Black Country Communion
London John Henry Studio
20th September, 2010

Their first gig proper, the supergroup comprising Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple), Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Derek Sherinian (ex-Kiss) and Joe Bonamassa, had a lot to live up to. And boy did they deliver. Except for Sherinian’s keys being low in the mix (though fine in a DVD playback directly after the 50-minute show), they were faultless. Showcasing their supercharged hard-rock, they opened with Black Country and had the 150 or so lucky onlookers at fever pitch, the pounding rhythm, scorching guitar and peerless vocals the shape of things to come. The insistent One Last Soul saw a guitar interlude before wah pyrotechnics on the Mountainesque Beggarman, and Joe took on vocals for Song Of Yesterday. Glenn resumed his stunning wails on Stand, and following some roaring interplay on Trapeze’s Medusa, the stunning eight-song set was rounded off with the clapalong, roof-raising Sista Jane.