Concert Review

​

Climax Blues Band - 13 October 2018

+Big Wolf Band 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Live at CornMarket Blues Raven Hall Corby.

Welcome to CornMarket Blues for another night of classic blues and blues rock organised once again by the two promoters, Dave Morse and Richard Boyles forever providing music and entertainment. Big Wolf Band are guitar/vocals Jonathon Earp, Mick Jeynes bass, Paul Brambani keys, and Tim Jones drums. This Midlands four piece formed in 2014 and have established themselves as one of the must-see blues rock bands on the circuit; their debut album Rebels Story was the number one blues album in the Amazon charts and getting played on Paul Jones BBC radio two radio programme hasn’t done them any them harm either. Having seen their video on YouTube I was really looking forward to seeing them. They draw their influences from all the greats: Peter Green, Hendrix, Garry Moore and Freddie King among them, but with all original songs and great energy on stage they have their own distinctive style, with the wonderful blues growl of Jonathon’s voice but also very sweet when it needs to be; along with his excellent guitar skills all four musicians gel brilliantly together. Showcasing most of the debut album, which I will be reviewing very soon, and a couple from a new album to be released next year they played a mix of classic blues and blues rock which the audience loved. They have headlined many of their own shows and shared the stage with Stevie Nimmo, Chantel McGregor, Leon Hendrix, and the Move; with a brilliant cover of Freddie Kings Going Down as an encore it was a great start to the evening.

The headliners tonight needed no introduction The Climax Blues Band have been around now for half a century in one incarnation or another playing blues in their own inimitable style. The band are now the two long surviving members George Glover Keyboards, and Lester Hunt guitar, Neil Simpson bass, and completing the line up the two newest members Chris “Beebe” Aldridge and the charismatic vocalist Graham Dee. Graham immediately apologising for not having the new album available for sale due to powers beyond their control but promised to all the audience that they would be first to receive it after leaving their email addresses after the show, a lovely thing to do guys. They were also along with many oldies were going to be playing most of the songs from the new album Hands of Time. Their new material is more soul and funk in my opinion rather the blues, but it still didn’t take away any of the musicianship from the individual performers, Graham forever air guitaring or keyboard mimicking the band all night, Graham’s personality and stage presence is brilliant a slice of comedy along with a voice to die for: he will keep this band going for many more years to come I’m sure. He didn’t take over the stage either as many front men do, he stepped back a few times to show off the talents of both Lester and a wonderful keyboard solo from George, falling in love with the smell of a towel as he mopped his brow and asking the audience if they wanted to sniff it was just great to witness and his interaction with the audience all night was pure professionalism. The encore was always going to be Couldn’t Get It Right, which was made even more entertaining by the courage of thirty year old Harry who approached the stage and sang the words perfectly in a mini duet with Graham and the way he smiled and looked at the young man said it all, yes the band may have been around for years but the appeal for both young and old is still obviously apparent. The band are headlining HRH Blues in April next year at the O2 Academy Sheffield and I look forward to seeing them again.

 

Review by Dave Martin & pics by Carol Henson (aka LadyGigger).

​

http://jacemedia.co.uk/2018/10/big-wolf-band-the-climax-blues-band-50th-anniversary/