An Apple for the Teacher – Gig Review – Wilko Johnson – Shepherd’s Bush 26th April 2015.
Dear Miss Bag Lady,
Please accept this apple as a sign of Elvis’s appreciation for your understanding with his recent run of homework tardiness.
Here, along with the apple, I submit the final piece of the jigsaw which brings his assignments up to date.
Thank you for your understanding,
His Mum…
So…
Returning from the great STL revision conference of 2675 with a shiny future/past/present proof perpetual Sugar Tong License, travel chaos was encountered!…
Forced to ditch TFL altogether, the Time Machine was fired up once more to bring us (via Clapham Junction 1973 in order to collect SiB) safely to Shepherds Bush in the year of 2015 and the 26th day of April.
We took shelter in Turkey, dining with the locals before heading off to The Empire, where we encountered a few familiar faces gathering in anticipation of the legendary Wilko Johnson.
Up first, chips off the old block, Eight Rounds Rapid whet the audience appetite with a delivery of their blend of hard hitting R & B. The gathering crowd showed their appreciation.
Then the moment was upon us as; Wilko, Norman and Dylan took the stage, kicking off with an energetic All Through The City. Cobwebs well and truly shaken off they led us on a musical journey of magical proportions!
The sound was the best I’ve ever heard in this venue tonight. Wilko was on fine form both fret-wise and vocally as well as being full of beans with his stage act, an amazing transformation and a genuine inspiration! Norman, as mentioned in some of my previous ramblings, resides in the zone but tonight he appeared to set the bar even higher. While Dylan tied everything together with his solid yet fluid drumming style, making it appear effortless with his cool calm demeanour and ever present smile, geeing up players and crowd alike.
Their energy was translated in to the music with numbers like The More I Give and Roxette being noticeably up-tempo. There was plenty of light and shade too, as witnessed with an excellent atmospheric Dr Dupree and plenty of legroom/breathing space within the songs themselves.
The audience were responding, absorbing every ounce of the performance tonight, hanging on every lick getting right behind classics such as Going Back Home, Back In The Night, She Does It Right and Paradise.
Time flies etc etc EiTC…
All too soon it was time for the set closer Everybody’s Carrying A Gun during which Norman was seen to levitate several feet above the stage with his awesome blues/Jazz improv stylings and Dylan was once more on the spot delivering another belter, while Wilko continued to engage the crowd drawing us ever further in, Pure Magic!!!
They exited to a rapturous applause. Returning to leave us breathless once more with the encore farewell of Bye Bye Johnny.
Verdict – Wow!
Over…
EiTC.