It’s a rare sight to see a sold out show at the Adelaide Festival Centre’s Piano Bar or Wah-Wah Bar as it is aptly named for the 2008 Adelaide International Guitar Festival. However when the talent drawing the crowd is internationally renowned guitarist Derek Trucks and his world renowned band, it was no wonder that there were 20 odd people trying to scam tickets however they could.
The late night timeslot gave a friendly party atmosphere to the crowd ranging all ages, however the delay on the start of proceedings began to make the crowd a bit irritable. The Derek Trucks Band made their Adelaide debut with a quiet entrance to the stage. Derek looks so calm and at home on the stage with his guitar. He has a soulful quality about him, keeping his eyes closed for the majority of the performance and no banter is necessary as his music speaks for him. The band introduction and an occasional appreciative nod to the crowd were the most you heard from him, but the crowd weren’t the slightest bit upset as it was the smooth guitar licks and talent of the band they came to see.
The performance was split into two roughly 50 minute halves and topped off with an encore. It felt like we were being transported through different time periods and places with a diverse collection of sounds spanning soul, jazz, blues, vintage rock, and Indian music styles, as well as a surprise feature of The Sound of Music’s My Favourite Things in Derek’s rocking riff version. The blend of sounds is what makes this band so unique. Derek shows such effortless versatility and skill it is no wonder he was included in Rolling Stone’s 100 Guitarists of all Time. Each song lasted well over five minutes with a wealth of sounds, gradually building up to a climax and then naturally fading out. The success of this band is due to the great camaraderie between each member with Derek keen to share the spotlight and play off each musician. The highlights of the gig are when the band showcases their amazing improvisation abilities to produce some incredible live music moments.
The Derek Truck band featured five amazing musicians to accompany Derek Trucks on guitar. Yonrico Scott on drums was an absolute delight to watch as his whole body seemed to respond to the drumming with jerky movements and energetic facial expressions. The smooth soulful vocals from Mike Mattison was reminiscent of old motown vocalists. Kofi Burbridge was every bit the consummate perfomer moving effortlessly between two keyboards, backing vocals and sweet jazzy flute. Todd Smallie on bass and backup vocals provided the perfect backing musically and with his constant smile. 63-year-old Count M’Butu on congas and percussion was a surprise package as he provided impressive solos and accompaniments. This band is made for the Australian festival scene, whether it is WOMADelaide or the Blues and Roots Festivals, they should definitely be picked up for these soon.
Vocalist Mike Mattinson spoke of the band’s upcoming record Already Free due for release in July next year. The Backsliders’ guitarist Dom Turner made a special guest appearance on their last song of the second half providing some impressive slide guitar to the country sound. An encore was demanded by every inch of the Wah-Wah bar’s appreciative crowd and the band returned to the stage for only one more song.
The band showed their appreciation for the crowd and their first tour in Adelaide with drummer Yonrico saying they would love to come back and that the trip was worth every minute of the long plane ride. I was mighty impressed to see an Adelaide crowd get out in force to see an amazing talented live act and respecting the music with a silent awe which swept over the crowd for the entirety of the band’s time on stage. Kudos goes out to the lady in the 70-80 age bracket who was dancing and smiling for the whole time despite the finishing time at around 2am. Let’s hope this music appreciation continues past the festival’s close.
