First time in Huddersfield for Joanne Shaw Taylor – a twenty-five year old blues-rock guitarist from the Midlands now resident in Texas. With two albums under her belt – White Sugar (2009) and Diamonds in the Dirt (2010) JST is on her second UK tour of the year.

Attendance is disappointing especially given the extensive promotion....the lovely theatre is about a third full. Perhaps it is because JST appeared in nearby Holmfirth only a few months back. Or maybe its because blues-rock no longer resonates with younger people. With Huddersfield University and its 23,000 students just across the road it is a bit surprising that the average age of JST’s audience is at least double hers.

Support band is P-A-U-L Lamb & The Detroit Breakdown. Great guitar playing but the songs pass in a blur until the closing number...‘We Believe’ written for a five year old who - thanks to the US health system – has racked up a $100k debt. Lovely guitar, crashing cymbals and empathetic vocals from bassist Joey Spina make this ballad very special.

The fabulous drummer – Layla Hall – and Paul Lamb (switching from lead guitar to bass) stay on to accompany JST as a stripped down power trio. Bass and drums are ‘rock solid’ allowing JST’s cherry red Fender to roam freely. They kick off with ‘Going Home’ – the opening track from the debut album. Vocals are none too clear but this really is a night for high energy guitar playing. Songs are secondary. The slow blues numbers played earlier in the tour are largely and sadly dispensed with. ‘Blackest Day’ – the standout track on White Sugar – does not even get an airing but just a ‘you must be a glutton for punishment’ when its requested.

The set really gets into the groove on the fourth number – ‘Watch ‘em Burn’. Midway through JST slows the pace right down and you can almost smell the guitar strings burn. ‘Diamonds in the Dirt’ – “about relationships not turning out the way you want but remaining hopeful” – follows and is another stellar performance on guitar. Her Dylanesque husky caw rather masks the lyrics but the

loud and quiet guitar flurries more than compensate.

‘Manic Depression’ - her favourite Hendrix track - is one of several covers. ‘Goin’ Down’ is another which showcases an incendiary drum solo of almost Moby Dick proportions. Featuring bare handed drumming and thrashing dreadlocks it is one of the night’s highlights. We also get ‘Bones’ by one of her early local heroes The Hoax which incorporates more of JST’s hard/soft rocking signature.

The abiding image of the night will be of Joanna’s long blonde hair flailing, head down and utterly absorbed. A girl as one with her guitar.

Review by Andrew Lindsay
Photography by Robina Wheeler