Joe Bonamassa - Hammersmith Apollo

A beautiful day to take in the sounds and sights of the capital on an early Spring day. Enough of all that and back to the business in hand. That business being Joe Bonamassa 'The Guitar Event of the Year' 4 consecutive shows at the Hammersmith Apollo. I suspected that there would be a lot of songs from his latest album '"Different Shades of Blue" as well as some from the Muddy Wolf at Red Rocks release expected shortly. Tonight he is surrounded by a very tight 8 piece band including a horn section, he and his band lock in seamlessly in perfect harmony. The set started with a Jimi Hendrix cover 'Hey Baby' (New Rising Sun). If there’s downside to tonight’s show it’s simply that for all the great playing, pristine arrangements, and jammed out spark, it’s light on memorable songs. There are some songs that the fans always expect to hear from Joe Bonamassa, so it’s no surprise that at the end of the set “Sloe gin” and “Ballad of John Henry” make an appearance to end the show. Plenty of cheering ensured that the band came back out to do one final song – “All aboard” with special guest Bernie Marsden before the night was sadly over.

 Full Set List

•  Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) Jimi Hendrix cover
• Oh Beautiful
• Never Give All your Heart
• Hidden Charms (Howlin Wolf cover)
• Living On The Moon
• Trouble Town
• Double Trouble (Otis Rush cover)
• I Gave Up Everything For You, 'Cept The Blues
• Look Over Yonders Wall (Freddie King Cover)
• One Less Cross To Bear
• All night Boogie (All Night Long) Howlin Wolf cover
• Someday After A While (Freddie King cover)
• Love Aint A Song
• Sloe Gin (Tim Curry cover)
• The Ballad Of John Henry)

Encore

•  All Aboard (Muddy Waters cover) with Bernie Marsden.

Lonely The Brave - Leicester Academy (The Scholar)

The Scholar is actually the third music place at the O2 Academy Leicester. It is an intimate venue with a capacity of 250 with a small stage not ideal for great viewing if not close up. It was good to see LTB again after watching them support Deaf Havana at Coventry before Christmas. I actually thought LTB were the best band on the night by far. So it was good to see them doing a much more extensive set list as headliners. Hailing from Cambridge LTB are a five piece band and have released the album 'The Days War'. Judging on tonight's performance the band are going from strength to strength and destined for bigger things. Hard to pigeon hole their style, I notice that their Facebook page has them down as 'Doom Pop'. Really good atmosphere at Leicester which didn't go unnoticed by the band who stated it was one of their top gigs. Most of the talking is left to guitarist Paul Trotter who you will see me photographed with later. The actual ;Lead Singer 'Paul Jakes' is something of a mystery man. Happy to assume a role out of the limelight towards the rear of stage side on to the crowd. It doesn't matter though and gives him that air of mystique. He has the voice to back it up as well with comparisons to Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam obvious.

Larry Miller - Fibbers York

A quick turn around to see the unique Larry Miller and the unique showmanship he brings to each performance. Not quite sure we ended going to the York venue when he is is in Bilston in a few weeks? It was a long journey but one that was well worth making as the venue was excellent. First band were the very impressive 'The Mentulls'. A trio of young musicians that can play a bit, hailing from Guisborough North Yorkshire’s The Mentulls are – Andrew Pipe on guitar and vocals, his brother Jamie on Keyboard’s and Nick Colman on drums. They are definitely not purely a blues band, there are prog and classic rock elements to this mix that make the band pretty unusual as well as unusually good. Speaking to Andrew afterwards he was telling me that his biggest guitar influences were Martin Barre (Jethro Tull) and Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash). A very similar set list to that we saw at Kettering before Christmas with a mixture of his own song and a few covers. Once again we were treated to the epic 'Walking on hot coals' by Rory Gallagher. I was talking to Derek the Bass guitarist pre-gig and he was telling me there are plans to do a whole album of Rory Gallagher covers. Playing live there was a wariness that he would become better known as a tribute band rather than an artist in his own right. due toa nightclub curfew it meant that the show had to finish at 10:30pm which didn't sit well with Larry. He would be happy to play all night i'm sure and did manage to sneak in an extra encore. At one stage he explained that he was being very professional tonight and not talking as much in between to get as many songs in as possible. It was a great night but just a shame that there were only about 120 or so who turned out to see two excellent bands.

