, a big fan of Rory. I first saw him in 1970 when he was playing with his first band Taste. I remember Rory performing classic songs such as “Blister on the Moon” and “Catfish” complete with his battered Fender Stratocaster and a Vox AC30 amplifier. Out of pure madness I recently bought myself a Stratocaster and a Vox AC30 purely to use as ornaments with no chance of me ever being able to play them. Still, they remind me of Rory and many other great bands and guitarists. In those days the performer could fill the hall with the sound of that small amplifier; no big Marshall stacks then!
So, apologies for digressing. Why do I return to Rory? I saw glimpses of Rory in Joanne Shaw Taylor’s performance the other night in The Fire Station. Why do I need to compare people I see with my past heroes? Not sure, and it is probably an unfair thing to do. Joanne Shaw Taylor has her own, very powerful, unique repertoire to draw upon. Comparisons are unnecessary. She is a very soulful, bluesy singer who plays extraordinary electric blues guitar. How could I have missed opportunities to see this lady so many times before. Foolishness; pure foolishness, that’s all.
The Fire Station announced the gig: “Join Joanne Shaw Taylor and her stellar band performing songs from her critically acclaimed studio album, Nobody’s Fool, as well as songs from the upcoming new album. Her guitar prowess, vocal abilities, and songwriting talents reach new heights as she presents a bold slate of material at the peak of her career. Joanne will also dig deep into her rich back catalogue where she will hand-pick songs from her previous recordings along with classic blues songs.”
A mix of country, soul and blues. She even played a song from the 1960s which was very different to how I remembered it. So different that by the time I got home I had forgotten what the song was. I searched on the Internet and discovered that it was “If You Gotta Make A Fool of Somebody” which was, of course, a hit for Freddie and the Dreamers in the UK. Joanne’s version was very different; soulful and bluesy with exquisite electric guitar by Joanne herself and also her guitarist. Perhaps Joanne’s version is closer to the original song which I must look up.
Joanne is supported by a band of excellent musicians but is very much a charismatic band leader. Her performance was amazing, much better than I expected and she surely must progress to greater things. Joe Bonamassa comes to mind. Another comparison; apologies Joanne. Joe played blues clubs and small venues and gradually built up a following to the extent he now fills arenas around the world. It was a privilege to catch this great blues singer and guitarist in a small venue. Fantastic. Someone I must definitely see again.
Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs and to Jan for helping me manipulate the site.
Setlist: (something like this) In the Mood; Keep On Lovin’ Me; All My Love; If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody; Can’t You See What You’re Doing to Me; Dyin’ to Know; Wild Love; Won’t Be Fooled Again; Watch ’em Burn; Diamonds in the Dirt; Fade Away; Runaway; Sweet Lil Lies; Bad Blood.
Encore: Going Home
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