One of the greatest thing about music is that it can feels any space, thanks to its power, no matter the size of the venue. When some concerts take place in more intimate and cozy venues, like at The Railway Inn and in that splendid city of the south of
England that is Winchester, they even become more memorable and joyous, both for the audience and the artist himself.
The artist in question tonight is one of Bluebird Reviews old friends and one of the finest English artists and performers, Big Boy Bloater. His current album, Luxury Hobo, is one of the best selling albums not just in the United Kingdom but also in several parts of Europe and tonight, the British singer/songwriter is here with his band The Limits to perform in a venue very close to his heart.
Preceded by a splendid acoustic session performed by Jack J Hutchinson, one of Bloater's best friends and fellow musicians and one of the most inspired and respected artists of the current blues/rock British scene, one has the immediate feeling that this is going to be an unforgettable night of great music.
When Big Boy Bloater & The Limits hit the stage, they attack the gig immediately with great energy and power through two of the Luxury Hobo fan's favorites tracks, I Love You (But I Can't Stand Your Friends) and Robot Girlfriend, the latter displaying also the fabulous ability of Big Boy Bloater not just as a singer but also as a guitarist, through an explosive solo that fires up the show even further.
The Railway Inn feels like a little home away from his own for Big Boy Bloater (he would later confide to Bluebird Reviews that the venue is "Such a great place, everyone wants to buy you a beer!") and the warming feedback he receives from the crowd helps the whole band on stage to loose up in no time. Bloater alternates cleverly the new material from the highly acclaimed Luxury Hobo album with older ones from his early albums, like Every Path Has It's Puddle, Ugly Way Of Thinking, That Ain't My Name and Insanely Happy, among others.
The Limits, a.k.a. Matt Cowley on drums, Steven Oates on bass and Tedd Edwards on keys, display as always enormous craftsmanship on stage and show, once again, how much of a vital backbone of sound they provide for Big Boy Bloater's songs every time. The Man Himself at center stage is in very fine shape, his voice is thunderous and powerful and his skills as a performer are exceptional.
Even when the evening come close to the end, the musicians do not slow the tempo or the energy level and their interaction with the audience grows more and more with each passing song. It Came Out Of The Swamp and especially the encore Devils Not Angels, two of Big Boy Bloater's biggest crowd pleasers are the perfect way to close the curtains on a special night of music.
On the way out of the venue, a random member of the crowd would stop and tell to Yours Truly with a big smile on his face "Man, his music is as big and powerful as the big man that he is" and then he wonders off. Perhaps, the best way to describe in short how incredibly entertaining this night of music has it been for who was there to witness it.
Giovanni "Gio" Pilato