If blues is your bag...
Then you should check out Big Wolf Band next time they come to Newbury
Big Wolf Band at Arlington Arts, Snelsmore on Friday, April 12
Review by
BRIAN HARRINGTON
THE Big Wolf Band formed 10 years ago in Birmingham and have been touring regularly ever since. They have been finalists in the UK Blues Artists of the year for three years running now and completed their first European tour recently. Their sound is blues/rock with an emphasis on blues. With a new album due out later this month their setlist tonight included several new songs alongside self-penned numbers from across their career.
Frontman Jonathan Earp is an extremely talented lead guitarist and an expressive vocalist combining well at times with Robin Fox on keyboards for some excellent musical interplay.
Opening with Valley Of The Fallen Kings and Living On Borrowed Time from the forthcoming album Journey, they let the music do the talking.
It was a pity the audience tonight wasn’t bigger but, hopefully they will return to Newbury and news of how good they are will have spread.
The first set also included the excellent Darker Side Of You and Empire And A Prayer as well as the powerful and emotive If I Ever Loved Another Woman.
This is a band with all the self assurance that comes from solid hard work and countless gigs, in which they have picked up an ever-growing following.
They have well and truly served their apprenticeship. Their sound is tight and I am sure their performance tonight will have earned them plenty of new fans.
The second set included the epic Standing In The Rain, a track borne out of physical and mental health struggles and Darkest Of My Days, from 2017, which is possibly the band’s most popular track so far.
The encore was the only cover version of the night, an inspired rendition of Joe Bonamassa’s Oh, Beautiful!.
If you like original blues you really should check out the Big Wolf Band.