Glenn Hughes Sub 89 Reading 29-01-17

Monday, January 30, 2017

Glenn Hughes Sub 89 Reading 29-01-17

Glenn Hughes @ Sub 89 - Reading, United Kingdom

A couple of months after the cancellation of the original November dates and the release of his superb Resonate cd Glenn Hughes and his band rocked up to Reading but first things first and bringing Black Country colleagues Stone Broken was a masterstroke.

A year to the day since the release of their debut cd All In Time Stone Broken go from strength to strength and continue to grow with every gig and every new fan picked up along the way.

Their 35 minute 7 song set showcased their material,talent,confidence and belief and no little stage craft and showed that their second album due on Frontiers later this year could blow the doors off.

Here is what they played.

Stay All Night
Better
Be There
Wait For You
Just A Memory
This Life
Not Your Enemy

A good percentage of the crowd were already fans and the queue to buy cd's after showed this is one UK band who we can all get behind and push to new heights.

Playing a Nickelback/Theory Of A Deadman infused arena rock full of huge guitar riffs,pounding drums and bass with even bigger choruses Stone Broken led by Rich Moss on guitar and vocals are a class act and will need bigger stages soon as lead guitarist Chris Davis threatens to escape.

I have seen the band grow over the last 6 months and tonight was no different.During current single "Wait For You" as the chorus finished and the pace slows the crowd sang the words back to them.This was a support slot and the huge smiles on the bands faces and crowd said this is something special.

New song "Just A Memory" showed off it's muscular crunchy riff and big chorus and we can only look forward to the new material as the band continue to develop.

Set closer "Not Your Enemy" had heads nodding and fists raised to the sky and the noise made by the crowd was of headliner proportion.

Ever smiling drummer Robyn Haycock and bass player Kieron Conroy both gave up their full time jobs to go on this tour and with commitment like that Stone Broken are only heading one way and that is to the top.

This gig will be remembered by all that attended for a very long time with one word summing it up.

Love.

A word Glenn Hughes used a lot this evening on a very emotional and difficult day for him as his mother was seriously ill in hospital.

The crowd showed their love for him and his stellar career and for the man himself and he thanked us on more than one occasion for being there as it meant so much to him as his mum had said to him you must carry on.

You Keep On Movin' that was played mid set was dedicated to Tommy Bolin too and the lengthy vocal tour de force played to pin drop silence and only minimal keyboard was one of the most emotional things I have ever seen as Glenn poured his heart and soul into every last note and their wasn't a dry eye in the house on stage or in the crowd.

When you have a career that has been as long as Glenn's how do you pick a setlist?
Well make it a career retrospective and touch on it all.

That is what we got over the course of 95 minutes with Deep Purple,Trapeze,Hughes/Thrall,choice solo cuts,Black Country Communion and of course 3 from newie Resonate.

Here is what they played.

Backing Glenn was a simply amazing band that consisted of Jay Boe on Hammond organ and backing vocals,Pontus Engborg on drums and Soren Anderson on guitar and backing vocals.

Boe on Hammond gave the band sound such a depth and to the Deep Purple numbers that wonderful Jon Lord effect and Engborg on drums was a powerhouse of quite staggering intent and how his kit held up to the assault I don't know.

Soren Anderson was a wonderful foil to Glenn always on the move and his guitar work was top notch with his take on the Black Country Communion solo's not as bluesy as Joe Bonamassa's work as he really attacked it with a metal intent.

Mid stage Glenn was the voice of rock with his voice hitting notes where others fear to tread and being so close you forget what a stunning bass player he is too.

"Flow" off Resonate was a great opener with it's big guitar riffs and chorus with an excellent sound right from the word go before Hughes/Thrall number "Muscle And Blood" gave Glenn a chance to go through his whole vocal range from a whisper to a scream even though he was suffering from a cold.

"Medusa" from his Trapeze days was greeted like a long lost friend as the crowd immersed itself in its epic nature.

Glenn confirmed that Black Country Communion have recorded most of their new cd with it due to be completed in March and he then hinted at live dates but said he wasn't getting into trouble like last time!!

They then ripped through "One Last Soul" and we all await with bated breath to hear the new material recorded before "Black Country" finished of the main set in monumental style.

Encores were the new and the old.

"Heavy" off Resonate was superb and would make a great show opener but as it ended and Anderson changed guitars and riffs into classic "Burn" it all made sense.

Now I have heard "Burn" many times live in concert and it has been played millions of times since it came out in 1974 but this time it was played with such intent and should I say ferocity and love for the song and what it means it was simply breath taking as the band and the crowd came together for the love of rock music.

As the song ended Glenn thanked us again for being there for him and to go home and love our mum's as the crowd showed their appreciation for everything he has done through out his career.

It was a privilege and and honour to to spend the evening with the great man and his band on what was such an emotional day and do your self a favour and get to see a show on this tour you won't regret it.