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With the new Kevin Shirley-produced studio album not set to land until later this year, opening night on Joe Bonamassa’s 13-date UK & EU tour is a bit of a step into the unknown for his legions of fans. Then again, a typical Joe Bonamassa setlist rarely features more than a few tracks from whatever album has just been released. The last time that the avid guitar collector and Simpsons fan performed in this venue (April 2022), he performed a total of 4 tracks from his previous pair of studio albums – 2020’s ‘Royal Tea’ and the immediate 2021 follow-up ‘Time Clocks’ – and both were strong albums (‘Royal Tea’ was particularly immaculate).
With dates with Black Country Communion also looming large on the horizon, as well as 3 dates in Cork, Ireland, as part of a celebration of Rory Gallagher’s life, what would Bonamassa go with on these dates, especially since he knows that many of his fanbase have been with him for some time and now and then need a frickin’ bone thrown in their direction.
At 8 pm sharp, the house lights dim and the intro music of Bar-Kay’s 1967 classic ‘Soul Finger’ fills the auditorium as one by one the members of one of the tightest bands on the circuit today make their way through the darkness and take their places. Lastly, a single torchlight guides Joe Bonamassa to his spot centre stage, rock-solid drummer Lemar Carter counts the band in with a steady beat, and the stage explodes to life with the band powering into a recent track from the Bonamassa arsenal; ‘Hope You Realize It (Goodbye Again)’ from 2023’s ‘Blues Deluxe Vol. 2’ album.
‘Soul Finger’ is a perfect intro to the set opener as both pack an almighty groove, and with the great Reese Wynans behind the keyboards, it turns into a hip-swaying, booty-shaking slice of funk and soul (well, it would be hip-swaying and booty-shaking if it weren’t an all-seated venue). Suited and booted, Bonamassa looks as resplendent as always, and during the first of many, many incendiary solos, is throttling his red Gibson SG to within an inch of its life as the 4-minute studio version is stretched out with some impressive jamming.
It’s a simple but effective two-tiered stage production that is easy on the eye. Lemar Carter is high up centre stage with his engine-room partner, bassist Calvin Turner, to his right, along with the ever-reliable Josh Smith on guitar. To Carter’s left are the pair of Jade MacRae and Danielle De Andrea, and to merely call them backing vocalists would do them a great injustice, as they are more than that. With much of the show being quite static, they provide the movement on the night, and at times, the all-smiling pair are hypnotic to watch. Stage left is also where the fun is to be had, as both MacRae and De Andrea are constantly smiling and waving toward Reese Wynans, who is stationed a few feet below them. Ever the gentleman, Wynans is only too happy to reciprocate, and it’s always a pleasure to observe a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in action.
Bonamassa is in commanding form as he powers through the setlist of covers and original material. Aware of the fact that many in attendance would have been here a few years earlier, it’s an entirely new set, save for 2 tracks that were aired last time around: the always-stunning ‘Dust Bowl’, which gets more epic with each outing, and a stone-cold gorgeous live version of ‘The Heart That Never Waits’ from 2021’s ‘Time Clocks’. One of Bonamassa’s finest vocal performances of recent years, it sounds incredible in these settings, and with the lush vocals from MacRae and De Andrea adding some sass to the proceedings, it is just one highlight on a night of many…as is Bonamassa’s gentle, thumb-picking start to his solo mid-song which ends with the maestro ditching his trademark shades as he stands and soaks up the applause before gradually bringing the band back in for a stunning, heavier conclusion. Bonamassa is in full-on Guitar Hero mode (as he also is on the roof-shaking version of Zeppelin’s ‘How Many More Times’ that lands towards the end of the set, complete with a few moments of Free’s ‘The Hunter’ and Jeff Beck’s ‘Beck’s Bolero’).
A few of those highlights mentioned above would be a jaw-dropping run through of ‘Self Inflicted Wounds’ (where Bonamassa’s vocals take centre stage for the opening few minutes and Jade MacRae brings the house down with her stunning solo vocals later on), which serves as a perfect example of how to let a song build naturally, and the slow pacing of ‘The Last Matador Of Bayonne’ where you could hear a pin drop. Sandwiched in between these Bonamassa originals is a fun, toe-tapping cover of ‘I Want to Shout About It’ by Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters (with Josh Smith taking the first guitar solo) that helps make it 20 minutes or so to remember.
