Joanne Shaw-Taylor/Connor Selby –
Adrian Flux Waterfront, Norwich 25th February, 2024
I am more than a little apprehensive prior to tonight’s show at the Adrian Flux Waterfront due the last show I saw her do a few months ago elsewhere. I am hoping tonight will be an entirely different experience.
This evening’s support was from Connor Selby, who played a pleasant, uneventful acoustic set from a chair that looked like it had just been grabbed from the venue was for our entertainer.
His songs merged into one another, while his plaintive voice provided the perfect tone to accompany his guitar playing. There were no particular highlights in the set which just passed by. I would really like to know why he was not able to use his full band for this show.
 Connor Selby - Photograph 4 |  Connor Selby - Photograph 1 |
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 Connor Selby - Photograph 3 |  Connor Selby - Photograph 2 |
Setlist: In The Mood/Keep On Loving Me/All Of my Love/If You Gotta Make A Fool/Can’t You See/Dying To Know/Wild Love/Won’t Be Fooled Again/Watch Me Bur/Diamonds In The Dirt/Fade Away/Run Away/Sweet Little Lies/Bad Love.
Encore: Going Home.
At 20.30 precisely Joanne Shaw Taylor and her band consisting of Americans Phil Whitfield (keys) Steve Lehane (bass) Eric Savage (drums) and Shane Sanders (2nd guitar) took to the stage. They received an enthusiastic welcome. JST’s backing band provided a great visual aura, there abilities would become increasingly apparent as the show developed.
From the front of the stage in the photo pit, it quickly became apparent that there were sound issues, Taylor was aware of this and appeared distracted and somewhat annoyed. These technical issues may explain why myself and the other two photographers didn’t realise that the song that was introduced by JST as a slow number ( If You Want To Make A Fool Of Somebody) was the 4th number.
Up to this point no musician had made eye contact with me and they had appeared a bit aloof. A minute or so into the song, a man who I can only think was a roadie, came into the pit and ejected us unceremoniously. “You’ve had three songs now get out!”
 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 2 |  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 10 |
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 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 11 |  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 5 |
 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 8 |  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 7 |
 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 6 |  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 1 |
 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 4 |  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 3 |
As the song concluded Joanne announced that the band were going to take a short break to fix the escalating sound issues, which were even more prevalent when you stood in front of the sound system. It did make me think that maybe we could have continued in the pit until that song had ended, especially if that decision had been made.
When Joanne Shaw Taylor and her American band returned to the stage, the sound was now excellent: issue resolved. I had found a good spot and took some shots, while doing this I became increasingly aware of the intertwining of instruments, the great musicianship which would give Taylor the perfect platform to present her blues/soul, honey-drenched songs.
With confidence now seemingly sky-high J.S.T let the instrument flow, the guitar pouring riffs and style as she swung her hair and emitted some glorious smiles as she produced some great licks. Her band grew around her as they embellished with freedom and ease. The next 5 songs from ‘Can’t You See’ to ‘Diamond In The Dirt’ flashed by with a flamboyance that was a joy to see, JST’s fingers dancing on the strings of her fretboard, Shane Sanders was pulling out the stops as well, the keys were more prominent as were the bass and drums, which gave a perfect foundation for the music to flow.
Taylor then transferred from electric to acoustic as she connected with the audience telling an emotional heavy-hearted tale about the loss of her mother to cancer. You could feel the effect and swell of emotion in the Waterfront as the crowd digested her words, ‘Fade away’ was then played to near silence, the words and meaning hitting home to all, especially those who have experienced this type of loss.
 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 9 |  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 18 |
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 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 16 |  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 19 |
 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 17 |  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 15 |
 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 14 |  Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 13 |
 Joanne Shaw Taylor - Photograph 12 |
The acoustic was discarded as we headed into more blues rock heaven, everyone I could see had beaming smiles, Joanne and her band had conquered any doubters, including myself. There would be just one solitary song for the encore in the shape of ‘Going Home’ from her debut album, which was possibly due to the approaching curfew, as a second song was on the list.
At 22.03 the show came to an end, which is normal for Norwich and Norfolk. I went home far happier than I had on my previous encounter. JST just needs to lighten up, let her smile and music flow as she is certainly a star.
By Paul Mace