Review by Paul H Birch, photos by Haluk Gurer & Chud Photo
Things are running late, with no apparent rush for the event to begin. However, impressive as this venue is since it’s been done out, there aren’t that many toilet facilities here and I foresee problems with the number of those imbibing alcohol already forcing rows of people to stand so they can go back and forwards collecting ever more booze. The Doobie Brothers’ Minute By Minute album is going through its second run through over the PA and it never sounded more apt.
Eventually a casually dressed couple strap on a bass and guitar and declare: “What a joy it is to open for Joanne.” This then is Ferris & Sylvester, who it transpires are a married couple, and will later joke about contemplating of they should change the group name to their now singular family one. Odd then that they open with a number called ‘Dark Side’ that could well be about an affair. Archie Sylvester plays a dirty boogie riff adding harmonies to Issy Ferris’s lead vocals and deep bottomed bass on this one, while there are also effects driven percussion assistance coming from somewhere. The overall impression at this point is that there’s a mingling of folk and blues akin to early When Rivers Meet. That will change as the evening progresses but already we’re aware of their keen observational lyrics as the 50s beat pastiche of ’(I Think You Look) Better In Yellow’ further verifies.
They’re laidback, cast knowing glances at each other while sharing their personal life with us, mentioning they became parents not long ago. That they then perform a number called ‘Mother’ that begins sweetly but takes on something of an epic nature, and far from expressing the doting parental concerns they’ve just discussed gets incredibly ominous, coming on like a cross between Suzanne Vaga’s ‘My Name Is Lukka’ and aspects of Supertramp’s ‘Rudy’ in its drama. My jaw wants to drop. As the days follow and I check the track out properly online it does.
Removing her bass, he picking up an acoustic and coming across to her, they share her hand mic as he picks out the chords to ‘Flying Visit’ an intimate number about tentative decisions to move in together. Following on their life story chronologically we get the country rock of ‘Lucky Night’, and for the final number ‘London’s Blues’ where ragtime jazz and a little boogie aren’t afraid to sit side-by-side musically.
Amiable and interesting live, with great harmonies, and certainly astute in their lyrical observations, I will take a deep dive into Ferris & Sylvester’s back catalogue in the days that follow this show.
Again, folk are moving about armed with drinks or needing to relieve themselves and a few miffed faces are beginning to appear on those having to let them pass along the row of stalls. As The Rolling Stones’ ‘Gimme Shelter’ seeps out through the PA, on walks Joanne Shaw Taylor’s band and everyone tries to return to their seats causing even more of a kerfuffle – While blow me if it isn’t yet another new line-up taking up their positions on stage – at least to these eyes – and they’re all relatively young.
There’s a blond female who’ll also handle backing vocals sitting behind the drum kit, who I believe is Kaylene Career. Neatly hirsute Shane Sanders takes up second guitar and slide, Ty Bailie is on keyboards, and hat-touting bass player Chris Alexander looks vaguely familiar. Miss Taylor herself comes on dressed in a black suit heavy on gold embossing that might be a little Nashville in conception but owes a fair bit to Jimmy Page’s iconic dragon suit, especially so reminiscent when she kicks a leg out or raises her guitar aloft – But what that six string does in the first instance, is get down to business by wailing away intensely.
As she steps up the mic her voice comes out raw and loud, her right hand punching away hard at her guitar laying into ‘Stop Messin’ Round’, and this is pretty much how tonight’s gonna play out – Plugging back into the blues, sidestepping her more recent soulful outings. Bailie’s piano solo gives ways to those same hands on organ before the lady upfront let’s rip herself and the number ends with some mighty applause.
Hands gripped round the mic or gesticulating, her guitar hung loose round her neck while others play on, she sings out the 12 bar stomp ‘Hell Of A Good Time’, dipping her hands down to play its signature riff and solos. Still no introductions we scooter into ‘Sweet ‘Lil Lies’ but a brasher road-driven blues rock rendition, but the chorus line where other join in harmony reminding us just how sweet its original is, all while I keep watching that right hand of hers; rhythmic but not robotic more like a surgeon working with assured precision.
“Thank you very much!” she exclaims tossing her hair back off her face, “I was really looking forward to this gig more than any other on the tour as it’s so close to home,” so much so we’ll later learn her father’s in the audience. Expressing her love for The Fabulous Thunderbirds we get ‘Two Times My Lovin’’ and its bolshy with added levity and humour – Shrugging and shuffling within its blues rock framework, she and Sanders playing in harmony at one point, her own second solo particularly impressive as she fleshes out many an ornate trill while roaming about the stage, relentless in its pacing before reaching an impressive climax.
