Blues rock guitar hero, Simon McBride, has been following in the footsteps of the many great Irish guitarists before him, including an extensive UK tour.
Opening the show was 21 year old Irish acoustic singer song writer, Nathan O’Regan, who kicked the night off with some great tracks from his latest EP. He left the crowd suitably warmed for Simon McBride.
This show was a great turnout for a school night in Newcastle for the Irish axe man, brandishing his trusty PRS guitar. McBride is sounding great, with superb tone and his appreciation of space. It’s almost as much about the notes that aren’t played as those that are. The band play as a trio and are tight. Accompanying McBride on guitar is Gareth Hughes on bass and Paul Hamilton on drums.
McBride rocked his way through the set with tracks like “Alactraz” and “Go Now Gamblin’,” which had a great Leslie infused sound to it. He treated the audience to a superb rendition of “Down To The River” from his Rich Man Falling album, leaving the audience in awe with a stunning solo, before taking to the bluesy number “Starve This Fever.” A rare airing of “Tear Down Your Soul” was also well received.
His upcoming album will be released next year, and the crowd heard a teaser of what is yet to come in the shape of upbeat numbe,r “Its Not Over,” which was recently released. A mesmerizing cover of Jimi Hendrix’s”Little Wing” resulted in rapturous applause. “Don’t Be A Fool” saw Paul Hamilton stepping into the limelight with a great bass solo.
McBride brought the main set to a close with heartfelt blues number, “One More Try” and left the crowd wanting more. The band returned to the stage to rock through “So Much Love To Give.”
A great performance from McBride and the band; I can’t wait to hear more of his new material when the new album is released in 2015.