Joe Bonamassa plays the Town Hall

[Hot_Grits]

Don't forget to pick up the official official deli tray, sweat towel and wraparound sunglass set at the merch stand. Deli meats sold separately.

And get your spare guitars on trademe now. That man never met a guitar he didn't buy.

I see someone's been hanging around the LPF.

It's totally weird. I do not listen to his music, nor do I have a desire to. But he is a guitar nerd of the highest order. I may go so we can discuss the disease...through our wrap arounds.

At least your suit will fit properly.

LPF -not me. Believe me there are other forums where Joe gets some heat. One poster put it really well:

I think for a lot of people, Joe comes across as generic. He can play the hell out of his guitar and nails all the parts but there is something missing. Kinda like if Hanson covered Welcome To The Jungle and just nailed it. They nailed it, but it's still Hanson playing Welcome To The Jungle.

[jeremyb]

Mmmm I tend to agree, he doesn't have that spark that makes you truly great, and he was better when he was fatter.

[Zaulkin]

I think for a lot of people, Joe comes across as generic. He can play the hell out of his guitar and nails all the parts but there is something missing. Kinda like if Hanson covered Welcome To The Jungle and just nailed it. They nailed it, but it's still Hanson playing Welcome To The Jungle.

I agree with this statement so much.

Still want to go. But I saw Tommy E. for like, 70 bucks or something, which is hard to beat.

[Zaulkin]

I bought a ticket.

Just cos I figured I'd buy one if it was a bit cheaper, and I got a pay rise today. I'll be a bit bummed if they sell them off cheap later on, but those tickets will probably be seated.

I'll enjoy it.

Is anyone else going?

[Molly]

What do you think he's doing so wrong that he takes so much flack? I think he's sincere about the music he enjoys and enjoys playing. And he can certainly play. Most of us would exchange our situation and talent for his. But somehow for some he just lack whatever it takes to credible.

If he and Derek Trucks were playing in town on the same night, I'd go and see Derek. Not sure why.

[calling card]

Thing is he can't quite get into that zone that exists somewhere between life & death. A bridge, the connection, a conduit..

[Danger Mouse]

What do you think he's doing so wrong that he takes so much flack? I think he's sincere about the music he enjoys and enjoys playing. And he can certainly play. Most of us would exchange our situation and talent for his. But somehow for some he just lack whatever it takes to credible.

If he and Derek Trucks were playing in town on the same night, I'd go and see Derek. Not sure why.

For me it's not a credibility issue. He was DJ'ing on a DAB radio station in the UK for a while and he was given freedom to play what he wanted, he would just explain why and what it meant to him. It was a fantastic journey through music I would never have heard otherwise. He's certainly passionate about what he does.

However, while there is one song (no idea what it's called) on a live album that starts off with him playing some slow, noodly melodic solo, which I really like, the rest of his music is kind of bland. Ultimate nice guy going by his DJ work, plays like a nice guy too. There is no fire in his playing or songwriting, so ultimately he can't hold my attention.

[Bradman]

What do you think he's doing so wrong that he takes so much flack? I think he's sincere about the music he enjoys and enjoys playing. And he can certainly play. Most of us would exchange our situation and talent for his. But somehow for some he just lack whatever it takes to credible.

If he and Derek Trucks were playing in town on the same night, I'd go and see Derek. Not sure why.

For me it's not a credibility issue. He was DJ'ing on a DAB radio station in the UK for a while and he was given freedom to play what he wanted, he would just explain why and what it meant to him. It was a fantastic journey through music I would never have heard otherwise. He's certainly passionate about what he does.

However, while there is one song (no idea what it's called) on a live album that starts off with him playing some slow, noodly melodic solo, which I really like, the rest of his music is kind of bland. Ultimate nice guy going by his DJ work, plays like a nice guy too. There is no fire in his playing or songwriting, so ultimately he can't hold my attention.

I agree, seems like a top bloke who loves music and guitar playing, and can sure as hell play.

To me it kinda feels like he's become "The safe blues guy" and has been pushed into the middle aged rich guitar geeks crowd, if that makes sense. It seems like he's making a pretty good living out of being that guy, so why not.

But I think he could be great purely as a guitarist in a rock/blues band, but one that went somewhere a bit more unique, and pushed his playing.
I know he did the Black Country Communion super group thing, but it was pretty average.

[Vince]

To me it kinda feels like he's become "The safe blues guy" and has been pushed into the middle aged rich guitar geeks crowd, if that makes sense.

This.

[hamo]

What do you think he's doing so wrong that he takes so much flack? I think he's sincere about the music he enjoys and enjoys playing. And he can certainly play. Most of us would exchange our situation and talent for his. But somehow for some he just lack whatever it takes to credible.

If he and Derek Trucks were playing in town on the same night, I'd go and see Derek. Not sure why.

I don't know about his playing, but his marketing is OTT, and that can affect how people look at you.

[Molly]

Agree with that. Once I got the 'Jo's Army' feckin' email I was out of there.

