Syl Johnson @ The Basement,Sydney (3/9/11)

Mon 5th Sep, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Syl Johnson at 75 has never toured Sydney until now. That said, his performance at the Basement made this wait worth it giving one of the most timeless, powerful, moving and inimitable performances the venue and city will ever see. While one would expect a 75 year old to have lost some of his energy, Johnson gleefully denies this assumption any grounds. As the MC welcomed him to the stage, Johnson leapt into That’s Why with the enigmatic swagger his younger self became known for. Besides some changes in his physical appearance, Johnson played through hit after hit with no sign he would be slowing down any time soon.

Johnson moved through his much lauded material with a ‘no filler’ set backed by The Bamboos. Straight Love No Chaser saw an energetic and motivated audience happy to sing along. Anyway the Wind Blows and I Got Love made Johnson the centerpiece of the performance once again, and the variety of his style was cemented in slower hits Looking for My Baby and Loving on the Run.

Syl’s self-proclaimed “most sampled track of all time”, Different Strokes, proved to be one of the night’s many highlights with the audience, many of whom looked like they were long time fans, engulfed in the track. The fact that Different Strokes has been sampled by Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan and even the polarizing Kanye West, is a testament to the relevance of Johnson’s music. At the same time, Syl has never left his niche following and has maintained a high level of respect throughout his career without making any large commercial breakthroughs. It’s a strange feeling seeing blues legends such as B.B King selling out two shows at the State Theatre and seeing the equally talented and enigmatically mesmerizing Johnson with far greater energy at the Basement.

Before Syl launched into Is It Because I’m Black? he proclaimed “I don’t know how it is here, but in America a woman only earns 70% of the male wage” redefining the song, as a plea for equality. Playing extended guitar solos and reaffirming his incredible vocal range, Is It Because I’m Black? saw Johnson at his best – and a quick glance around the venue saw several people in tears at the emotional core of the song.

A musician well-known for his impressive array of covers, Johnson led the band through one of his most well known Take Me To The River. Johnson’s flashy cover saw him unbutton his shirt and loosen his tie, after spending an hour and a half in a striking and stylish suit. The lights of the stage had technical failings after the band wrapped up the flamboyant rendition of the track, though instead of waiting for the issue to be fixed, The Bamboo’s guitarist indicated to Syl “Let’s do E Blues!” and the band leapt into a 10 minute plus rendition in the dark demonstrating his overlooked side as a unique and skilled guitarist.

As the lights returned, the band ended the near flawless set with an almost fifteen minute closer of Miss Fine Brown Frame. The encore cemented the Bamboos as a talented band and an appropriate choice to showcase Johnson’s talents as he took on the role of MC and re-introduced each member of the band, interacting and directing them throughout their respective solos. Syl Johnson gave a performance that cemented himself as one of the great blues singers and guitarists of his time; and although in my limited experience I am not able to make absolute judgements, it is a shame that a greater amount of people were not able to witness such a special and rare performance from one of the blues’ true masters.