John Mayall 80th Anniversary Tour Sage Gateshead 11th November 2014
John Mayall at 80! Wow.
Blues legend John Mayall is out on the road again for his 80th, yes you read it right, 80th anniversary tour.The ‘Godfather of British Blues’, founder of the Bluesbreakers, who launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Peter Green and Mick Taylor, was back in the north east last night to play a concert at the Sage Gateshead. Support came from top blues band King King.
Mayall has dropped the Bluesbreakers name for his current band to signal a slimmed down new line-up which features Rocky Athas on guitar, Greg Rzab on bass and Jay Davenport on drums.
The set went something like this: “You’re Too Lazy” (great start with white haired pony-tailed Mayall up front playing mouth harp from the word go), “Where Did You Go Last Night?” (Mayall on rolling piano and great guitar solo by Rocky), the lights dim and John picks up guitar for “Early In The Morning” which is a slow moody blues song “early in the morning and we ain’t got nothing but the blues” and which sees John and Rocky trading riffs, “The Sum of Something” (Mayall back to piano and powerful mouth harp solo ), 
“A Special Life” (the title track of Mayall’s latest, and 45th!, album), Mayall explains that the band are playing a different set each night on this tour to “keep things alive and keep us on our toes”, “Moving Out and Moving On” (Mayall back on guitar for some great guitar work and a stomping blues), then an old familiar tune: “Parchman Farm” (great chugging mouth harp and bass and drum duel/solo from Greg and Jay), “Speak of the Devil” (here he comes after you 🙂 – amazing mouth harp solo which receives a loud and well deserved round of applause), Otis Rush’s “I Can’t Quit You Baby” (“we are going to do a blues” with an amazing guitar solo from Rocky to loud applause), and then a very welcome surprise – my favourite (and which I don’t believe he plays that often now) “Room To Move”, and a 100% amazing mouth harp solo from the master Mayall, drum solo from Jay and a tremendous bass solo from Greg. Then it’s back to Mayall’s harp and the familiar “Room to Move” riff. Took me right back. It really don’t come much better than this. The concert was pure class. Top blues played by the master. But you wouldn’t expect anything less. Long may he continue.
Archive for the ‘King King’ Category
12 Nov
John Mayall 80th Anniversary Tour Sage Gateshead 11th November 2014
19 Sep
Robin Trower Newcastle Academy 16 Sep 2010
Robin Trower Newcastle Academy 16 Sep 2010
Will and I went to see Robin Trower at the Academy on Thursday night. Support came from King King who are increasingly becoming known as one of the country’s top blues bands. The hall was quite empty when they came on, but they didn’t let that detract from their performance which was great. Some excellent guitar work from front man Alan Nimmo. At one point he was playing his Strat acoustically and signing without any mikes or accompaniment; great use of dynamics.
The hall had filled to a respectable crowd by the time Trower took to the stage. He still plays guitar as he always did, and still pulls some frightening faces as he squeezes those licks out of his Fender. The singer is the same guy that Will and I saw with him a few years ago when we saw him at South Shields, I can’t be sure if the other members of the band are the same. I can’t say that I recognised that many of the songs but old favourites Bridge of Sighs, Lady Love and Too Rolling Stoned sounded as good as ever. A good gig by an old timer who is still a master of the guitar.
Robin Trower site: http://www.trowerpower.com/
King KIng site: http://www.kingkingblues.com/
I hate printed tickets
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