LIVE: Joe Bonamassa, The BIC, Bournemouth

March 21, 2016

Joe Bonamassa is the rock and blues reaper that will reach into you, and shake you by your very soul!
On Sunday the 20th March, I was given the absolute pleasure of reviewing Joe Bonamassa at the BIC in Bournemouth. This was a rescheduled show after Joe was forced to cancel back in October due to illness. Six months later he returned with an astounding performance.

On arriving at the BIC, the sheer number of people was over whelming. It was sold out and 3,500 people were eagerly waiting to see the legend take to the stage. Once walking through the lobby and into the concert hall, the atmosphere was thick with eager anticipation. The stage was lit with moody blue and red lights as patrons were finding their seats.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed and the stage curtain was illuminated in electric blue. The hall was filled with the audio intro of a Krusty the Clown sketch (The Simpsons) followed by Johnny Cash ‘Ring of Fire’ and many people were happily singing along. Once the music had finished you could hear whistles from the front rows that spread through the rest of the crowd, suddenly it became obvious that there were shadowy silhouettes walking onto the stage.
A spot light focussed on stage right and illuminated Reese Wynans (Keyboard) as he played a duel piano and electric organ solo. The lights came up in wonderful hues of blues, greens and reds and Joe Bonamassa was stood centre stage. The crowd went wild and he burst into his track ‘Locomotive’ to kick start the night. Following straight into ‘This Train’ it was obvious that Joe already had the crowd. Looking down the aisle, I could see hundreds of feet tapping in unison – It was spectacular.

Throughout the show I was incredibly impressed with the whole set up. The lighting sequences were smooth and organised and looked incredible. The sound was amazing and clean and Joe’s band consisting of Reese Wynans (Keyboard), Anton Fig (Drums), Michael Rhodes (Bass), Lee Thorburg (Trumpet) and Paulie Cerra (Sax) are unbelievably skilled musicians. Joe also ensured that each member had their time in the spotlight demonstrating their technical abilities through their solos. This was enough to blow you away alone, but then it comes to the main man, Joe Bonamassa himself.

Joe’s ability on the guitar cannot be beaten. It’s easy to see why he is the best rock and blues guitarist in the world. His vocals are powerful and clean and his guitar solos reach deep inside you and shake you by your very soul. Showcasing tracks from his new album Blues of Desperation as well as some of his older material, appealed to the whole audience. He combines rock and blues and creates something magical and captivating. By the time he worked his way to his infamous track ‘Sloe Gin’ the audience were entranced and absorbing all the emotions Joe portrayed through his music. He sang ‘Sloe Gin’ with such passion, that it left some audience members sniffling. During the set Joe apologised to the audience “I’m sorry I’m a little late” he said, receiving laughter from the crowd in return. It was clear that no one minded at all, they were just thrilled he had made it.
Ending the show with ‘Ballad of John Henry’, Joe encourages audience members to stand and move forward. He only had to use a brief arm signal and the whole crowd were on their feet. Swaying, bopping and singing along. Once Joe had finished the track, the crowd screamed, cheered and clapped in sheer delight. Joe said thank you and left the stage.
Was this it? Was it over? Oh on the contrary! The crowd continued to stand and cheer, followed by a rhythmic clapping that signalled one thing, they wanted more! Joe shortly appeared back on stage and gave an encore performance of ‘Humming Bird’. The finale was the whole band bowing to the audience and leaving each individual feeling that at some point during the evening, Joe’s music had spoken to them personally. This is by far the best show I have been to in a long time!
Joe Bonamassa’s new album Blues of Desperation is out on the 25th March and I would highly recommend giving it a listen! And don’t worry if you haven’t seen him yet folks, you only have to wait until his UK tour in July.

Joe Bonamassa’s new album “Blues of Desperation” is released by Provogue on Friday 25^th March.