It’s not often that you turn up to see a band and get blown away by the supporting act. Otis Taylor managed just that… a seasoned veteran who was an unknown quantity to many who came to the City Hall, but he left with a legion of new admirers.
Plying a groove-laden, hard-edged Blues style, Taylor’s wonderful deep, whiskey-soaked voice and laid back style quickly won over an ever-increasing crowd during his slot. Backed by an excellent band, including his charming daughter Cassie on bass and the inspired John Richardson on guitar, Taylor put on an enthralling display. The impression he made on the crowd was evidenced by the stampede during the interval for his CD, Definition Of A Circle, on sale in the lobby. There’s no doubting that his next tour of the UK will be as the headliner.
Gary Moore has been around long enough to know exactly what his fans want and he delivered exactly what they came to see.
Hitting the stage to “Pretty Woman,” Moore delivered his fiery brand Rock-infused Blues with gusto. Armed with just his Gibson guitar and a bank of Marshall amps, Moore had no need for impressive lights or tacky gimmicks.
Drawing heavily on his excellent new album, Close As You Get, Moore treated the crowd to almost two hours of his finest Blues material. The lively shuffle of “Hard Times” contrasted brilliantly with the sublime melody of “Trouble At Home.” The latter showcasing the delicate side of Moore and featured a wonderful soaring solo of sheer class.
As well as playing his own material, Moore paid homage to his own heroes, including Sonny Boy Williamson on “Eyesight To The Blind” and the Rock ‘n’ Roll romp of Chuck Berry’s “30 Days.”
Moore even found space for Thin Lizzy’s “Don’t Believe A Word” and fans got the full ball-busting, fist-pounding Rockout version. With Lizzy’s Brian Downey currently occupying the drum stool in the band, this is just about as close as you can get to the real thing, and when he burst forth with his screaming solo, it was just like the good old days. Simply brilliant.
Moore has a rich Blues back catalog himself, and he cherry picked his finest moments, including the up-tempo “Since I Met You Baby,” the soothing “Still Got The Blues,” and the hard hitting set closer, “Walking By Myself.”
Moore and his band returned for the encores with a harmonica-toting Otis Taylor, and proceeded to rip through a harmonica/guitar duel to the delight of the audience. Closing the show with the classic “Parisian Walkways” left the night on a high, as the crowd held its breath during the “sustain” moment as Moore flashed a sly grin.
Some may bemoan Moore’s apparent neglect of his Hard Rock roots, but when you have a Blues pedigree as impressive as this and play with such conviction, few people went home disappointed after this impressive display.
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