A View From The Back Of The Room: Joanne Shaw Taylor

Joanne Shaw Taylor & Blackwater Conspiracy, The Tramshed Cardiff

Into the Tramshed we went once again this time for a much bluesier evening taking place on a Monday, than previous this year as the Queen of the blues rolled into town with support from some Oirish rascals.

After a quick catch up with the band (we last met at Fuel Rock Club) the rock n roll five piece of Blackwater Conspiracy (8) took to the stage and burst to life with Roll The Dice, their laid back approach to rock got the crowd swaying, most of whom seemed to be newbies (which is sort of the point of a support slot like this) however as they moved through Monday Club and Healing the amassed throng began to get a little more involved letting Penny For Your Dirty Mind and Blackwater Swagger do much of the heavy lifting as the rhythm section locked in to a steady groove and the keys and guitars brought the sauntering riffs. For those of us who have seen the band before a new track called Song For Yesterday was aired and it bodes well for the new album. Seemingly pleased to be there the onstage banter was running high but it never interferes with just how slick this band are, concluding the set with the brilliant Hanging Tree Blackwater Conspiracy return to Wales for Steelhouse festival this year and I'd urge you to take the trip up the mountain.

Due to the keys and drums being on risers the stage did look a little sparse when it was being set up for the main act. But this meant that Joanne Shaw Taylor (8) could use the entire stage to strut her stuff as she peels off those impressive guitar solos that make her one of the best blues players on the scene. Bedecked in red military jacket, slinging a Fender Telecaster (which is the blues guitar imo) and with what looked like a new backing band (at least a new bassist) Joanne and co ran through tracks from her newly released record Reckless Heart and tracks from the back catalogue the most known of which were the scuttling No Reason To Stay and the punchy Dyin' To Know from her previous release.

She kept the masses enthralled with each sprawling solo greeted with a huge applause of appreciation and sheer awe as her tight as all hell band matched her note for note with special kudos going to her organist for his brilliant atmosphere setting throughout. The only thing I would say is that at the side of the stage the sound was drowned out a little by the drum positioning, however this is just the one criticism, here Shaw Taylor was at her brilliant best, buoyed by new material and firmly in place near the top of the blues pile, if you can catch her live do so.