gary clarke, the new robert cray and palatable for white folks,too. clarke is more blusier than crays r&b but still sounds manufactured and industry approved.
To his credit/excuse: He was knackered from flying over from the states and didn't have his guitars with him. The band has an excellent groove and must have better nights. My son is currently not speaking to me because I quipped about his idol, but here we are amongst ourselves:
- Lenny Kravitz would have done a better job though the audience was very (in my view: too) benevolent with what was essentially a lacklustre performance. He could have had the over-sold out place cooking, instead he stumbled through the set like some college band.
- Nofi, you'll scold me as Germanic again, but from a modern day blues guitarist I expect full fretboard dexterity (from any lead guitarist worth his salt actually). Know where your notes are or at least feel them for Chrissake!! Herr Clark was not born in segregation in a Mississippi shack and had to play a broken two string guitar shoebox with a five fret neck because the Ku Klux Klan kept him from going to school. He could have learned to improvise freely over the neck, it's not that hard, it's only 12 notes and they repeat themselves. This guy had his hands glued to one position in the neck when he soloed. Jimi Hendrix he is not.
- Bum notes: One bum note can be charming, more bum notes a form of expression. Consistently bum notes - more so than Slash on a bad day - is just not having done your homework (because the Ku Klux Klan wouldn't let you?). Herr Clark can't even solo properly in a major key over a major chord progression. Someone should give him a Status Quo album or maybe Francis Rossi can take the time to teach him directly the art of major as opposed to minor pentatonic soloing. Listening to "Jessica" or even "Sweet Home Alabama" would help too in case Status Quo albums are all too hard to get in the US.
I'm ranting now, I know, but I've witnessed too many Carlos Santana, Ritchie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Hillage, Alex Lifeson, Rory Gallagher, David Gilmour, Uli Roth, Buck Dharma, Tony Iommi, Warren Haynes, Billy Squier, Michael Schenker, Laurie Wisefield/Andy Powell, Francis Rossi, Peter Frampton, Mark Knopfler, Steve Morse, Reeves Gabrels, Ted Nugent, Steve Vai, Phil Manzanera, Randy Rhoads, Steve Howe, Jimmy Page, Kerry Livgren, Bernie Marsden, Steve Lukather, Gary Moore, Steve Stevens, Glenn Tipton, Brad Whitford and Mick Ronson solos at live gigs to be impressed by Herr Clark. He is less than average - that includes Angus Young and Slash. Behind all the trendy vintage mojo crap the emperor has no clothes on. Or had left them in the US that night.
- You thankfully mentioned Robert Cray. I had the good fortune to see the man at a small club gig some months ago - he only played two or three songs from his popular phase, but he played and sang wonderfully. With taste, feeling and - that's no contradiction - technique. Of course Cray is a much more controlled player than Herr Clark, but that doesn't make him less expressive. Someone who is not either shouting at you all the time or mumbling unintelligibly can still tell a story.
If my son reads this, he will disinherit me!