Long-term fans will know that Bonamassa very rarely speaks during a show, and it’s not until the band introductions, some 70 minutes into the set, that he finally speaks. When he does speak, he comes across as a genial host, with a great sense of humour and a glint in his eye as he jokes throughout the intros; it would seem that Jade MacRae circumnavigated the globe more times than Michael Palin to make it here for opening night. He also speaks of his fondness for the city and plays to the crowd by mentioning “I am a very busy man, we get offers from all over the globe, Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Phoenix, all over the fucking place, but I say no. I have the power of negotiation, and I say that there is no fucking way that I am starting this tour unless it is in Glasgow, Scotland!” Before wryly adding, “I would like to thank Ozempic for letting the suit fit just as it did a few years ago…that’s not a joke!”. He also mentions that he “Speaks fluent Scottish” and adds “I was in a relationship with a famous Scottish woman for 4 years [Sandi Thom] and many of my compatriots ask me how do I understand the language so I say, well, I speak fluent Scottish”.
During the band intros, the special relationship between Bonamassa and Reese Wynans is obvious for all to see as Joe asks the crowd to stand up and pay tribute to “The FUCKING legend, Reese Wynans on the keyboards!”. Cue the type of applause normally reserved for the frontman, and Joe adds, “Oh, before you sit down, I guess you can reference this name on the ticket, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it; my name is Joe Bonamassa and thank you for coming out tonight”.
He jokes during the solitary encore that “This song is the one song that people bitch and moan if we don’t play it even though we have played it a thousand times over and over and over again. It’s the one that we closed The Albert Hall with in 2009, and it’s the one that we are going to close tonight with. This song is ‘Mountain Time'”.
Bonamassa’s prowess as a guitarist has never been in doubt, and he remains peerless in his genre, but tonight was about more than that. Tonight was also about Joe Bonamassa, the band leader, Joe Bonamassa, the vocalist. And Joe Bonamassa the warm host. Of the 5 or 6 times this reviewer has caught Mr. Bonamassa in the flesh, tonight was the standout by a country mile. Hey Joe, the SEC called: they want their roof back!
JOE BONAMASSA – TOUR SCHEDULE
EUROPE TOUR 2025
April 23 – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
April 25 – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
April 26 – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
April 27 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
April 29 – Oberhausen, DE – Rudolf Weber Arena
April 30 – Munich, DE – Olympiahalle
May 2 – Prague, CR – O2 Universam
May 3 – Warsaw, PL – COS Torwar
May 6 – Hannover, DE – Zag Arena
May 8 – Frankfort, DE – Jahrhunderthalle
May 9 – Frankfort, DE – Jahrhunderthalle
May 10 – Antwerp, BE – Lotto Arena
BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION EUROPE TOUR 2025
June 6 – Fredericksburg, DK – Falkonersalen
June 7 – Solvesborg, SE – Sweden Rock Festival
June 9 – Tilburg, NL – 012 Poppodium Tilburg
June 10 – Hamburg, DE – Stadtpark
June 12 – Berlin, DE – Zitadelle
June 13 – Olomouc, CZ – Korunni Pevnustka
June 15 – Charlotta Valley, PL – Rock Legends Festival
June 17 – Vienna, AT- Vienna Gasometer
June 19 – Koln, DE – Tanzbrunnen
EUROPE SUMMER TOUR 2025
July 1 – Cork, IE – Live at The Marquee*
July 2 – Cork, IE – Live at The Marquee*
July 3 – Cork, IE – Live at The Marquee
July 6 – Klam, AT- Clam Castle
July 8 – Veszprem, HU – Veszpremfest
July 10 – Stuttgart, DE – Jazzopen Stuttgart
July 13 – Weert, NL – Bospop
July 18 – Pordenone, IT – San Valentino Park
July 19 – Rome, IT – Auditorium Parco della Musica – Cavea
* Sold Out
US SUMMER TOUR 2025
July 31 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
August 1 – Paso Robles, CA – Vina Robles Amphitheatre
August 3 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater*
August 5 – Airway Heights, WA – BECU Live at Northern Quest
August 6 – Pocatello, ID – Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre
August 8 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 9 – Albuquerque, NM – Sandia Resort & Casino Amphitheater
FALL 2025
September 12, 2025 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond Festival
September 13 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
September 15-21, 2025 – Seattle, WA – Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea ALASKA
Visit http://www.jbonamassa.com for more information.
Review – Dave
All images – Callum Scott
