• From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
  • Registered: 2011-08-12
  • Posts: 4,614

Re: Hamilton Loomis

Greenose wrote:

Playing Edinburgh tonight! First time in the city and first time I've seen him!

Get ready for a treat, and keep the table tops clear.......  And that's a turn-up, me being able to tell you what to expect. Have a great night Duncan, and remind Ham-bone that we'd love to see him again (just) south of the border next time round.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
  • Registered: 2011-08-12
  • Posts: 4,614

Re: Hamilton Loomis

Ham-bone is hitting Europe next month:

5 - Hengelo, NETHERLANDS  Poppodium Metropool
6 - Tegelen, NETHERLANDS  Bluesrock Festival Tegelen
7 - Leiden, NETHERLANDS QBus Podium
8 - Verviers, BELGIUM  Spirit of 66
14 - Wageningen, NETHERLANDS  XXL Bluesclub
18 - Luxembourg, LUXEMBOURG  Brasserie de Neumunster
19 - Troisdorf, GERMANY  Troisdorfer Bluesclub
20 - Binkom, BELGIUM  Binkom Blues Festival
21 - Antwerp, BELGIUM  Crossroads Cafe
22 - Celle, GERMANY Herzog Ernst
23 - Celle, GERMANY Herzog Ernst
24 - Norderstedt, GERMANY Music Star
25 - Esbjerg, DENMARK Tobakken
26 - Copenhagen, DENMARK Copenhagen Blues Festival (venue to be announced)

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
  • Registered: 2011-08-12
  • Posts: 4,614

Re: Hamilton Loomis

Guisborough R'n'B Club - 14th June

Caught Hamilton Loomis for the first time in a couple of years; an unusual Sunday night show down at Guisborough. Most folk would be lucky to start a week-end as good as this, let along finish one.

As soon as the red-shirted guitar slinger hit the stage, it certainly didn’t feel like a Sunday; what a groove Hamilton and his amazing band hit almost straight away and run with it. Such a great groove and many old favourites and hot new numbers. And the way Ham-bone moves his guitar between Fabian Hernandez’ sax, both of them soloing for al they’re worth - spellbinding.
Can’t not do Bow Wow, and then can’t not do the audience walkabout, though due to low-ceiling at Guisborough, not on the table tops.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
  • From: Maryland
  • Registered: 2012-05-13
  • Posts: 2,790

Re: Hamilton Loomis

Didn't realize there was a thread about Hamilton Loomis. We saw him for the first time a few weeks ago at the Western Maryland Blues Fest. Fun time watching him. When he did the walk through the crowd on Bow Wow you can see a quick glimpse of Bob (the General) smile

Bow Wow https://youtu.be/8uSye2iWBSs

Lovin' You Makes Me High https://youtu.be/M19H2I6Uc9g

Stuck In A Rut https://youtu.be/nCgDgZWzL2I

Give It Back https://youtu.be/8jQ6IAFAkSE

Partner In Crime https://youtu.be/GN_NQCOkegw

Where We Started https://youtu.be/t3ALGw38l_Q

Do Nothing At All https://youtu.be/VSWU8LZciDg

  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
  • Registered: 2011-08-12
  • Posts: 4,614

Re: Hamilton Loomis

When Ham-bone swings by, you've gotta make the effort and catch him; because he shares such much on stage with the band (and WHAT a band), you don't realise at first what a superb guitarist (and singer) he is. Add to the fact that on stage, he's the kind of player who just lights a place up and of-stage he's just one of the coolest, well-grounded and easy going guys you could meet (but then, aren't all Blues players...?)

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

42 Reply by BansheeUK (edited by BansheeUK 2017-09-07 03:50:19)

  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
  • Registered: 2011-08-12
  • Posts: 4,614

Re: Hamilton Loomis

Man - this thread is getting a little dusty…..

Sadly, with the demise of Guisborough’s Blues Club, Ham-bone didn’t manage to swing by close enough to catch him in the UK at the start of the month, but via pre-Sale on his website I have managed to get hold of a copy of his new album Basics. That’s just about made up for missing the man. Not that he has a Bonamassa type output, but this is the equal to 2007’s Ain’t Just Temporary.

Looks like Ham-bone has got for a “field-to-table” approach, recorded, produced & mixed by himself at his own studios and the result has a cleaner, leaner sound as if he’s crystallised the essence of his music.  That characteristic Texas beat is there, the horn sound, the mighty harmonica and above all 13 fine songs with a total playing time of over 70 minutes with included outro jam on Funky Little Brother.

