Gibson Studios 16 February 2010

While digging out some info for the “This Day” thread I found, or should that be didn’t find, my review of this unique event on the Forum. It seems to have disappeared into the virtual world that afflicted this site in the past or maybe I didn’t post it at all, which is also possible. Luckily I’d kept a copy for posterity, so to celebrate the fourth anniversary on Sunday, here it is again.

This gig was also Pete's first efforts with a video camera and we all know where that has lead to.   Here's a link to the thread with some of these videos. If you haven't seen the Rainy Night in London video please check it out, it's unmissable.

The latest meeting of the UK branch of  Bonaholics Anonymous took place on Tuesday, 16th February 2010 with Tripsy, Scoot, Maggie, Lydia, Icon and Maxine, Pete the Cabby, RusScagel, jw, triggermala (and wife) and mbcl accompanied by Virgil, Gabriel and Tom (that’s Virgil and The Accelerators if you didn’t know) convening at Charlotte Street Blues in London’s West End. After hearing about jw and Rus’s afternoon at the Guitarist magazine Q&A session that jw had won (which Rus managed to sneak in to ) and much banter, including admiring Icon’s t-shirt proclaiming in gold lettering “Reject False Icons”, the assembled throng headed out into the incessant rain to find the Gibson Guitar Studio and join the other lucky winners of the Planet Rock competition to see Joe perform at this small venue.

After waiting in the pouring rain for 25 minutes, the very damp but happy band of Bonnabuddies were allowed in. As they climbed the stairs who should we find? None other than Michael Lynch Esq. (so that’s where he’s been for the last few weeks ) Once inside the small hall, another prominent and senior member of Joe’s Forum was already positioned at the front of the stage – André Wittebroek Esq. together with the lovely Suzanne.

Having finally stopped shivering from the cold and rain, the Forum members were perfectly positioned immediately in front of and slightly to the left of the stage with cameras at the ready and Mr Lynch with video camera in hand. At exactly 8.00pm one of the Planet Rock DJs appeared on stage to whip up the audience into a frenzy of anticipation (if they weren’t already excited enough!). The prospect of the show including their collective cheering, hollering and whistling being recorded for broadcast on Planet Rock ensured an enthusiastic response.

One minute later with Rick, Bogie and Carmine in place, the familiar strains of The Ballad of John Henry were heard as Joe joined them on stage to get this intimate and nowadays rare event underway. Showing no signs of rustiness from the winter break at this first gig of 2010, Joe eased through Last Kiss and another stunning rendition of So Many Roads before the first of three new songs from Black Rock: Three Times a Fool. This Otis Rush number is as you’d expect a great Blues number with a rocky edge and is sure to become a favourite at live shows in the months ahead.

Back to a long standing favourite with If Heartaches Were Nickels before a bouncy Further on up the Road on which Joe really let loose his playing. A gradual and restrained intro led into Sloe Gin that featured some of the best guitar of the evening (not that it wasn’t all outstanding, of course) before closing the number with EC’s Edge of Darkness theme.

Back to the new album and Steal Your Heart. Joe explained that this Bobby Parker number was suggested as a possibility for Black Rock by Robert Plant and boy, you can see why. The opening chords were met by Forum members heads turning to each other, grinning and exclaiming “Woooow”. It absolutely rocks and knocks your socks off. It’s a favourite already.   The third and final new song from Black Rock was When the Fire Meets the Sea, which could easily have come from the BOJH sessions.

Next up was a favourite from Joe’s shows in 2009 – Young Man Blues. My notes say “full on”, which nicely sums up this Who anthem complete with crashing guitar chords, windmill arms and Joe’s voice that just gets better and stronger every year. As the lengthy applause for this number died down a certain member of the afore-mentioned BAs yelled “Who’s Been hanging out with the Rockers?" which brought a lot of laughter from the audience and a broad smile to Joe’s face. Yes, he admitted, he’s being hanging out with Rockers and joked there would be a new Joe with long hair, scruffy clothes and no baths for a month.

Things were then slowed down when Joe introduced Sandi Thom to sing an atmospheric The Great Flood, allowing Joe to lay down some soothing guitar lines before grabbing his electrified acoustic for Woke Up Dreaming. To be within touching distance for this number and to see Joe’s nimble fingers on the fretboard was, as you can imagine, amazing.

Just Got Paid, with Joe’s traditional homage to Zeppelin’s Dazed and Confused, wound up the evening with some superb slide and that stunning riff.

The setlists taped to the stage and Rick’s keyboard (now in the possession of André – no, not the keyboard ) included Mountain Time as an encore. Sadly, what should have been a highlight didn’t happen as the house lights came on as Joe and the guys left the stage at around 9.30pm. It did look like Joe could have hurt his fingers toward the end of the set and this may have been the reason for the abrupt ending.

After chatting for a few brief minutes the Bonabuddies were ushered out of the hall and back into the rain. André, Suzanne and Michael disappeared and mbcl and his protégés wended their way into the night air leaving Mr & Mrs Icon, Tripsy, Scoot, Maggie and yours truly to find the oldest licensed hostelry in London to savour a memorable evening.

Phil