Glenn Hughes Live at the Electric Ballroom London

Glenn Hughes, Laurence Jones, Electric Ballroom, London, October 15, 2018

Laurence Jones is undoubtedly a master of his instrument and has been recognised by winning four British blues awards including artist of the year. Call me an old metal head, but I can accept retro far more easily when the artist was around at the time the original genre was born or developed and I just can’t get used to someone performing the blues in a pin stripe suit and shiny shoes like a banker. Maybe next time I’ll just close my eyes.

Glenn Hughes attracts no such skepticism from myself or his sold out crowds. My first thoughts on seeing the set list is ‘it’s a bit short’, but, of course, it is irresistible to a former member of Deep Purple if given free reign not to richly and beautifully egg his pudding and, frankly although I heard comments about long solos and why certain songs were not played no one is really complaining. And in true Deep Purple style the sound is unbelievably loud. And it is hot hot hot, Glenn himself proclaiming more that once that it was a tad warm on stage and bearing in mind it was October we are talking major wattage lights and overcrowding.  This is spectacularly pre health and safety era rock n roll and we pray it will always remain thus.

Opening with ‘Stormbringer’, thereafter the ‘Burn’ album dominated with ‘Might Just Take Your Life’ and ‘Sail Away’ making early appearances: ‘You Fool No One’ appearing just past half way and the title track and ‘Mistreated’ forming the encore when Joe Bonamassa joined at the end not just for a minute but for two extended songs and a substantial period of time where their reformed friendship and affection was mirrored by their obvious musical intimacy. ‘Getting Tighter’ was the occasion for a heartfelt tribute to Tommy Bolin and led into ‘You Keep on Moving’ for the tracks featured tonight from ‘Come Taste the Band’. This being a Purple focused gig Glenn wisely chose to feature a couple of greats from the Gillan era album ‘Machine Head’. There is no doubt that ‘Smoke on the Water’ is still the absolute crowd favourite and the Monday night crowd only really start letting go as that is played at the end of the main set. Fortunately since there were three more songs to go for the encore including ‘Highway Star’ at the very end the audience had a good period of time to expend that energy and show their appreciation for the master musicians on stage.

Glenn Hughes is still sporting unfeasibly long and amazing locks for his age which is only matched by his unbelievably flexible voice as demonstrated by the stratospherically high notes and terrific dexterity shown in the high register for ‘Georgia on my Mind’ a surprise cover which surfaced  just before the encore, showing that all the years of hard living have left Glenn a Peter Pan of rock stars and left everyone open mouthed.  Glenn is master of the amazing hard rock scream, but to also show such control with very high notes is truly rare.

During the show Glenn assured the crowd that although he had spent a lot of time in the studio over the last few years he intended to flip that to a lot more stage work in future. After tonight that’ll be at least 1500 people from London then who cannot wait for a return.

Dawn Osborne