Looks like Hamilton has also had a bit of a time with things, his young son being diagnosed with Congenital Hyperinsulinism but as Bluesmen do, Sugar Baby is an upbeat tribute and the little tyke Bo Jordan is somewhere on the album playing maracas.

So, Texas; if you’re looking in and on-call rota allows, you may want to get yourself over to Keys Lounge in Fort Worth on the 8th September as its the album launch party so you can bet there’ll be plenty of table walking

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
  • Registered: 2007-11-22
  • Posts: 358

Re: Hamilton Loomis

I can't believe I missed this thread..., for years!?? What an amazing guitarist and thanks once again to Natasha's Video's and the excellent work of her 'sound man' for producing such excellent work. Thanks also to BansheeUK for bumping the thread. I would never have found it. LOVE 'bow'wow'

  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
  • Registered: 2011-08-12
  • Posts: 4,614

Re: Hamilton Loomis

If you're new to "Ham-bone", best starting point would be the Live In England CD and the Live At The Hub DVD.

Best studio albums - Ain't Just Temporary and the new Basics, though all are worth getting. May not float everyone's boat, but if you're hooked then you're really hooked.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
  • Registered: 2011-08-12
  • Posts: 4,614

Re: Hamilton Loomis

If you want to celebrate Christmas with a Texas beat, Ham-bone is releasing a Christmas album of 5 originals and 5 standards on Dec 2nd. pre-orders from his website now...

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
  • Registered: 2011-08-12
  • Posts: 4,614

Re: Hamilton Loomis

The White House Social - Ashington  11-11-24

Well, the weather was certainly kinder than it was last month. The rustle of dry leaves underfoot and the smell of Texas barbeque in the air.... Wait! What? That cane only mean one thing, Hamilton Loomis & the band are in town.

Having missed last years show, and even the last one he did at the old Fell 'Em Doon; I wasn't going to miss this. I think, I have to go back to 2015 since I last caught up with Ham-bone, back at the old Guisborough Blues Club. So, there's a couple of albums since then to get caught up with...

And that was partly centre to the show, with the mighty Basics (2017) album to the fore, as well as a couple from the Christmassy This Season (2019), well, Fenwicks has unveiled their window, so it's allowed... Hamilton even showed his virtuosity on keyboard (as if guitar, harmonica & singing weren't enough) though a pedal glitch scuppered the "planned" 2nd number, he launched into a piano-led Alright Now and Wow, the lad on bass (Mike Meade) absolutely nailed Andy Fraser's bass lines. I'll say it here now, the lad behind the drums (Brannon McLeod) was the perfect balance of power & fluid. The three were one of the tightest units I've seen in a while.

So, aside from the newer material, it was a night for some crackin' covers, with an awesome take on Steely Dans' Reeling In The Years as a tribute to Mike Slaughter, taking a bow as promoter (more on that later). And then, and don't tell the folks over the pond, but the band tore up on a cover of SRV's Pride & Joy. Somehow, after that, what else could follow but Hamilton's Bow Wow, complete with the legendry table-top walk for the soloing. Many do their own thing, but nobody else does it this way; and I've not seen since Guisborough, and that place gad LOW ceilings... And if you think that was all, then you're wrong, there was enough left in the tanks for a roaring Chuck Berry cover, No Particular Place To Go. And that raised the roof.

Hamilton & the band were already up for a return to Ashington, and I'm in... What io heard last night would make a Live In England Vol2...

Stuck In A Rut (TV performance) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMGktb6YUBw
Sugar baby (TV performance) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1FrXRlYz9I
And what a "retirement party" for Mike Slaughter; he's made no secret over the year that he's stepping down from promoting after this gig. I'm not going to claim I've been to all of them, but I've never been to a bad one, and always come away with that "buzz" that keeps you up after a gig till 3am. It was my good mate John Tate who twisted my arm some years back to "check out" this guy, Joey Landreth, next time he's in Ashington: a decision I've never looked back on. Under the stewardship of Mike & family, The White House has drawn bands that bypass Newcastle to play, and they keep wanting to come back: that speaks volumes; so from me, thanks Mike, for the past 10 years (and fingers-crossed, someone will take on the mantle).

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...