February 21, 2019
By Lionel Ross
Delta Moon
Overton-on-Dee Village Hall
7.9.2018
The band’s first visit to the UK in more than ten years, and its first ever appearance in Wales, was their first gig on this European tour and a significant achievement for the Goin’ Up The Country blues initiative.
Fronted by the highly personable and richly-talented Tom Gray, the Atlanta-based outfit was in top form and delivered two magnificent sets to the delight of a highly appreciative audience. They presented a lively opening in the form of “Black Cat Oil” and “Hellbound Train” before calming things down with “Long Way to Go”. “Coolest Fools” then upped the pace, which was further cranked up with the rockabilly-tinged “Skinny Woman”, superbly driven by the rhythm section of drummer Greg Baba and bass player Franher Joseph, while lead vocalist Tom Gray and Mark Johnson combined brilliantly on a magnificent slide guitar-based solo.
The steady roller “Lucky I Guess” allowed some breathing space in advance of the heavier-rocking “The Day Before Tomorrow” and the fast-moving “One More Mountain”, which provided another helping of scintillating guitar work. “Nothing You Can Tell a Fool” then saw Tom Gray indulge in a walkabout while he orchestrated an enthusiastic bout of audience participation before the set was concluded with a tasty serving of “Black Coffee”.
“Lonely” provided a bouncy opening to the second set, followed by an upbeat rocker and the spiky title track of the band’s latest album Babylon Is Falling, which featured exemplary drumming and great backing vocals. The Tampa Red-influenced “You Gotta Move” led into the foot-tapping “I’m a Witness” while the pace was ramped even higher with a breathtaking instrumental.
“Trouble in the Home” welcomed bass player Franher Joseph to the role of lead vocalist, which he fulfilled to great effect with his splendidly deep, velvet-toned voice. Greg Baba was then afforded the opportunity to showcase his considerable talent with a sprightly drum solo — a fitting prelude to the set’s final number, which featured more slide-based magic from Mark Johnson.
Two loudly-demanded encores completed the sensational performance, climaxing in a terrific rendition of “Shake Your Hips”, which prompted a richly deserved, universal standing ovation.