Band members clicking their fingers alongside the clickety-click of Career’s drum rim playing, Taylor finger picks the shifting melody of ‘Dyin’ To Know’ out, to her right there’s Sanders on slide soloing away before she elicits a frothy combination of high notes then proceeds to shred the whole of her fretboard. Some heavy and evocative rhythm ‘n blues comes our way with ‘Wicked Love’ pinching out expressive notes between the chopping swing of chords, with more strong band harmonies and Bailie adding empowering arrangements as the number develops.
On changing her guitar, she calls out “Excuse me for a minute,” before turning her back to blow her nose and take a sip of something or other, then explaining they’ve not long returned from Alaska. If she’s a strong cold, it doesn’t show in her singing voice. Then, asking if anyone hasn’t seen her live before I’m surprised by the number who raise their hands, before going onto explain how she’s a big fan of Harry Potter, declares her long time love for Kevin Costner, and local lad Robert Plant too, before going into a little tirade about hating making videos and why the lack of Costner for ‘Wild Love’ means she’s not going to play it tonight. Our loss, but she’s got a strong batch of music to choose from regardless and with a Byrds-like jangle from her guitar the lovely reflective ‘Grayer Shade Of Blue’ begins but so does potential trouble – A row in front centrally, a particularly heavy drinker during tonight’s proceedings is flapping his arms about in the air, the song obviously a favourite track of his, only he proceeds to pass along the aisle tipsy plastic glassed pint in hand and head to the front of the stage. The usher says something but doesn’t prevent him. Taylor catching sight of him strategically moves back as he prances about singing. His enthusiasm’s misplaced as two security guards arrive, gently easing him away, some minor arguments ensue to the side of me before he’s removed from the venue. A shame. I felt there could be some trouble because of the late start and drinking. Alas, this is just the wrong venue and audience for that kind of cocktail.
On stage there’s another guitar change and a good old fashioned battering behind the drum kit as some heavy and intense R ‘n B burst out as cathartic release, a pause, then some rather epic kaleidoscopic blues resonating round the room as ‘Look What I’ve Become’ ensues. Again, she holds her mic as she sings out passionately with the repetitive nature of the chorus delivered like a harmonic group mantra. She eases into a solo that creaks out slowly as if in weary pain before screaming wildly in anguish via sustained high notes being struck before her fingers race in delirium about the fretboard. It’s emotional, intense, a high point.
By contrast, her guitar intro to George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ could poorly be described as blues befitting a ballet. Slow and strident once she actually begins to sing, her voice raw but soaring high, the only musical embellishments coming from the piano. It’s another brownie point scored.
The Joanne Shaw Taylor Band now go for broke on the home run. Guitars thwack away on an incessant riff, everyone punching their weight on ‘Wanna Be My Lover’ – As the drums hit out on one particular roll it’s a cue; Taylor, kicking out her legs, hair flailing about, she solos with a rock ‘n roll edge, extending it while remaining fluidly inventive, and the large applause that follows is admirably due. Another guitar change, and her cover of ‘Wild Is The Wind’ has an almost psyched-folk flavour – Her vocals become even more sandpaper raw on the intense and impassioned that follows – Early on her guitar becomes imbued with the intonation of Cream-era Clapton and vintage Santana, before soloing with equal measures of venom and despair evoking the sustained heart-wrenching of Paul Kossoff. Head raised, eyes closed, her fingers continue to attack that guitar in her hands, erupting into a wall of furious sound. Keyboards move from semi-classical piano to more sombre jazzy rolling blues, the band as whole joining to offer a widescreen cinematic presentation, then there’s old school boogie romping as band introductions are made. ‘Black Magic’ leans into a heavy boogie approach, Sanders’ slide given full rein, Bailie articulating on organ, Taylor soling with finesse.
A familiar discussion about how covid looked like it was going to put an end to live music is expressed, but it appears to be one war creative types are now turning round as the last number ‘Watch ‘Em Burn’ stomps out loud and clear, stalking away like some lost Free classic, a guitar solo primed to attack before slowing down then echoing away in triplet fury as she saunters about the stage. The number takes on an epic length, and I’m all for it. That they then leave the stage, less so, but they come back to encore.
Tonight, Joanne Shaw Taylor and her band have poured out the blues in a defiant and proud manner, but we’re now offered ‘Change Of Heart’ from the Heavy Soul album – “My happy song” she declares and this soulful lullaby with its lingering melodies still buzzing round in our heads take us home safely through the night.
