Danny Bryant

The John Peel Centre, Stowmarket

Thursday 4th November 2021

Danny Bryant was back on stage, his first UK show for 20 months, having had only one European show in October since the pandemic started. This was the start of his latest European tour, coinciding with the release of his new studio album; The Rage To Survive. He admitted to being unsure of what to expect, possibly playing to an audience of three but the turnout was good, The John Peel Centre being around 70% full.

The set was pretty much vintage Danny, more than ably assisted by Paul Mallatratt on bass, Dave Raeburn on drums and on keys the wonderful Stevie Watts. As ever Bryant’s showmanship was prevalent, constantly looking to get the good sized crowd involved. We were introduced to several tracks from the new album including; ‘Westport’, ‘Rain Stopped Play’ and ‘Till The Bottle Runs Dry’, the latter included some memorable keyboard work by Watts. All songs showcased Bryant’s signature guitar playing. ‘Westport’ is yet another great ballad with some spine tingling guitar work. ‘Rain Stopped Play’ a softer more bluesy tune segueing into the upbeat blues/rock of ‘Till The Bottle Runs Dry’. On the back of these the album was purchased… and it is a gem!

The back catalogue was not forgotten, the album Hurricane supplied the chunky riffs and rasping vocals of ‘Prisoner Of The Blues’ and its best track, the soulful ‘Painkiller’. From the acclaimed Means Of Escape the sublime guitar licks of ‘Tired Of Trying’ and ‘Nine Lives’. Back in this set was Danny’s favourite, Dylan’s ‘Girl From The North Country’, a relic from one of his early albums and to keep all the guitar enthusiasts happy, a masterful rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’.

Finishing the set we were treated to ‘Heartbreaker’, a no holds barred rock song with its forceful guitar riffs, complete with keyboard, drum and bass solos. To close the show, the encore was the haunting ‘Love Of Angels’, a terrific way to wind up an evening of quality blues/rock. Judging by the activity on the merchandise stand after the show, the audience thoroughly enjoyed what they had witnessed, and went home clutching their signed copies of The Rage To Survive.

You can see/hear Danny and the band in the UK in March/April 2022 as a special guest of Eric Gales.

Words: Bronwen Harvey

Photo: Laurence Harvey