Graham Bonnet – Warehouse 23 Wakefield – 21 March 2014

Two support bands tonight both from Sweden, first up were the excellent Captain Black Beard, who did a short set featuring some songs their debut album and from their soon to be released “Before the Plastic” album. A couple of favorites that picked out of a great set were Don’t Turn your Back on Love and Rockin’ Body. I hope to see them again soon.

 The second band weren’t quite my cup of tea. I couldn’t knock the effort that The Spin put into their set but it just didn’t do it for me, though many others around me seemed to love them.

At just gone ten o’clock singing legend Graham Bonnet hit the stage with Eyes of the World to an enthusiastic Wakefield crowd. Mr. Bonnet is now 66 years young and still sounds great even though he said he was getting over laryngitis. Tonight is a celebration of his days in Rainbow, with the set pulled from the great Down to Earth CD with few surprises thrown in as well. To add to the Rainbow dimension memories the drummer is playing Cozy Powell’s drum kit

Early in the set Since you’ve Been Gone notch the crowd up another level. The pace wasn’t lost when Graham left the stage to “rest” the band covered with instrumental sections of Rainbow tracks which ended with Kill the King. On his return to the stage Graham Bonnet introduced Stargazer to great cheer, before going into Catch the Rainbow, which was the first song I thought Graham struggled on. The evening was brought to close with All Night Long, which turned into one big sing along, Lost in Hollywood and finally Long Live Rock and Roll. Long Live Graham Bonnet, a great night out.

NH