Better late than never (I've only just recovered 
) here’s my take on Philip’s gig at Dingwalls.
First off, I’d like to thank Martin for bringing Philip to my attention. After seeing some youtubes of Philip and having my first WTF moment from his playing I knew I had to see him in the flesh. If it isn’t already clear to anyone after seeing Martin’s pics and videos and those by allyn788 on youtube that you must see Philip, then I must add my weight (and if you know me, that’s physically not a lot 
). I’m sure you’ll get an OMG moment too.
From the moment Philip appeared on the small stage with his battered ’63 Strat and launched into One Foot I the Grave it was clear that we were in for one of those very special nights. At the end of this number the sweat was glistening on his forehead and by the end of Powerful Thing which followed, he was completely drenched and one wondered if he could keep this level of energy going for the whole evening. This is a real power trio and I haven’t seen this much energy in a three piece since GFR. The drummer is Ryan MacMillan and the very lively bassist is Joel Gottschalk. Philip’s band should be plugged into the National Grid!
The set comprised:
1. One Foot in the Grave – an absolute killer to kick off with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lJIs1aO … re=related
2. Powerful Thing - http://www.youtube.com/user/allyn788#p/u/5/DtSkxYlhR5U
3. Over My Head – the first song he wrote after moving from Canada to LA. This suicide contemplating song was the first of several mentions of problems Philip had at school with one particular teacher. 
http://www.youtube.com/user/allyn788#p/u/6/CA6buTRNgGI
4. Changes – the first track Philip played from his recently completed album to be released early next year. A real barnstormer with some impressive sustain. http://www.youtube.com/user/allyn788#p/u/3/cSJxePqqe-k
5. Dream Away – a nice bluesy Hendrix influenced song. http://www.youtube.com/user/allyn788#p/u/4/n4URG_YBh5Q
6. Angels Live Inside – another thunderer with some absolutely stunning guitar. That teacher gets a mention again. You can see where Martin got some of his fantastic pics in this one. http://www.youtube.com/user/allyn788#p/u/2/s8pmg_qo-vA
7. It’s Over Now – another track from the new album. A blues ballad with a waltz beat. http://www.youtube.com/user/allyn788#p/u/1/Bb4zbMavp9w
8. Take You Away – five minutes of high energy, high volume. http://www.youtube.com/user/allyn788#p/u/0/JwFJp7FPz2I
9. Slip Away – in which Philip took his excursion into the audience which gave a kind of ethereal mystic to the music with the sound detached from his guitar. Made for some great audience reaction. 
10. Cinnamon Girl – the Neil Young song that features on Peace Machine with a nod to the Beatles with the bass line from She’s So Heavy on this version.
11. For an encore Philip played the beautiful SRV style Alchemy which lead into a slightly chaotic All I Want (Is to Get Next to You) to finish – this didn’t appear to be the All I want on Peace Machine.
The audience of around 150 or so may not have been massive, but it was a Sunday evening and Philip is still relatively unknown in the UK. The audience were suitably impressed and on this performance it’s unlikely his anonymity will last much longer.
Philip promised to be back in the UK soon, so make sure you see him next time he’s here. If you’re in Europe, where he is at the moment, buy your ticket now.
Phil
Ars Longa, Vita Brevis
“The guy who has helped the blues industry the most is Joe Bonamassa and I would say he is more rock than some rock stuff, so to me blues is whatever you want it to be!”
Simon McBride in my interview with him in Blues Matters! Issue #56
