Walter Trout & Band
Wylam Brewery
Exhibition Park
Newcastle upon Tyne
UK

2018-11-29

Walter's well documented, recent years are almost a blueprint for the business he's in. He's suffered some unimaginably tough times but, not only survived, come back stronger and hungrier than ever...and with all the more appreciation of life as a consequence. No matter how bad a day you're having, the chances are Walter's had worse.

I've seen him play a few times following his recovery. For me, he keeps getting better and better. Last saw him in the summer and was...impressed. Even though it's not that long ago since I last saw him, it would have been ridiculous to pass up another chance to see him when he's playing on my doorstep. Plus, he's playing Wylam Brewery...fabulous establishment and creators of some fine, fine ales. Blues rock & beer...lawdy, mama.

Packed house (about 300 people), initially entertained by Wille & the Bandits. Cornish blues/rock trio, led by Wille Edwards on vocals/guitar/slide. Went down very well with the locals, many of whom seemed keen to catch them again when they play the Cluny in March.

And so to the main event...

Walter's gigs run to a kind of format. I say kind of, because he almost always throws a few things in to make each show unique and take it to that next level. So, yes, he kicked off with "I Can Tell", had the "Battlescars" section and such like, interspersed with a few favourites from bygone days (all of which were...first rate). But, then he's always looking ahead these days. "Me, My Guitar and the Blues" from his upcoming album got an airing. Terrific slow blues...fabulous touch & tone. Then, there are the jam sessions. We got two. One with Wille Edwards; another with local lad Mitch Laddie, the combination of which took a very good gig up to being a great experience. Season all this with Walter's top notch side guns and...you come away feeling good about life.

This was as good as I've seen him play. Set tipped over the two hour mark but, we could have happily watched him play two hours more.

Go see him. He deserves the support and you'll come away feeling better than when you went in. I, for one, am eagerly anticipating the new album (due early next year). Perhaps we should all also consider carrying organ donor cards.

Here's what floated my boat during the course of the evening:

01 I can tell
02 Life In The Jungle
03 Me, My Guitar And The Blues
04 Ride �til We�re Satisfied
05 Almost Gone
06 Cold, Cold Ground
07 I�m Gonna Go The Distance
08 Jam In E
09 The Blues Came Calling
10 Playing Hideaway
11 Please, Take Me Home
12 Lord, Have Mercy
13 Serve Me Right To Suffer
14 Going Down
15 Encore Break
16 Bullfrog Blues

Walter Trout - guitar & vocals
Johnny Griparic - bass
Michael Leasure - drums
Teddy 'Zig Zag' Andreadis - keys, harp
Andrew Elt - guitar & vocals

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SP-CMC-4U >
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Sound Forge Pro 10 >
Trader's Little Helper (level 8) >
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