From the opening bars of ‘I Can Tell’ you learnt very quickly that the man, the myth, the legend Walter Trout had made his way to Glasgow once again. The Oran Mor was packed out, much busier than I think I’d ever seen it, a justice to the playing quality that draws in the crowds from all over to listen to this man and his exceptional band. Jacob Renlov on Drums, Richard T Bear on Keyboards, John Griparic on Bass, deliver quality all night. He also calls upon Andrew Elt on Guitar over the course of the night. You get the impression that there’s impromptu harmonies and styling through the night and that to me is a great sign of a band in total synergy, loving making the music with their main man.
I’ve seen Walter a couple of times before and he delivers the best version of ‘Walkin’ In The Rain’, passion, style and a swagger that he’s definitely in the mood for delivering a rock/blues show. ‘Wanna Dance’ continues the theme and goes down well.
Walter has his heroes, top of the tree in his formative guitar playing years was BB King. He iterates a story with the Glasgow crowd about meeting him as a 16 year old in New Jersey and engaging with him for an hour or so, a conversation that laid the foundation for his guitar playing future. He dedicates to him ’Say Goodbye To The Blues’, powerful emotional song and is a fitting homage.
The album release back catalogue of Walter hits over 30, from a long career, the latest of which is ‘Ride’ released in 2022. He quickly puts us through the title track ‘Ride’ in which he shares a growing up story about him and his brother, then for me the song of the night ’Ghosts’, such is the talent of the man he can still write and perform brilliant rock songs. The guitar solos in ‘Ghosts’ have Walter at his best. The pace slows down with ’Follow You Back Home’ and then ‘I Worry Too Much’, the latter written about an impromptu catch up with the doom and gloom of TV news.
Alastair rejoins the stage and shares in performing a collaboration Walter did with Joe Bonamassa ‘We’re All In This Together’. Between the two of them they share guitar solo duties, awesome delivery, the honest guitar vibes between them obvious, powerful and pure quality.
In ‘Playing Hideaway’ from ‘Battle Scars’ gives us the powerful main set closer.
Walter tells us all of his battle with illness culminating in his liver transplant, hard fought functional recovery and having to learn how to play guitar again. Powerful messages , however the proof of dedication, drive to succeed is there for all of us to witness.
The evening ends with Rory Gallaghers ‘Bullfrog Blues’, a fitting conclusion to a great night in Glasgow.
‘Some people only give a little, other people give a lot, but you can’t give more than the best you got’
(Walter Trout and the Radicals ‘The Best You Got’-2003)