I just found another great post at that site I mentioned
This thread was brought to my attention, and since one of my blog posts was referenced briefly (Thanks by the way!), I felt the need to put my two cents in.
Now, musically speaking, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. You like Joe, or don't like Joe musically, that's your personal preference. I personally feel that you're losing out on some of the most fantastic music being produced today. But, to each their own.
But this is the Joe Bonamassa I know :
The Joe who will regularly spend an hour or two meeting and talking with fans, after a 2 hour show, signing autographs until the last person who wants to talk with him has left.
The Joe who consistently insists that his fans get the best show possible for their money. Even to the point of canceling some shows due to poor sound or bad conditions. That may piss some people off, but it's to maintain quality.
The Joe who regularly plays over 200 shows a year, whether sick or not. Even when he is feeling sub-par physically, by the time he hits the stage, he gives his all. I've never seen Joe give a substandard show, no matter how physically ill he is.
The Joe who always has time for me, no matter if it's just to talk, or for an interview, he always has made time for me, and I only have to assume, always will. Always gracious, unassuming, humble, forthcoming, candid and open, he's truly a joy to talk to. It's what makes him one of the best interviews in the business.
The Joe who has opened doors for many younger, lesser known musicians, giving them opportunities they might not otherwise have had.
The Joe who has worked, in between dates of a hectic tour schedule, with the Blues In The Schools program through The Blues Foundation, when he could have been using that time selfishly to perhaps...I don't know... rest?
Yes, that sounds like the definition of diva to me.
As for being a soulless guitarist...given that Eric Clapton just joined him onstage at The Royal Albert Hall, and Eric has throughout his career made a point to join onstage soulless artists...let's see, he DID guest with The Allman Brothers not too long ago, didn't he...I suppose that would have some credence, given EC's track record.
I also suppose being chosen by the readers of Guitar Player magazine(given that guitarists are notoriously hard to please regarding talent) as best blues guitarist 3 years running means he has no soul as well.
So...at the end of what was a pinnacle performance of his career, one that in 5 years time has seen him has seen him go from playing in front of 60 people in his first appearance in London to selling out The Royal Albert Hall in front of friends and family - getting up on an amp and hoisting a Flying V in triumph isn't allowed, and is criticized? Give me a break.
Everything that Mr. Bonamassa has achieved thus far has been through hard work and talent, and to deny someone that opportunity at the end of such triumph, at the venue where so many of his idols have triumphed before him, (even being joined by one of them earlier) is just bad form, and reeks of jealousy.
I have seen many of the greats, from Zeppelin, Clapton, to The Allman Brothers, SRV, Eric Johnson, Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher...the list can go on forever, and a Bonamassa show is one which ranks up there with the very best. As for any onstage "moves"...Joe has stated himself recently that he's an entertainer, and that's part of the show. Every show I've been at the fans seem to really dig it, so he must be doing something right - especially to inspire fans to fly thousands of miles to see him.
Can Joe be an A -hole? I'm sure he can be. As can I and anyone who reads this. It's human nature. Let he who is without sin in that area cast the first stone.
And God forbid, given the media whipping the entire world population into a tither over the seriousness of the Swine Flu, that someone request not to have any handshakes, touching etc. at this point in time when many people in numerous countries have gone to wearing surgical masks.
I suppose it's not enough to play the show, and play it well, but now one needs to be willing to lay down their life possibly to make the "fans" happy.
As for his music being predictable, I don't believe we're listening to the same Joe Bonamassa. One of the characteristics of his albums thus far has been that no two have been the same. From the heavy blues of 'A New Day Yesterday', to the acoustic textures which graced 'Sloe Gin', to the genre hopping of his latest 'The Ballad Of John Henry' - he has painstakingly, despite some fans' misgivings, resisted making the same album twice. It's one of the things which makes him stand apart from the pack, and continues to keep things interesting.
In closing, I'm honestly shocked that so many would take cheap shots at someone they don't even know in a forum where the motto is "Where Music Plus Friends Equals Family".
Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
Berthold Auerbach
BTW welcome 