23 March 2010 (gig)
25 March 2010
It is all too easy after you have sat and clapped and boogied and generally enjoyed the heck out of nearly two hours of Blues/Funk/Soul to go overboard and describe the man who just entertained you as a genius. Hamilton Loomis is NOT a genius but he is one hell of a performer and the two sets at Hemel on Tuesday night were absolutely brilliant music played with real fire and a great deal of talent. He ain’t a genius but only by a hairs breadth!
Hamilton Loomis plays Blues guitar but his music has a huge amount of Soul and R&B about is. He was mentored early on by the great Bo Diddley and he has developed a completely original style that owes everything to innate talent as well as being focused by one of the greats.
Numbers like ‘What It Is’ and ‘Best Worst Day’ show off his guitar skills as well as his excellent vocal skills and he features all three members of his band – no anonymous sessioneers here, these guys are a crucial part of the set.
Loomis though is the undoubted star of the show and he really does command centre stage.
The Old Town Hall in Hemel Hempstead only seats about a hundred and odd so the relationship with the performer is VERY intimate and with his huge smile and engaging personality Mr Loomis had the crowd – absolutely packed to the rafters – bopping along and giving all the positive feedback he could have hoped for. It was all going along at a fine rate when the first set came to a bit of a premature end as the whole street was brought down with a power cut – right in the middle of a superb bass solo by Kent Beatty. Shock horror, the bass solo was actually well worth enjoying as Beatty is one funky mother but Jamie Little on drums and Stratton Doyle on sax kept things grooving with some excellent acoustic jamming – these guys are nothing less than professional and they put some other, bigger, names to shame by playing on regardless. Someone suggested that the lead should be renamed to ‘Hemelton Loominos’ to great smiles all round.
Thankfully the power was back for the second set and he played to the crowd with things like his ‘Audience Walk’ in the middle of ‘The Bow Wow Song’ but the quality of the music never dropped and even while he is playing to the crowd he is also playing superb Blues.
I can’t help wondering why he isn’t playing much bigger venues but while I have the chance to see him up close and very personal I will just go along and enjoy it.
Hamilton Loomis is due back in November and I already have my tickets booked because he really is one of the better American imports.
