Bonamassa Impresses At The Calling Festival

"In theory, Joe Bonamassa isn't at all right for this type of environment. His music works best indoors when he's in control. But, the man really impresses here with a presentation that straddles blues, rock, jam sessions and sheer bloody good songs. His band is so damn powerful and creative that they keep everyone spellbound for an hour. And Bonamassa himself, while clearly no frontman, is relaxed and at the top of his game.

The set rides along at a comfortable pace, with Oh Beautiful setting the scene for a forceful run. At times this is a throwback to the early 70s at Glasto, when bands would engage as much in jamming as they did in playing structured sets. This is particularly obvious during The Ballad Of John Henry, when Bonamassa even breaks out a theramin to great effect.

More than anyone else, Bonamassa might have won over a lot of new fans today, and this is the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the day"

~Classic Rock Magazine