Robert Jon And The Wreck/Meghan Parnell & Dave Barnes – Corporation, Sheffield, Wednesday 8th February, 2023
Set List: Lover Down Slow/Been Gone/Swing Low (Bywater Call)/Rollin' And Tumblin' (Elmore James)/Come On In My Kitchen (Robert Johnson)/Talking Backwards/Silver Lining (Both by Bywater Call).
Starting bang on time is the name of the game here with the splendid duo from Toronto, Canada. They warm us up with some really hard-hitting blues that even blows the place away in an acoustic format. This is down due to the fact that Meghan's vocals are so powerful and have a real authentic Country meets Dixie sound to them. I can imagine her taking the roof off one of those spit-sawdust old-time backstreet bard they have over there.
The guitar-work of Dave Barnes is something rather special too since he plays a lot of low-down, gutsy slidin' riffs that make the hair stand on the back of your neck. The two of them are part of a band called Bywater Call who plan to play over here later in the year – no doubt in full electric format.
In the meantime though, we got to enjoy a smattering of original tunes and some well-known numbers by two black blues legends which they make their own, showing you can make a massive impact with only a couple of cats up on stage.
Highlights include the foot-tapping and and almost aggressive 'Been Gone'; the soul meets blues groove of 'Talking Backwards' or the set ender that's 'Silver Lining' that reminds me of Bob Dylan's 'Tonight, I'll be staying here with you' at times.
Anyway, be sure to be there for that up and coming UK Tour if this is anything to go by. It's sure to be a mighty fine ole treat.
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Set List: Intro/Pain No More/Do You Remember/Come At Me/She's A Fighter/Ride Into The Light/Drum Solo/Waiting For Your Man/Rescue Train/When I Die/Piano Solo/Who Can You Love/Gold/Oh Miss Carolina/Shine A Light On Me Brother/Cold Night.
Encore: Guitar Solo/Last Light On The Highway (Parts 1 & 2).
It's always nice to see a well packed house at the Corp and that's just what we get tonight. What made it more special was the fact that this was taking place in the large room – big kudos to the folk of Sheffield and beyond who parted with their hard-earned cash to witness this gig.
Robert Jon And The Wreck it seems have been around for a while but it's their first here in Steel City (correct me if I am wrong here). You'd be forgiven in thinking that they had travelled over from a deep-drawled Southern State of the USA because they sound like they have ventured from these parts. In fact, they do come from the South as sort but it's actually Orange County, Southern California we are talking about here.
Their American riffs and licks are well-honed and are tight as a redneck's hand is to his bottle of moonshine with image and lyrics to match. The songs are well-crafted to loop nicely to an appropriate key to Robert's voice which sit well in the country rock kinda platter. They are made up of Robert Jon Burrison (Lead Vocals/Guitar); Warren Murrel (Bass); Henry James Schneekluth (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Andrew Espantman (Drums/Backing Vocals) & Jake Abernathie (Keyboards).
It's one of those nights that brings everyone together into a wholesome brotherhood and sisterhood of simply loving and enjoying a standard of music that you can dance and rock out too, making breath and feel the vibe and ambience of being an extra in one of those 70's films that you see folk work into a small-town bar in Texas bar as opposed to a live venue in South Yorkshire.
A major attraction though aside from Jon himself is Guitarist, Henry who is like a mix of Gary Rossington, Duane Allman & Alvin Lee all in one no doubt a few more Gods of the Blues & Southern Rock ilk. He totally steals the show with many of his solos and even gets to shine in his own right in the encore before they plough into 'Last Light In The Highway'.
Other highlights in the set include the opening happy and up-tempo 'Pain No More'; the cool retroness of 'Do You Remember'; the UK Premier of the excellent 'Come At Me' and the grooving slow blues of 'Rescue Train'.
Then there was the lovely country sounds of 'Oh Miss Carolina' with the gorgeous, harmony vocal chorus that has you singing along in an instant; the Gospel rocking of 'Shine A Light On Me Brother' and the Allman Brothers like epic called 'Cold Night' that the debuted in the quarantine sessions!
Am looking forward to seeing more gigs of the Americana variety right here at the Corp since this one totally grabbed us and ticked a good few boxes. A big thank you to everyone who made the show so great. It was marvellous that so many people came out to to see such a cooking band with or without a BBQ in sight!
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Review & Photographs By Glenn Milligan