In Review: Joe Bonamassa @ Perth Concert Hall – 9/25/2016

by Hurb Jephasun

September 25, 2016

The evening began with a half-hour set from Brisbane-born singer-songwriter Sinead Burgess. As is usually the case for support acts, sadly, the venue was only two thirds full for her performance, but those who had arrived early were captivated by her powerful voice and well-crafted songs. The highlight was a song she had recently written in California, Hills On Fire.

After a brief interval the now capacity crowd erupted as the lights dimmed and the man himself hit the stage, Stratocaster in hand, before launching into This Train. Backed by a band consisting of such notable musicians as keyboard player Reese Wynans (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Double Trouble) and drummer Anton Fig (29-year veteran of The Late Show With David Letterman), Joe Bonamassa displayed complete mastery of his instrument, combining blistering solos with more atmospheric moments such as in Blues Of Desperation. In an age where it increasingly appears that a great number of guitarists rely on banks of effects pedals to obtain their signature 'sound', it was refreshing to note Bonamassa's decided lack of effects, relying instead on technique and tone - not to mention an enviable collection of guitars - to showcase his impressive skills.

Bonamassa and band kept their audience enthralled through songs such as No Good Place For The Lonely and Drive, from his 2016 album Blues Of Desperation, highlighting a versatile vocal style in addition to his considerable guitar chops. Pausing for some banter with the adoring crowd, he pointed out that Perth was "about as far away from fucking home as possible" and introduced his band, which included Australian backing vocalists Mahalia Barnes and Gary Pinto.

I hadn’t had much to do with his music prior to walking into the venue, but I walked out feeling like a portion of my life has been wasted by not acknowledging this man’s greatness, and his influence on the blues/rock genre. Interestingly, despite having twelve studio albums, half of Bonamassa’s setlist consisted of covers of other artists’ songs, such as Led Zeppelin, Betty Davis, and B.B King. Normally, this would have been boring, seeing another dude cover another Zeppelin song is not an uncommon occurrence, after all. But, somehow, there was nothing stale about Friday night’s show.

Then it was back to action with Bonamassa delivering more wailing, soulful guitar solos before stepping back from the mic so that Mahalia Barnes could take over the vocal duties for a version of I'll Take Care Of You from his 2011 collaboration with Beth Hart. The scorching set continued on before finishing with Boogie Woogie Woman, which highlighted Wynans' breathtaking piano playing, and crowd favourite Hummingbird.

His audience had not had enough, however. Bonamassa and co were soon back on stage for an encore performance of Three Times A Fool, featuring a blistering drum solo from Fig, before finally leaving the stage to a thunderous standing ovation.

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