Joe in Glasgow - the best and the rest! (Page 1 of 2)

Thursday night was my first Joe gig, and as promised her are my thoughts on the evening. I'd bought my ticket for Joe in October last year and the end of February seemed such a long time to wait but finally here was the evening I'd been waiting for.

The Arches as it sounds is a hall of several arches under the main railway station in Glasgow. When we entered the stage was set up at the end of the central arch. We had arrived at around 7.30 as I'd read from the reviews of Leeds Joe had started at 8 as his support act was ill.  The venue was already pretty busy and excitement grew as we saw a roadie placing 4 bottles of water on the stage, indicating that Joe and the band were shortly to come on. Then to hugh cheers Joe's band and finally the man himself came on to play the set as listed below.

Full set list:
Bridge To Better Days
Walk In My Shadows
So Many Roads
Mountain Time
Another Kind Of Love
Sloe Gin
Ballpeen Hammer
Don't Burn Down That Bridge
Woke Up Dreaming
Django
Just Got Paid
One Of These Days
Asking Around For You
Highwater Everywhere
You Upset Me

By Mountain Time I'd decided to move from my position midway through the venue and get a better look, and managed to get myself a metre or so from the stage. The intro to that song was spine tingling.
I was pleased to get some good photos and took some videos of Another Kind Of Love, Woke Up Dreaming and Just got Paid.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 … =698876673
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uka4aVmXH1Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf6GpVCeoJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2uF7ZsJkc8

The balance between the instruments sounded just right and Joe played a fine set that I think would have left most people extremely happy. I really enoyed the new groove on Don't Burn Down That Bridge, and Joe does sound as good live as on record. Do you sence a "but" coming?

There were long periods of instrumentation where I feel another song or two could have been played. In particular I have to say that I think one or two rockier songs would have enhanced the evening. The crowd were pretty static and I think a track such as Taking A Hit, Cradle Rock or Burning Hell may have livened the set. To my ears You Upset Me Baby is not the right final track, I would have preferred a harder hitting finale. Also I do not know why Dirt In My Pocket is not played, it is the strongest track on Sloe Gin and would have been a joy to hear live. Sorry if this sounds like nit picking but that's just my opinion.

Other issues I will mention is that as Joe's support act was ill, and as he had missed a date two day's earlier, there was time for Joe's management and the venue to have arranged an alternative support act to  be on standby should they been needed. It would have been a good opportunity for a local act to get some exposure. Also with people travelling from places such as Aberdeen to see Joe an 8 o'clock start was too early for some who missed the start of his set.

My other disappointment was with the t-shirts, I so wanted to have a souvenir but could not bring myself to purcahse any of these shirts. There were three on sale - one with the cover of Sloe Gin - yet on the back, not the front, another with a curly haired guitarist who me and my friend both thought looked far more like Jimmy Page! The third had a cartoon picture of Joe with bright red shoulder lenght hair, and on the back listed Cardiff England among the venues (Glasgow was in Scotland). but someone has not done their homework with the research and the designs were poor. Wish I could have taken the "You & Me" shirt I saw someone wearing instead!

I did enjoy seeing Joe, love his music and would definately see him again, but as an overall experience I would have to rate the concert at 7.5 out of ten, which is a slight disappointment as I so wished to give ten out of ten!

I would ask if others share my opinion of the setlist, the timing and the t-shirts. We are all fans of Joe and want to making seeing Joe the best experience it can be, which is why I felt it was neccesary to share all my feelings from that evening.

In addition, I had another thought. Imagine that?

Many people keep trying to put Joe Bonamassa in a little box (style) that fits in their closet (world). The Blues purists say he's too far away to be considered Blues. The Rock purists say he needs to do more Rock tunes because he's getting too far away. Has anyone thought that Joe fits into no style other than his own? Maybe we're all witnessing something very special. Well, I think we all know that already, but what I'm referring to is something beyond very special. Something new that can't be labeled. Can Joe play Blues? Just check out the song "Blues Deluxe". Can Joe play Rock? Go check out "Cradle Rock". Can Joe play a song that grabs you by the pit of your stomach and makes you want to weep everytime you hear it for it's sheer beauty? Then listen to "Mountain Time" done live.

I'll say this, Joe is so beyond many of the musical artists today, that he's setting a new standard in music. I think Carmine Rojas summed it up the best when he said after The Coach House Show in San Juan Capistrano. He said, "Joe plays from the heart!" And folks, regardless of what we want Joe to play or sound like just remember, he fits no mold and whatever mold was used to make Joe Bonamassa will never be used again. Just like Stevie's and just like Rory's.

Roy

I wonder if the instrumental portions were extended a bit on this show due to Joe being sick. I thought I read earlier that everyone had gotten sick early in the tour and were having a tough time getting over it.

As hard as Joe sings, that would have to be miserable. So it could be normal and someone trying to "fit it in a box" or it might be some of both.

PC