The Moshville Times - Glenn Hughes / Jared James Nichols – Garage, Glasgow (23rd October 2015)

First up tonight is Jared James Nichols. Never having heard him before tonight I am now a true convert. If you can, picture a Blues version of Zack Wylde and you are close enough. Real badass electrified blues Rock ’n’ Roll.

We kick off tonight with “Blackfoot” from his fabulous opus Old Glory and the Wild Revival which gets a big airing tonight with 6 tracks played. Next we “Get Down” and we certainly do with his crunchy guitar playing and old school blues vocals. We get a little “Crazy” next and I figure out who he reminds me of with some of his vocals – an early Ted Nugent before he went a bit Crazy.

The drums start to pound out and the guitar riffs away as we go “Haywire” with its ZZ Top-like guitar strut, great track and a favourite of mine from tonight’s set. We head into classic cover territory with the Rick Derringers “Rock n’ Roll Hoochie Koo” written originally for Johnny Winter in 1970. Jared brings it bang up to date and owns that track tonight, fantastic. Up next another from Old Glory with “Can You Feel It”, another highlight for yours truly with its upbeat riffing and vocals, another track that is new and familiar at the same time – blues at its best.

I would say most blues players will touch upon the originals at some point in their careers and tonight Robert Johnson gets an outing in the form of “Come on in my Kitchen” with its slow slide guitar tempo. Somehow Jared manages to pay his respects to the past and keep it modern at the same time. Some truly fantastic slide playing with the band keeping the steady rhythm required. We head into the final straight with the final track from Old Glory tonight in the form of “Playing for Keeps”, a straight ahead blues Rock n’ Roller.

Last but by no means least a crunching, blistering, wailing cover in the form of Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” and it is with this track that you can see a glimpse of where Jared gets his inspiration, as he strolls off the stage to loud cheers and applause, he knows he will be back but as the headliner next time.

Jared James Nichols Setlist

Blackfoot
Get Down
Crazy
Haywire
Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo
Can You Feel It?
Come On in My Kitchen
Playing for Keeps
Mississippi Queen

The main event. Given the length of time I have been going to gigs (close to 40 years), I am sad to say I have never caught Glenn up until tonight and boy was it worth the wait… but more of that later. A packed out Glasgow Garage roars as not one but two legends hit the stage in the form of guitar maestro Doug Aldrich and the man we are all here to see – Glenn Hughes – who moves and sings with a grace that belays his 64 years. We are treated to a simply stunning version of the Purple classic “Stormbringer” with Glenn in simply superb form as he puts his stamp all over it, a voice that never waivers in the high notes unlike a number of singers younger than himself.

We are treated to a wonderful version of “Orion” from his Soul Mover album with Glenn hitting every note and that thumping bass pounding away as he is all over the stage like a man half his age truly in his element tonight.

As with tonight’s power trio we head into another with a Trapeze stunner in the form of “Way Back to the Bone”, simply stunning with an added tribute to his late bandmate Mel Galley. Another of his amazing back catalogue next in the form of a Hughes/Thrall track “First Step of Love” which came out in ’82 – a year he said he could not ! A fantastic emotion-laden track from a darker time in his career. The Hughes/Thrall album is one rock fans should always check out when looking for classic rock from the 70’s & 80’s as it is up there with the best of them.

Another up from Trapeze in the form of “Touch my Life” which he does to us all here tonight, everybody clapping along with the infectious rhythm laid down by the amazing Doug Aldrich with some stunning playing here on this track and every other tonight, along with Pontus Engborg pounding away at the rear. Another set favourite of mine tonight next in the form of another Purple track “Sail Away”. A simply stunning version with the crowd in fine voice singing along with Glenn. Big smiles all round I can tell you, including Glenn – what a voice. Anyone that knows this track will know that only a great voice can carry it off and boy does he ever, with Doug wailing away to his thumping bass.

We move onto another Coverdale track in the form of Whitesnake’s “Good to be Bad”. Amazing vocals not unlike Coverdale at his best, Glenn’s voice is just unlimited in its range. We move into a masterful slice of Doug, so impressive in an amazing solo.

Next up we are treated to what must have been everybody’s highlight of the night, over 10 minutes of “Mistreated”. This had to be seen and heard to be believed, between Glenn’s amazing vocals and the crowds singing along. The notes he hit should have shattered glass, not to mention Doug’s simply sublime playing, getting every ounce of emotion out of the guitar that is possible. If you were not here tonight then you missed a truly classic piece of music.

Another solo track next from the Building the Machine album, a fabulous version of “Can’t Stop the Flood” with the crunching guitar of Doug and the thumping bass along with the classic posing by Glenn – the poses I wanted to shoot earlier in the show. We are treated to a guitar & drum solo jam, followed by a great drum solo by the powerhouse that is Pontus. We move onto a short lived project in the form of a Black Country Communion track “One Last Soul” from the first BCC album – nice to hear these get a live outing. A Glenn solo track up next the title track from Soul Mover with the thumping bass opener combined with the guitar from Doug makes this a great end to the main set.

Another BCC track opens up the encore in the form of “Black Country”. An obviously happy Glenn opens up to the crowd and then riffing like crazy on that battered bass, a simply sizzling version, big grins yet again. As we head into the end of an amazing two hour set we started with Deep Purple and we end with another, a rip roaring stunning version of “Burn” with Doug setting that guitar on fire. Glenn’s vocals were almost drowned out by the crowd, a clapping, foot stomping blistering end to a truly amazing gig that people I know are still talking about and will continue to do so. Truly an epic musical night through the back catalogue that has stamped his place in musical history and rightly so. They will be back next year he says – miss him at your peril.

Glenn Setlist