It’s another trip to the walled city of York, usually it’s for beer but this time it’s for something that’s been rare of late, a gig in this fantastic city. As seated venues go I don’t mind the Barbican, the seating is relatively spacious so I don’t spend the evening with my knees around my ears and the venue still feels relatively modern as although it opened nearly 35 years ago thanks to a conversion from a swimming pool into a live venue some 20 years later it still feels up to date.
As it’s a “theatre” gig it’s was an early start too, 7.30 kick off but lucky I was working in Leeds in the afternoon so didn’t have to travel far and here’s a pro tip for anyone going to the Barbican, avoid the Q-Park next door, not only is it quite pricey these days but it’s a nightmare to get out of after a gig – use Peel Street car park, it’s £4 via the Ringo app for the evening if you park up after 6pm and it’s a 5 minute walk away from the venue (the Fulford Arms isn’t a stretch from there either).
Now, Joanne Shaw Taylor isn’t a name that trips off the tongue of most music lovers in the uk but for those who know their guitarist’s she’s right up there with the biggest and best, indeed she has collaborated with one on the all time greats, Joe Bonamassa and has been heavily influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan growing up so I’m was hopefully about to expect some incredible guitar based blues.
1st thing of note standing in the foyer is her fan base is clearly of the older variety so good job, I’m fitting right in. This is not exactly unexpected given her genre but it does make me concerned about the future of bands like this given that its current audience will begin to literally start dying off without it getting more exposure to the younger generations but that’s another conversation for another day so lets crack on.
Ferris & Sylvester
Never heard of the husband and wife duo before, nevermind listened to them so I was going in with fresh ears from the off and boy I wasn’t disappointed. Right from the start the track Dark Side showed the crowd why they were snapped up by Joanne to support them, Archie’s dirty guitar sound with Issy’s sweet vocals seem a match made in heaven (though possibly not for their neighbours as Issy later explained their last album was partly produced in their kitchen at home).
Later tracks showed they don’t want to pigeonhole themselves as tracks like Better In Yellow showed a more poppier side to them along with a cut down acoustic version of Flying Visit showed how the pairs vocals harmonise incredibly well together. Also special props to Archie’s percussion set up, a floor based kick drum and tambourine set up behind him is something I’ve not seen anyone do before.
Colour me impressed then? You betcher – a delightful 30 min taster that I enjoyed that much I’m determined to get them to play Hebden Bridge’s The Trades Club where I’m also linked to!
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Former Black Country girl Joanne, now based in Detroit/Nashville in the US where most of her fellow band members also reside is now a 40 yo self depreciating woman who has been obsessed with Kevin Costner since the age of 5 (more on this later) and even more with Harry Potter. She has been playing the guitar since the age of 8 and was “discovered” by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame at 16.
Prior to the night other than the last 2 points I just mentioned the only other thing I knew about her was she’s is rather good on the guitar but spoiler alert, what I was completely unaware of was how endearing of a front woman she would be and more so, just how fucking amazing her vocals are when singing live too!
Coming on to Rolling Stones Gimmie Shelter is a strong statement but her opening cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Stop Messin’ Round was the perfect opener to a show and if that wasn’t enough after a couple of originals, Two Time My Lovin, a Fabulous Thunderbirds cover told you there’s a very old soul in this still young bird.
It was also through these covers you got to appreciate the talent on stage, not only is Joanne incredible but every other member is equally up to the task, there’s a connection happening that you can tell that if Joanne decides to change a song’s direction then they have her back and can adjust effortlessly and seamlessly.
After a little over half an hour joanne’s mentioned the fact shes happy to be in York because we have a Harry Potter shop and talked about the aforementioned Kevin Costner and where her record company told her about a song they were planning to release as a single, that Kevin had heard it, wanted to appear in the video and they were flying her out to shoot it straight away.
I’ll not finish the story here but suffice to say, she refused to play the song the video was for and instead played Grayer Shade of Blue off her new album Black & Gold which took the gig to the half way point which appeared to happen in a flash as a quick glance of the watch told me what felt like 20 mins was actually 45!
The remaining 6 songs of the main set carried myself down a path I’ve not really experienced for a hell of a long time, over 15 years in fact as it was the last chance I got to see the wonderful Gary Moore give a masterclass in guitar based blues and this was right up there, starting with the amazing Look What I’ve Become which reminded me of him and that night. Joanne and Kevin Shirley’s magical reworking of Gershwin’s Summertime followed which I lost myself into it and it could have lasted for another hour for all I cared, the composition took me on a wonderful journey through layers of harmonies and an appreciation of a true musician’s craft.
Wanna Be My Lover smashed the dreamworld Summertime had left me in as its raucous attack battered the senses before yet another cover, Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington’s Wild Is The Wind which I didn’t realise was originally sung by Johnny Mathis as previously I’d only heard Nina Simone’s version and neither of those sounded like this. The start once again took things down a notch but this version was faster and building before its epic end and even bigger reprise.
I thought Look What I’ve Become would have been the highlight of the night but clearly I know nothing about this lady and her band especially after this song when her keyboard player for this tour Ty Ballie was given a chance to showcase his skills immediately after whilst everyone took a chance to cool down and I now I get why Katie Perry uses him amongst many and why Nord use him as an ambassador, he’s not her usual keyboard player but I get why he’s so in demand for his services .
Black Magic headed the set once more down the dirty blues direction as the wrap up was coming over the horizon and the band continued to bowl me over, it was ridiculous the amount of talent playing on that stage as every single instrument attacked your head giving a sensory overload that was almost to the point of too much to take in all at once, My eyes were darting across the stage trying to take it all in like I was sat centre court at Wimbledon trying to keep up with all the action.
Rather fittingly as after telling the audience the next song will be the last and “We have a day off tomorrow so if you see a 40 year old British woman spending all the money she doesn’t have in the Harry Potter shop, mind your business, does not concern you” they hit us with Watch ‘em Burn and boy did they – yet another masterclass delivered in rock & roll done to absolute perfection!
Obviously there was always going to be one more song and the band returned to the stage for the final time and Joanne regaled the story of when halfway through her 2020 tour and they had got to London and the world suddenly shut down and what she thought like what we all did that it would be for 6 weeks and for them it turned into 2 years to not be able to gig and see family and friends in the UK and she thanked everyone for sticking with them and would finish the night with Change Of Heart as “It is literally the only happy song I’ve ever written. And I feel like that’s good.
I want to beat you with. Love and appreciate you, but be well, thank you.” and it was time to soak up the final 5 minutes of a truly outstanding gig.
It’s not often these days that after 95 minutes of a band playing I’m not ready to head straight for the door having had my fill but tonight’s introduction of Joanne and her band truly left me wanting for more but it was not to be so here’s hoping she holds true to her word and returns in 2026 because I for one will be coming back for more, it’s nights like this that remind you why you fell in love with music back at the beginning.
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