There is enough electricity to light up the Worcestershire Way when Danny Wilson and Paul Lush ignite their guitar duals. Maybe its more Lushy letting it rip and sparking off the acoustic riffs, but the effect is the same. Mind you, playing in front of a scintillating rhythmic pairing of Joe Bennet and Steve Brooks is heaven sent. Throw in some keys from one of the architects of the latest album courtesy of Henry Garratt and the Danny George Wilson Band was firing on all cylinders as they leapt closer to completing a successful run of autumn dates.
A return to St. George's Hall for Danny Willson saw his band open the 2022 Bewdley Festival on a night a little different to the usual Severn Sessions that has hosted Americana music in this riverside town for several years. Gone for the night was the youth and local support act, though guest of the evening Katy Rose Bennett did lay claim to some brief Bewdley roots. There was also an air of formality in sharing what else the festival had in store over the next nine days including a wide spectrum of music, comedy and notable guest speakers. I suspect nothing else will be as gritty and down to earth as the opening night. This was pure roots music from a veteran as fresh as the day he stepped into the limelight as member of acclaimed 90s/early 00s band Grand Drive.
The evening kicked off with a set from Katy Rose Bennett who has accompanied the five guys on the tour, one of whom is her brother Joe. Katy is a familiar name on the Midlands music circuit and indeed played a trio show at this venue a few years ago. She is known for her vocal prowess that leads numerous singing projects amongst other things. For this set she decided to lean on a toned down electric guitar for accompaniment which came over a treat. This allowed room for the vocals to shine, just like they had on the recent a cappella record ALONE ON A HILL. All the choir tricks were in place for 'Trees'; 'Growing Peas' came across as the best song and 'Jack and Ivy' was a reminder of an astute songwriting past. One destined to proceed well into the future.
Katy re-appeared later in the main set as Joe and her provided vocal backing to a couple of songs Danny and Paul delivered acoustically from the first Champions of the World album. 'The Truest Kind' and 'Red Tree Song' reflected the soothing side to this record, while earlier 'These Days' in full flow saw plenty of electrified sparks flying around the hall.
The set list this evening represented the four strands to the work of Danny George Wilson over the last twenty-five years. Smart ears would have detected the unannounced 'Love and Truth' from the Grand Drive days early on, while this phase of his career was mentioned in the closing stages prior to 'Jukebox' being played.
We learnt on the night that the next phase will be a new Bennett Wilson Poole album due very soon. The trio did play a successful show at the Hall in 2018, a line up that was extended on the evening by Joe Bennett joining forces with his brother Robin, the actual Bennett in the title. The track played this evening from their first album was 'Not Forgetting' and the sound was unmistakably more jangly than most of the wares on offer.
Every Danny George Wilson show is going to have some Champs input. Apart from the three early tracks mentioned, the other two songs were absolute classics filling the final two slots. 'Every Beat of My Heart' and 'Never Stop Building (That Old Space Rocket)' never lose their shine and induced a bout of chair dancing on a night when Danny was never going to be disco judge.
As the bill was named Danny George Wilson Band not the Champions of the World, the bulk of the songs came from the debut full album under that name that came out last year. ANOTHER PLACE added a different twist to a lengthy career and half a dozen tracks from this record mainly spilled across the first half of the set. The picks were 'Right Place', one of numerous examples of the band freaking out in total instrumental mode, and a cover of Spirit's 'We Gotta A Lot To Learn. A apt statement for those not too au fait with this song or band.
Danny George Wilson gets crowned as British contemporary roots royalty by many fans with a deep love for grass roots music. It can also be added that he never plays a bad show in whatever format. In fact each show could be envisaged as playing as though there was not going to be another. A silly notion as we know there is an awful lot left. St. George's Hall Bewdley may not be your usual rocking out venue for this band to play and is likely a lot more salubrious than most played. However tonight it hosted a fitting start to an eclectic arts festival of which Danny George Wilson is a most welcome invitee.