Joanne Shaw Taylor kicked off her Eurotour in England, and at the end of the month she also visited the Netherlands for two shows.
She played at the Luxor in Arnhem and a day later, on October 1st, at 013 in Tilburg. Bluesmagazine was at both shows and reported on them.
Joanne Shaw Taylor has a special bond with the Netherlands. At the age of 17, she performed here for the first time outside her native England. That must have made an impression. I still remember experiencing my first live concert as if it were yesterday.
In the years that followed, Joanne regularly returned to the Netherlands, where she has since built a large and loyal fan base. This proved true again: after the thumping opener “Stop Messing,” she was greeted with loud applause and cheers.
The opening night in Arnhem had some sound problems, something that went better at the 013 in Tilburg. Anyone who knows the song “Stop Messing” will immediately sense Joanne’s power.
With fiery solos, she immediately left her mark on the evening.
She was backed by an excellent band, whose powerful keyboard playing and enthusiastic drummer were particularly striking. Joanne Shaw Taylor was a true delight.
She was particularly impressive vocally; with her distinctive voice, she gave songs like “Dying to Know,” “Sweet Little Lies,” and “Grayer Shade of Blue” a deeper meaning. Her guitar playing was, as always, superb.
However, I must say that her solos gained even more depth when she picked up the Gibson, as in “Black Magic.” Not that the solos with the Telecaster were any less impressive; the guitars simply have their own distinctive sound.
Joanne clearly radiated joy during the performances, entertaining the audience between songs with funny anecdotes, about her dog Hank, and a live video with Kevin Costner.
She was relaxed on stage and effortlessly captivated the audience with her warm voice and virtuoso guitar playing.
Although this was the Black and Gold Tour, the setlist only featured two songs from her latest album: “Hell of a Good Time,” a heavy blues stomp, and the understated “Grayer Shade of Blue.”
Personally, I missed strong songs like the title track “Black and Gold” and “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now.”
The rest of the setlist consisted of a cross-section of her oeuvre, with a clear emphasis on the albums “Heavy Soul” and “Wild,” of which three songs were played each.
The performances of “Summertime” and the Fabulous Thunderbirds cover “Two Times” were beautiful, preceded by a personal message from Joanne.
The performance concluded with the encore “Change of Heart,” which she announced as “the only positive song I’ve ever written.” A beautiful and fitting end to an impressive concert, after which many went home feeling great.