[Hot_Grits]

What do you think he's doing so wrong that he takes so much flack? I think he's sincere about the music he enjoys and enjoys playing. And he can certainly play. Most of us would exchange our situation and talent for his. But somehow for some he just lack whatever it takes to credible.

If he and Derek Trucks were playing in town on the same night, I'd go and see Derek. Not sure why.

For me it's not a credibility issue. He was DJ'ing on a DAB radio station in the UK for a while and he was given freedom to play what he wanted, he would just explain why and what it meant to him. It was a fantastic journey through music I would never have heard otherwise. He's certainly passionate about what he does.

However, while there is one song (no idea what it's called) on a live album that starts off with him playing some slow, noodly melodic solo, which I really like, the rest of his music is kind of bland. Ultimate nice guy going by his DJ work, plays like a nice guy too. There is no fire in his playing or songwriting, so ultimately he can't hold my attention.

Yeah, he strikes me as someone who'd be really good if you wanted to chat about Freddie King.

I agree his music lacks fire. Too many smooth edges and not enough interest in the songwriting or balls in the voice. Most of us are conditioned to hearing electric blues performed by great guitar players who were KILLER singers like Otis Rush, Buddy Guy and the three Kings. When it comes to the mic, Joe makes Clapton sound black.

But one reason he has an audience is exactly that safety. If you're a fan of very obvious sounding rocky blues and like some twiddly licks thrown in without things getting out of hand, he's your guy. Perfect for ex-rock or metal players who discovered blues in the late 80s and 90s.

Basically if you wear Jeremy Clarkson outfits and thought Gary Moore going Blues was fantastic rather than an abomination, he's your man.

One thing that really gets me is his steadfast adherence to using Eric Johnson licks when he plays fast. Kind of perverse.

[Molly]

Basically if you wear Jeremy Clarkson outfits and thought Gary Moore going Blues was fantastic rather than an abomination, he's your man.

I always thought of Gary Moore as bloody phony. I can remember pictures of him with a grimace on his welders'-bench face, with studded wristband etc. trying to align himself with the big-hair metal that was going on at the time (million miles from Colosseum II) then lhe discovered the cash-cow blues and put a suit on. His best playing was on stuff like Dartmoor; sit-in stuff with Cozy Powel or the aforementioned Colosseum. He could play rock guitar with real passion and tension. There's a live in Germany where he plays a salmon pink Strat on big anthem 'Always Gonna Love You''. It's a terrible song but great lead playing. Did 'Shapes of Things' in the same set. That was brilliant too. And then a very fiery Parisienne Walkways. Maybe that was his peak. I just never bought his 'going through the motions blues' at all.

One thing that really gets me is his steadfast adherence to using Eric Johnson licks when he plays fast. Kind of perverse.

There was a free set of tracks recently - link posted here - where it seemed to be: Joe does Zep, Joe does Eric Johnson, etc. etc. It was a pretty pedestrian set of tracks. And you're right, the EJ licks seem to pop up all over the place.

[Danger Mouse]

There is a huge audience for unchallenging music out there and if you want to make a really good living, being able to tap into that is a skill enough in itself. Like most on here, I am a music snob, but I'm so passionate about the music I enjoy, it needs to meet a very high set of criteria for me to appreciate it. Appealing to people like myself will never make anyone rich though, there's not enough people like me to make it commercially viable, especially as others who are like me will like different music entirely, for entirely different reasons.

I kind of see Joe Bonamassa as the next generation equivalent of Eric Crapton, who made an absolute fortune playing some of the most mediocre pop and pop-blues on the planet, the unplugged version of Layla makes me want to stab myself in the ears with a hot poker. But I can knock Eric all I want for focusing on mass-market appeal and blandness, I'm pretty sure when he's behind the wheel of the one-off custom Ferrari the company built especially for him, he's not exactly crying over the lack of respect from people like myself. Same deal with Gary Moore and, as HG so eloquently puts it, his Budwieser Commercial Blues. Horrible music from my perspective, but it made Gazza a lot of money and turned him from that Irish guitar dude who had a hit with Phil Lynott to a household name.

I'm pretty sure Joe could be more edgy and take more risks if he wanted to, but if his current formula is putting him where he wants to be, fair play to him. I just won't buy any of his albums.

[Molly]

... the unplugged version of Layla makes me want to stab myself in the ears with a hot poker.... Horrible music from my perspective, but it made Gazza a lot of money and turned him from that Irish guitar dude who had a hit with Phil Lynott to a household name.

After you with that poker... Gary Moore's estate was, perhaps surprisingly, only two million pounds. You'd think he would've been worth more than that. I was also shocked to read Stevie Ray Vaughan's estate break-down which, with Jimmie as executor, was made public. He really wasn't worth much at all at the time of his death.

I get what you're saying about their wealth but if you extrapolate that argument all kinds of crap becomes a reasonable and justifiable pursuit (Spice Girls?). I wouldn't mind being a dollar behind any of them and if I had the avenue to do it I'm sure I would. Doesn't do anything to validate the music though.