Ronnie Wood & Friends, HMV Apollo Hammersmith - review
Wood’s two-hour blues lesson had some longueurs and a spot of celebrity nepotism, coming good in the end with some boisterous riffmanship and thunderous vocalsIn the absence of a Rolling Stones 50th anniversary concert, this Blues Fest gathering featuring old Stones, and led by current guitarist Ronnie Wood, was the next best thing. He also assembled a sprawling band to blast us with harmonica, saxophone and piano during an evening celebrating blues label Chess Records (whose artists inspired the Stones).
Wood’s singing was pedestrian, his guitar playing often superb: the primal riffs on Howlin’ Wolf’s 300 Pounds of Joy built a boisterous blues groove. The priapic 65-year-old drew attention to his reputation with Muddy Waters’s I Just Want to Make Love to You.
“It’s what we all want to do,” said Wood, whose middle-aged female admirers screamed and, in one case, clambered onto the stage.
The ex-Stones were more marginal figures: guitarist Mick Taylor merely showed glimpses of greatness but at least 75-year-old bassist Bill Wyman grabbed some glory when he barked Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell.
It was the female singers who did these songs justice, though, particularly Sharleen Spiteri’s thunderous Scottish soul vocal on J.B. Lenoir’s Mama, Talk to Your Daughter.
Wood’s two-hour blues lesson had some longueurs and a spot of celebrity nepotism. James McCartney — son of Macca — had talent but not enough to sing Johnny B. Goode.
Our reward for paying attention was a celebratory encore of It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It), a Rolling Stones golden jubilee moment to savour.
- London Evening Standard
http://www.standard.co.uk/arts/music/ronnie-wood--friends-hmv-apollo-hammersmith...
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