Has Graham Bonnet had anything like the career he could have had, had he not been thrown out of or walked out on certain bands during his time? This I doubt we will ever know, but one thing is certain, he’s made a mark. He’s a powerhouse vocalist who’s had a long, varied and, let’s be fair, somewhat chequered career fronting bands, plus also as a solo act. While it’s a truism that his exits from major bands he’s fronted, such as Rainbow, Alcatrazz and MSG, haven’t always been exactly ‘harmonious,’ few have ever doubted he has a set of pipes and can sing.
Recorded at the legendary LA venue Whisky a Go Go, this set captures Bonnet leading his merry men, and only one woman (geddit?), through a pulsating set of hard rock played with vitality, power and no small amount of energy. Even though he’ll be turning 78 years young just before Christmas this year, his voice is still worthy of fronting a rock band.
Straight out of the traps, the band open with Rainbow‘s ‘Eyes of the World’ and their big hit single ‘All Night Long’. While Bonnet can no longer hit too many top notes, this doesn’t detract from what was a bravura performance on his part. The next few songs also come from the Rainbow back catalogue: ‘Since You Been Gone’, ‘Makin’ Love’ and the sublime slow track ‘Love’s No Friend’, which is one of the set’s highlights.
The set contains two solos, the first being a keyboards run-through, followed a few songs later by a drum solo. I can only assume these were included so Bonnet could rest his voice but, ho hum, not being a fan of solos, they give an excuse to do something else. There was no need for a guitar solo, though, as Conrado Pesinato shredded his guitar at every opportunity.
Between these two solos, there was a glorious rendition of Deep Purple‘s ‘Lazy’, which was supremely well played. With the exception of MSG‘s ‘Assault Attack’ and Alcatrazz‘s ‘Too Young to Die, Too Drunk to Live’, which Bonnet jokingly tells us could be him, the rest of the set is drawn from across his solo career. Tracks like the powerful, upbeat ‘S.O.S.’ and the fast-driving ‘Into the Night’ keep the energy high, before a fine set ends with a coruscating version of ‘Lost in Hollywood’, proving Bonnet still has what it takes to be out front.
(For the uninitiated, the phrase ‘Only One Woman’ is a reference to a number five hit Graham Bonnet had in 1968 when a member of the band The Marbles.)
