One of the most appealing and enjoyable aspects of a Walter Trout gig is effectively you get a ‘two for the price of one’ experience. The first is clearly an impeccable exhibition of both blues and rock guitar and then the equally intriguing rock anecdotes which serve to embrace and endear his audience even more into the world of someone who is frequently cited (with just cause) as being one of the finest musicians anywhere on this, or any other, planet.
Anecdotally, we get to hear of the time he wanted to get away from the terrifying and traumatic life he was embroiled in as a child and suggested to his brother they jump on a train to Philly, only to be dissuaded by his more sensible elder pronouncing it would be somewhat crazy for them to arrive there in their pyjamas!!! This being the intro to the title track of 2022’s ‘Ride’. Then the life defining conversation with B.B. King as a 14-year-old which led to the career he still has (Thank you BB). The first encounter with Big Mama Thornton who only wanted to employ him if he could play like B.B.
Little did she know that wasn’t going to be too much of a problem for the man to emulate his hero. So much so that BMT, and several other fine musicians, used him as a sidesman for several years in the seventies.
I last saw Walter at the’ Engine Shed’ in Lincoln in the UK in 2017 three years after his liver transplant and remarkably he delivered impeccably then despite having suffered brain damage and having had to learn to play and walk and talk again so tonight was again something to really look forward to.
‘I Can Tell’ kicked off the next one hour and forty minutes of some of the finest blues and rock music anyone is ever likely to hear and made even more enjoyable by his impeccable and truly excellent band comprising Richard T. Bear on organ, Michael Leasure on drums, John Avila on bass and son Jon Trout on guitar.
The bluesy ‘I got a feeling’ followed and then the first of the anecdotes about meeting B.B. and the complimentary tribute ‘Say goodbye to the Blues’. Next the title track ‘Ride’ from 2022’s album of the same name was anecdotal about ‘escaping’ with his brother.
We then heard that the ‘We’re all in this together’ album was jammed with several high caliber musicians and Walter decided it was going to be released ‘whether good or shit’. (It certainly wasn’t the latter so if you haven’t go out, listen, and then buy it). This gave son Jon the opportunity to play what had been Joe Bonamassa’s part on the title track and boy did he prove what a fine guitar player he is too.
We were then let into Walter’s thoughts on how the world to him was a broken place and how writing the lyrics to the current single ‘Broken’ became too much for him and he felt really awkward so couldn’t do it. Thankfully wife Marie then helped out with the lyrics and Walter sings it with Beth Hart on the current single. The album being released on the 1st of March.
Walter then gave an impassioned plea for everyone to become an organ donor as a result of him having his life saving liver transplant in 2014.
‘Red Sun’ gave every band member the opportunity to showcase their respective impeccable talents which proved that there can’t be many better musicians plying their trade out there than they are.
A brief goodbye and then swift return giving us ‘Going Down’ as an encore came far too soon but there’s a firm promise to be back, and it certainly can’t be too soon.
Finally on behalf of Walter please get those organ donor cards completed!!!!!
With Thanks to Annie Johnsson Publicity & Gerrard Allman Events for the media accreditation
Review by Paul Diggins
Images Mark Diggins
Gallery