An Evening With Bernie Keith - Derngate Northampton

It speaks volumes as to the popularity of BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith that this show was sold out in less than 2 hours. Also that he should wish to share his Birthday with his listeners. Not only that but the biggest house in the history of this wonderful old theatre turned out for this one off extravaganza. I struggled for a ticket and rather fortunately procured a seat at the back of the Upper Circle. I say seat it was more of an eyrie perched on the north face of the Eiger! My companion Kevin lives in Oxfordshire and found it difficult to imagine any of the radio presenters in that area receiving the same kind of adulation and following as Bernie. We did take the opportunity to pop onto the stage for a quick photo against the safety curtain backdrop. The atmosphere was building nicely as 7:45 approached unfortunately it all got a bit too much for the lady on the row in front who had a funny turn. She managed to get to the end of the aisle before being violently sick! Perhaps it was the excitement of seeing Bernie or maybe as I suspect a case of altitude sickness we will never know. But the show must go on as they say and by the second half, after the interval you could hardly smell anything after all the foot traffic. Bernie had mentioned on the radio in the run up to the show just how nervous he was getting at the very mention of the show. He had even had a strong word with his underwear warning that they were in for a busy old night. He need not of worried as from the word go he had the rapturous crowd in the palm of his hand. Regaling us with tales from his childhood and his love of the radio and broadcasting right through to a graphic account of his recent prostate examination... It certainly was a full and frank no holds barred 'warts and all' account of his life and the crowd loved every minute of it. Also on stage with Bernie was another Radio Northampton Broadcaster 'Rob Adcock' who was Ernie Wise to Bernie's Eric Morecambe. We were promised the odd unexpected guest and certainly got one in the shape of 'Benedict'. Certainly caused a bit of a stir with the ladies and not least Bernie.. Not to be outdone we also got to see 'Riley' Bernie's Miniature Shcnauzer. It was a lovely gesture that everyone also got a cake during the interval as well. The second half was an open house of audience questions with priority given to those willing to stand up and ask. Naturally I had one up my sleeve and thankfully a microphone was soon on hand to assist. Quite often when Bern mentions me tongue in cheek on the show he tells me that i'll never get anywhere with two Christian names. So I asked him long with the likes of Elton, Cliff and George how having two Christian names had enhanced his career? Not sure he totally answered the question but who cares. It was a hilarious night and Bernie got a thoroughly deserved standing ovation and everyone went home very happy.

Frosty Summerleys

Summerleys Nature Reserve is always worth a visit whatever the weather. Although this particular early January day was particularly cold with an air frost. It did make for some interesting photos though. The circular route is about 2 miles and only takes about an hour or so. One of the bird hides in particular is always well stocked with feed and attracts a good variety of hedgerow birds. Today we saw many Chaffinches, Tree Sparrows, Blue Tits, Great Tits, GreenFinches, Reed Buntings and probably best of all six Bullfinches both male and female.

The Cotswold Way -Dursley to Wootton Under Edge

Nothing better than to blow away a few Christmas cobwebs and get some healthy fresh air down in The Cotswolds (although I have done 2 x 20 mile plus bike rides, been swimming and to the gym). An 'old' cricketing friend of mine Geoff 'Biff' O'Dell is walking the entire 102 mile stretch of The Cotswold Way, although not in one go due to time constraints. In fact it is turning into years rather than days.. It was back in the Summer that we planned to do stretch together and was something I was much looking forward to. It is a 102 mile journey starting (or ending) in Chipping Camden and ending in Bath but mainly covering the county of Gloucestershire. It closely follows the scarp of the Cotswold Edge, with views mainly to the north and west; starting in the south with the Severn Estuary and Severn bridges the Forest of Dean, the Welsh hills of Monmouthshire and the Black Mountains on the Welsh border to the west. Today's walk from the Golf Course at Dursley to Wootton Under Edge is approximately 7.3 miles. Although we planed to do a circular route back to the car purely for interest. Leaving Dursley, the Cotswold Way climbs steeply up onto Stinchcombe Hill. The best views here are to found by taking the longer route around the perimeter of the hill. The Trail then descends through woodland into farmland and follows a track into the village of North Nibley. From here there is another steep ascent to the Tyndale Monument. The Tynedale Monument is the sort of thing I love to discover. Not least because it has a spiral staircase of some 121 steps that you can climb to the top to admire stunning views. The Tyndale Monument is a tower built on a hill at North Nibley. It was built in honour of William Tyndale, a translator of the New Testament, who is believed to have been born at North Nibley. The route levels out across grassland and through woodland leading onto Wotton Hill. There you will find a curious walled enclosure surrounding trees planted in 1815 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo, the Trail then descends into the town of Wotton-Under-Edge. A perfect place to sit, relax and enjoy the view, something of a Zen moment you might say. Admittedly on the route back we went a bit 'off piste' some might even say lost. But id didn't matter at all, it wasn't cold as such and the scenery was breathtaking. What struck me was the amazing late afternoon light that had a reddish hue against the backdrop of the woods. It was there that a young Fallow Deer ambled out into the open country.

Deaf Havana - Kasbah Coventry

This was an unusual gig for me and in truth I was a late substitute for someone caught up with the pre- Christmas festivities. So the chance of a new venue and something a bit different was too good to be turned down (especially as the ticket was free). The main act 'Deaf Havana' I was familiar with although I was not over impressed with most of what I had heard. Described as Alternative Rock they were formed in 2005 in Kings Lynn.

I was much more impressed by the guitar-driven five piece band from Cambridge 'Lonely The Brave' who I think have a big future. There are lots of different influences in their music from heavy and hardcore to a more proggy feel. They are unusual in that their singer 'Paul Jakes' is happy to stay out of the limelight 'side on' towards the back of the stage.