What a fantastic weekend. Weather was perfect, hotel was superb, company was delightful and Joe’s show at the Leas Cliff, Folkestone was pretty darn hot too. 
The venue is built into the cliff with just a little pyramid at street level, hence Joe’s comment about it looking like a coffee shop. It holds around 1,500 in the bowels of the theatre and is so deep that you go downstairs to the upstairs seating.
Having missed seeing Joe, Carmine, Bogie and Rick in the café earlier in the afternoon, I caught up with Maggie, Lydia, David, Roger, Michael, Pete, Mark, PaulG and Sharon in the queue at around 6.00pm – thanks for saving my space chaps. With nothing between us and the wind of the English Channel as it sandpapered our faces we had some lively banter while we waited in line with. It was a wee bit chilly, especially as I had just my Crumbling LP short sleeved t-shirt on. Brrrr. Pete made an impression on the ladies as one was heard to say “Ooh Pete, you are big” and another thought he was very familiar. 
We all filed in just after 7.00pm and, fortunately, security didn’t seem to be too bothered about cameras, or in one Bonabud’s case, recording apparatus. I left Mrs W in the seats upstairs where she quickly got chatting to some other lady fans while I made my way down to the front where most of the aforementioned were strung out across the barrier in front of the stage – where else would they be 
Around 8.00pm 2 Minutes to Midnight rang out and we knew Joe was on his way. Standing at the foot of the steps for a couple of minutes, Joe was champing at the bit and so were we. Up the steps he came and went straight into a stunning Cradle Rock before he’d reached the microphone – check out Pete’s video. As mentioned elsewhere, the setlist was the same as the Madrid show so no major surprises. The excellent lighting is more or less the same as at the May gigs in the UK, but that’s where the similarity ends as nearly all the numbers played had something different about them, whether it was a different solo or slightly altered arrangement. The highlights were too numerous too mention but undoubtedly include the new song Slow Train and Never Make Your Move, which I hadn’t seen Joe play live before. I hate to say it but before the show I had wondered whether seeing Joe again this year would be too much like the previous times, but I needn’t have worried – you definitely can’t have too much of a good thing as far as Joe’s concerned. If you haven’t yet seen Joe on this tour, you’re definitely in for a treat.
While Pete stood next to me taking videos, I snapped away at the still shots. As I took around 350, they may take a while for me to sift through and upload to flickr. There are some good ones in there so watch out for them.
The performance ended around 10.00pm and we hung around outside waiting for Joe and the guys to appear. As there’s really only one way out, there was no escaping us! Rick and Carmine were first to appear after 30 minutes or so, then Bogie a few minutes later before Joe emerged around an hour after the show. Joe looked relaxed but tired as he posed for pics and signed anything proffered before he made his way to the tour bus and the journey to Cambridge that night.
Those who were staying in Folkestone overnight plus Roger made their way to the Southcliff Hotel where Maggie and Lydia were staying for a night cap or two and to talk over the night’s events which, as always, disappeared far too quickly.
A fantastic weekend. 
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
"
! BAH! Whoday anyway?! No apologies, Anton or Jason got nuthin' (but bon bon fancy 
) on Bogie 
