Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

It seems hard to believe that Liverpool had never had the pleasure of hosting Joanne Shaw Taylor before, that in all the years the absolute blistering sound that comes from arguably the Queen of British Blues had never dominated the Liverpool skyline, had never been heard in a huddled teeming mass before and had only been cherished in various houses, in the front rooms and bedrooms of the enlightened and the reverential.

Like any other person who finds themselves in the city with spare time before an important meeting, who relishes the chance to explore, take in the sights and let the uniqueness of the city flood through their veins like a Tsunami of emotion and wealth, Joanne Shaw Taylor had found her way to The Cavern and let the city’s particular history wash over her.

It was a move that all who come to Liverpool should do, a ritual, a rite of passage that allows the music to become one with the soul of those who attend the gig and for those who may have thought that the day would never come when this meticulous and very special woman would clamber up onto the stage of a Liverpool venue and give a vigorous performance, who would never let the Blues and guitar rock dominate the minds, this was the moment when prayers were answered and the music was all that mattered.

For the young woman from the Midlands, the audience may have been on the quiet side to begin with, especially after the raucous affair employed by the genuine and appreciative crowd in Glasgow, but this was not the sign of indifference, this, like when Joe Bonamassa comes to town, was the intent of respect, unrelenting, unashamed respect and it was esteem that sat in the crowd, for it truly is not every day that a Liverpool crowd gets to see arguably one of the top ten British guitarists ply their trade with such candour of spirit and with the smile that can wound with pride under the spotlight glare.

With tracks such as Mud Honey, Wrecking Ball, the bitter but overwhelmingly beautiful Tried, Tested & True, Diamond In The Dirt, Tied & Bound, The Dirty Truth and with wonderful added flavour, acoustic versions of Almost Always Never and Army of One making their way through the crowd like an invading force, come not to ravage and maim but one to liberate and unshackle the mind from its mid-week drudgery. Joanne Shaw Taylor made her debut in the city one of high exacting fervour, one that can only be hoped will not be the last time she steps beyond the boundary of natural England and into the realm of the music city of the U.K.

Ian D. Hall