Celebrated and award-winning blues rock guitarist and singer songwriter, Joe Bonamassa blasted the roof off of Royal Albert Hall on the first of two nights at London’s most prestigious of venues.
Joe Bonamassa @ Royal Albert Hall
Joe Bonamassa has lived and breathed the blues pretty much his whole life. There is no better example of a passing of the baton perhaps in all of music history than when a 12 year old Bonamassa supported the legendary BB King. What Joe has done over the past 35 years since is extraordinary and everything he does is in service to the lasting legacy of blues, even founding his own independent record label called Keeping the Blues Alive.
The lights fade to black and Tuff Enough by The Fabulous Thunderbirds plays as the band and Joe take to the stage at 7:30pm. Dressed in a sharp navy suit, trademark sunglasses on and a cherry red Gibson SG in hand; one very similar to one I spent close to a month’s salary on in an online marketplace site approximately 10 years ago. The guitar I purchased remains largely unplayed as it’s just so pretty to look at and I could only dream of making the beautiful six string sound as good as someone of Bonamassa’s stature can make it sound. Without much fanfare, the New York guitarist goes into Hope You Realize It from 2003’s Blues Deluxe album.
Lachy Doley is given license to elaborate on the keys during the punchy Love Ain’t A Love Song whilst the tempo is shifted with Driving Towards The Daylight, Bonamassa singing “Running from the spotlight, Trying to get back home.” London is somewhere that Joe Bonamassa feels like home. Specifically here at the Royal Albert Hall. “Tonight is my fourteenth time playing Royal Albert Hall since 2009. Don’t think we don’t get other offers” he jokes. “The fat cats at Live Nation say ‘why don’t you play The O2 or another venue’ and I say I worked my fucking ass off to get here, why would I go anywhere else?!” in which the crowd erupts. The historic venue is perfect to witness someone at the peak of their powers and with Hall’s fantastic acoustics, every stroke of the plectrum, every bend of the string sounds transcendent.
His work rate is relentless. He’s played over 25 shows a year every year bar two this century – and one of those years was interrupted by a global pandemic. Not only does he tour religiously but in the studio he achieved his 29th and 30th No.1 album on the Billboard Blues Chart with his most recent studio album Breakthrough and the reimagined BB King tribute album B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100. It’s an astounding catalogue. He has released more than 51 albums, including studio and live recordings, as well as collaborative albums with his adventurous side projects: Black Country Communion and Rock Candy Funk Party.
The band is a tight unit. Josh Smith from Los Angeles on rhythm guitar and Calvin Turner from Texas on bass provide a solid footing for Bonamassa to embellish every song with whilst Doley’s contribution on the keys magnifies the sound to fill the grand space.
During Well Well Joe steps to the side of the stage and the band turns to drummer Lemar Carter to give him his moment to shine with a thunderous solo. A nice touch to showcase Carter’s talents, a welcome interlude synonymous with rock concerts from years gone by.
2002’s Mountain Time reaches a joyous crescendo as one of the stand out performances of the set, receiving a standing ovation by the 5,000 in attendance. The group leave the stage and leave the audience wanting more.
“We don’t ever play this song. It doesn’t really sound right in any other places around the world apart from here” he says before going into a raucous rendition of Crossroads by British Blues-Rock royalty Cream.
“I’d like to thank Bernie Marsden’s family for lending me this guitar, it’s been here thirteen times. On the eve of what would have been the former Whitesnake guitarist’s 75th birthday, Joe brings out “The Beast” a gold 1959 Les Paul. Ending on one of his most fantastic arrangements, Sloe Gin ends over two hours of the highest technical quality guitar playing.
When you pause and reflect it’s times like tonight that remind you why you fell in love with music. The venue, combined with a genius in their field, playing to the highest quality songs of heartache, of pain yet sounding so beautiful. It touches your soul and reminds us that we do need to keep the blues alive.
Live Review of Joe Bonamassa at The Roya Albert Hall, London on 6th May 2026 by Chris Lambert. Photography by Louise Phillips.
Joe Bonamassa Is Deep In The Blues Again At The Royal Albert Hall
Share Thing