We’ve been asked many times when Hamilton Loomis would return to TLR over the past three years, so we knew the crowd would be more than ‘up for it’ after such a long wait. Well, he and his amazing band didn’t disappoint! With almost 200 excited blues fans packed in to Caroline Club, the atmosphere was absolutely electric as the band tore into their set.
With pre-release copies of his latest album, ‘Basic’, hurriedly packaged up for the tour, the set was liberally sprinkled with songs from the record, alongside old favourites, such as Bow Wow and Stuck In A Rut. We even had some Prince thrown seamlessly into a medley after only being rehearsed at the sound check!
Photos courtesy of Flo Cat
For those seeing Hamilton for the first time, there were open mouths at the sheer energy and skill of the musicians, all of whom played their hearts out. Many of the crowd remarked on just how tight the band played; the result of many years playing together. Mexico City born Armando Aussenac on drums and backing vocals and the UK’s own Roger Inniss are a pumping, driving, funky rhythm section that provides a perfect platform for the blistering guitar and harmonica work of Hamilton himself and the brilliant, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, Fabian Hernandez, who got a standing ovation for one of his stunning solos. In fact, it was the first time we’d seen three standing ovations for any band here at TLR, such was the rapturous reception with which their two sets were greeted.
A scramble for the merchandise table after the show saw many of the crowd leave clutching signed copies of albums by Hamilton and Fabian and beaming smiles wandering out into the Saltaire night! A return visit surely can’t be another three years away!