Gig Review
Stevie 'West' Weston & the Bluesonics
Saturday, 7 February 2009:
To celebrate ten years of Bluesnights we had great pleasure in hosting a return visit by Stevie 'West' Weston & the Bluesonics, featuring Stevie (vocals/harp); Mike Thorne (drums), Orlando Shearer (double bass) and Chris Corcoran (guitar). What should have been a sell-out gig was, thanks to heavy snowfall and icy roads, a two-thirds capacity audience. Nevertheless, having braved some of the worst weather conditions in South Dorset for twenty years, the crowd were up for some high energy Chicago-style blues - which the band were happy to deliver!
This new line-up were very tight and fluid, kicking off with “Chicken Shack” a swinging blues that immediately established their ‘signature’ sound. Muddy Water's “Catfish Blues” got an excellent treatment. The guitar riff benefited from some light tremolo effect, whilst Stevie's excellent vocals were topped off by a lovely flourish on the harp. “Red Headed Woman”, an up-tempo foot-tapper, scored well with the Bluesnights’ audience.
Note: Click thumbnail to view full artist image.
Photo credit: Tom Hopkins.
... continued
The second set opener “House Rocking Boogie” was a very fast paced jazz/swing tune, giving each of the musos an opportunity to solo, and making it an extended number. Superb original R’n’B with a Mexican flavour on “Bring It on Home”, featured Chris on guitar, and went down well with the crowd! The real humdinger of the night was the band’s rendition of “C.C.Rider”. Mike provided an insistent and hypnotically rhythmic drum pattern; Orlando's driving bass and Chris' guitar fills kept the whole thing motoring along; add in the vocals and harp and it was very tight - absolutely brilliant!
For the encore they performed two numbers: S.B.Williamson's “Checking On My Baby”, very good, and then a superb up-tempo instrumental! An excellent Bluesnight indeed, hugely enjoyed by the audience and which could only have been improved if each number had been introduced. When this happens it really does create a closer rapport with the audience. Stevie 'West' Weston & the Bluesonics produced a hugely enjoyable 'live blues - up close and personal' performance in celebration of Bluesnight's 10th anniversary!
Review by: Lewis A Harris.
© Bluesnights. The Dorset Blues Society.
7 February 2009.
