After performing two sell-out shows at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, celebrated and award-winning blues rock guitarist, Joe Bonamassa has announced a rare one-off intimate concert at The Anvil in Basingstoke on Saturday 15th June. This special indoor concert will follow his exclusive UK festival performance at The Black Deer Festival on Friday 14 June.
Backed by a stellar band of legendary musicians, the set list for this show will feature new songs alongside career-spanning favourites. Bonamassa has attained 26 #1 Billboard Blues Albums, more than any other artist in history.
With the upcoming album Live At The Hollywood Bowl With Orchestra due, Bonamassa has released his latest live single, ‘Ball Peen Hammer’, taken from it, and available now on all major platforms,
This version features an extraordinary arrangement backed by a 40-piece orchestra, adding a majestic layer to Bonamassa’s signature guitar sound. Originally penned by the underappreciated genius Chris Whitley, Bonamassa first recorded the song for his 2007 album Sloe Gin.
‘Ball Peen Hammer’ is a poignant tale of resilience and hope amid hardship. Bonamassa’s live version captures the raw emotional essence of the song, further enriched by the lush dynamics of the orchestra. Reflecting on Whitley’s influence, Bonamassa said, “He doesn’t get a lot of credit but he’s one of the great songwriters and guitarists that I ever have run across. My tribute to Chris Whitley is deeply rooted.” He further recalled opening for Whitley in 2002: “Chris was the most devastating solo performer I have ever seen. I based my song and the sheer volume of the performance of the song ‘Woke Up Dreaming’ on that night. Gone too soon and not known nor appreciated in his own lifetime. Plus a very nice and humble man to top it off.”
The release of ‘Ball Peen Hammer’ follows the success of ‘The Last Matador Of Bayonne’, also from Live At The Hollywood Bowl With Orchestra. ‘Matador’ has amassed nearly 600,000 views on YouTube to date and is still growing. Each song on the album is said to have been carefully selected to showcase the depth and breadth of Bonamassa’s musical influences and his ability to fuse blues, rock, and orchestral elements into a compelling narrative soundscape.
For more about Joe Bonamassa and the Live At The Hollywood Bowl With Orchestra album click RAMzine here. Tickets for the Basingstoke concert are available from Joe Bonamassa’s website, Gigantic.com, and Anvilarts. And you can stream new single ‘Ball Peen Hammer’ here and check out the video here at RAMzine.
