The City Varieties Music Hall was established in 1865 as a room over a pub for the working class. It is a living, breathing homage to the music hall era. You can feel it, hear it, even smell it. If you stop, take a breath and listen, she’ll tell you the story of the stars who have performed on her stage over the years and tonight that star is Joanne Shaw Taylor.
Joanne Shaw Taylor is no stranger to performing in Leeds having played at the Brudenell a few times and also the Wardrobe with the much missed Bernie Marsden. The last time she was due to play in Leeds was 2020, but that tour never got as far as Leeds as it was derailed by the Pandemic. So a four year wait and she is back and for that we have to be grateful. This is the third date on the tour and as she steps out onto the stage opening with ‘In the Mood’ from her previous album ‘Reckless Heart’, you know it’s going to be an epic night. Joanne is on fire from the word go, no slow build up here. We are hit by some serious guitar work and the honky tonk piano from Phil Whitfield really adds to the vibe. ‘Keep on Loving Me’, the Otis Rush cover which was on her excellent 2021 ‘The Blues Album’ is up next. A slight lowering of the tempo and we have the lovely ‘All of My Love’ from ‘Reckless Heart’ and the honky tonk piano is back.
After a quick public service announcement from Joanne about the stage at the City Varieties which slopes towards the audience and the fact that she may fall into the front row at some point. The next song Joanne said was her favourite ballad ‘If you Gonna Make a Fool of Somebody’, the tone and feeling Joanne gets from her guitar makes you really feel the song, tearful stuff indeed. Channelling the Albert King in her we have the brilliant ‘Can’t You See What Your Doing to Me’. An old JST classic ‘Dying to Know’ got everyone clapping along before we got a new song. ‘Wild Love’ is that song from ‘Heavy Soul’ which is out on the 7th June and what a tune it is, really looking forward to the new release on the strength of this. ‘Nobody’s Fool’ was a brilliant album and ‘Won’t Be Fooled Again’ which was next was one of my favourites on it, I so love this song, the grove and that smouldering guitar that only Joanne plays and those lovely runs, pure magic.
A quick switch of guitar to the Les Paul for the heavy Blues Shuffle that is ‘Watch and Burn’, wow unbelievable. The dirtiest, meanest blues that the City Varieties has ever heard. You don’t want to mess with this girl. The song goes on forever and this isn’t a bad thing, the intensity is immense, I am in Blues Heaven. A huge standing ovation from the packed City Varieties really showed how this got to everyone that was there and the person who shouted “Not Bad That” in typical Yorkshire fashion really summed it up perfectly. ‘Diamonds in the Dirt’ from Joanne’s second album is so damn funky with a slow groove, giving the feeling of a late night blues club, Joanne’s Smokey vocal and soulful Hammond playing mixing into one beautiful smooth cocktail.
Due to a medical emergency that happened in the crowd we had an impromptu Q&A session with Joanne taking questions from the audience. With a really funny tale about an Albert Collins guitar that Joanne saw for sale but couldn’t afford, she mentioned it to Joe Bonamassa who said he would go back with her and get the price down. This he did, but then kept the guitar for himself. Some years later when Joanne mentioned this to Joe’s dad, she received a text from him asking for her address and a replacement one arrived soon after.
Medical Emergency over, Joanne picks up her acoustic guitar and the beautiful song that is ‘Fade Away’, which was written about her Mum who she lost some 10 years ago at the young age of 57 and this was written like a letter too her. Joanne sings with so much passion. Utter brilliance giving me goosebumps as I listen to it. Joanne then says she has been waiting for this moment all night, when she brings a special guest onto the stage her little sister as she calls her Chantel McGregor. ‘Stop Messing Around’ is the song with a guitar dual the like of which the City Varieties has never seen. This moment was worth the ticket price alone, two of the best current generation of blues players there are.
‘Bad Love’ ends the set with more of that dirty guitar playing Joanne does so well. The audience certainly won’t let her leave that soon and a huge clapping of hands and stomping of feet have Joanne return for one last song the rip roaring ‘Going Home’. What a night it has been and what a fabulous band she has, Eric Savage on drums, Phil Whitfield on Hammond and keys, Joey Spina on guitar and Steven Lehane on bass, over way too soon.
And the story tonight was definitely that Joanne Shaw Taylor is back stronger than ever and that in it’s one hundred and fifty plus years, the City Varieties will have never heard a guitar battle like the likes of which we witnessed tonight between Joanne Shaw Taylor and Chantel McGregor. What a night!
Photos by David Pickles
