UK Blues Awards nominee Thomas Heppell, from Wallingford, gave a powerful night of the Blues to the hot and sweaty crowds at the Half Moon pub in Putney, London. This was his debut as a headliner at the Half Moon in Putney. With the temperatures outside of 35C the recent installation of air conditioning after a venue refit were welcomed by both bands and audience. The venue has been hosting bands since 1993, including an early performance by Irish band U2.
Thomas Heppell was supported by another UK Blues Awards nominee in Tom Davies and The Bluebirds, from Fareham, Hampshire.
As Thomas explained in a pre-gig interview about his new album in progress (after his Robert Johnson EP release ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’ earlier this year) “I have recorded one song already for the new album in the studio, so me and my producer agreed is its good but there is something not right, it needs to be tighter", " So I needed to change my guitar style ever so slightly”. In terms of playing gigs “Every day I see myself as a servant as people have paid good money to see me. They are coming out on days where is boiling hot (or pouring it down with rain). So, I turn up on time, I rehearse, make sure everything’s right. Oh yeah service to make people feel amazing. I feel good”
First up was Tom Davies and the Bluebirds, for who it was his first visit to play at this esteemed venue. Tom was on guitar & vocals supported by Si Davis on bass and Gary Lyons on drums. He kicked off with ‘Feelin’ Bad Blues’ with its slide guitar to a slow start to the song, before band kicks into quicker tempo with Tom’s powerful Deep South vocals (with accompanying great expressive faces and he gets into the blues), great slide guitar work with solid rhythm section. Then from his debut album ‘Angel on the Mississippi’, released earlier this year, was ‘Devil’s Highwater’ a stomping blues number with Tom’s strong & powerful vocals with great rhythm section. With more slide guitar and feedback effects.
An Allman Brothers song was next with ‘Whipping Post’ with heavy bass, drums with electric guitar playing with evocative and strong vocals to match. Followed by ‘You Gonna Wreck My Life’ by Howlin Wolf (from the new album) with its heavy romping beat, great bass & drums and Tom’s powerful effective vocals.
He finished with ‘Got a Mind to keep up Living’ with its slow mellow start with guitar & bass with Tom’s strident but evocative vocals. Before drums join on an emotional sounding song with great guitar breaks. Then ‘Other side of Town’, the last track on album, with great R&B beat, more slide guitar from Tom as well as deep powerful vocals from Tom.
Tom showed the crowds his mastery of the blues guitar with slide guitar, as well as his distinctive vocals.
Then we had Thomas Heppell with an electrifying opening with ‘Terraplanes Blues’ with Thomas’s passion and strident and powerful vocals stage centre, supported by Adam Pyke on bass and backing vocals and Mitch Weaving on drums. Then a raunchier number with ‘Bossman’ with its high tempo, powerful vocals on a raunchy beat with guitar feedback to finish.
A more bluesy number was next with ‘Dust My Broom’ with Thomas exploring the stage with great slide guitar, Adam’s 6 string bass thumping out the bass line and Mitch giving his all on the drums. Followed by a song by the Blues great BB King with ‘Done Lost Your Good Thing Now’ which was the first BB King song Thomas heard on the bus to college. A slow but funky song with great vocals with Thomas’s take on BB king with solid rhythm support. All 3 band members playing sitting front stage for an interlude! Finish back on their feet for a rip-roaring blues rock finish showing Thomas’s high energy guitar playing and powerful strident vocals.
‘Victim of Circumstance’ was next with a segue into ‘Hey Joe’ with the audience joining in on the song. With powerful striking guitar, heavy bass and drums, with lots of WahWah pedal. Thomas after the song gave a passionate dedication to his dad Andrew, who was in the audience supporting his son.
‘How Blue Can You Get’ was the song to give Mitch & Adam solo sections to show their prowess on drums & bass respectively before Thomas joins in on Wah Wah pedal, great bluesy vocals with Deep South inflections. The first set finished with ‘Malted Milk’ with Thomas on his own on the groove in the blues classic style, with his passionate blues vocals, great picking blues guitar.
After a break for refreshments, and with the air conditioning working full blast, Thomas and his band returned with ‘Stay Out My Way’ with its slow melodic echoey guitar from Thomas and cymbals from Mitch and gentle bass from Adam, before they kicked into a heavier blues rock style number. Then ‘Woulda Shoulda Coulda’ a powerful fast blues song with strident vocals from Thomas with heavy drums to start and great bass from Adam, then wailing feedback guitar from Thomas. Before he kicks into great blues riffs backed by the band and playing the guitar behind his back.
‘Walking Blues’, a great heavy Blues song with strident vocals with raunchy beat, followed by the classic Robert Johnson song Rollin’ and Tumblin’ the title track from his recent EP. An Elmore James inspired song was next up with ‘Good Ol’ Doney’ with great guitar picking to start with heavy drums & guitar to an offbeat rhythm.
‘Statesboro Blues’ was the last song, and Thomas was joined by Tom Davies on guitar. A great blues song with slide guitar from Thomas with great interplay with Tom Davies, backed by Adam on energetic bass and Mitch giving it all on drums.
After enthusiastic applause Thomas and band returned for an encore with ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ a boogie to finish with an energetic Thomas and his band with high-speed blues, with strident and powerful vocals and heavy beat backing.
This was an evening of energetic, passionate top-drawer Blues from headliner Thomas Heppell, with his band, and he is a must see on the UK Blues scene.