Samantha Fish is making big waves in the pool of talent, and tonight she roared into Glasgow, where she brought Jesse Dayton along as co-pilot of the ship named Blues Rock.
Hailing from Kansas City, Samantha continues to showcase her amazing guitar skills, which, combined with her amazing voice, capture the listener in a vortex of funky country rock.
Jesse Dayton adds his incredible talent to the Death Wish Blues tour. His guitar work on albums by such luminaries as Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson is a testament to his abilities.
The crowd was slow to build at the Barrowland Ballroom, and as the support band, The Commoners, took to the stage, the arena floor was very sparsely populated.
The Commoners come from Toronto, Canada, and describe themselves as playing their own brand of rock and blues.
Right from the off, their energy was captivating, and as the crowd grew larger, the band fed off it to the point where the last song of their set came as a huge disappointment to the crowd. The crowd (and the band) wanted more!
The interval before the main act was short.
Shortly after 9 p.m., the background music faded, the house lights dimmed, and an expectant roar welcomed Samantha Fish, Jesse Dayton, and their band to the hallowed Barrowland stage.
Kicking off this 22-song set was ‘Kick Out the Jams’ and the crowd bought into it right from the off.
Talking of the crowd, the floor wasn’t full, but there was a decent number, giving huge appreciation. The storm raging across the country (and the transport disruption that resulted from it) probably had an effect on attendance.
The stage full of talent played the blues to chase away the blues of those who made it along.
The set list was superb in both content and tempo; it allowed the two headliners to show the best of their skills with vocals and guitar. The dualling guitar battles were amazing to watch and listen to!
There was a mini set of purely acoustic songs where the band left the stage; Samantha and Jesse donned acoustic guitars and treated everyone to some incredible guitar work.
Sometimes a little set within the main set can kill a show (and punters head for the bar!). but this seemed to captivate the audience, such were the skills on display.
The SS Blues Rock kept on steaming towards the port, and, as it inevitably arrived, the passengers weren’t quite ready to disembark. They refused to leave until captains Fish and Dayton took them on one last mini-cruise around the Loch of Country Rock. They duly obliged.
Sufficiently sated, the passengers filed from the Barrowlands and back into storm Babet, which, thankfully, had stared to abate.
Bigger things lie ahead for Samantha Fish, and Scottish Music Network will definitely keep watch. This country gal has some serious skills!
Review & Photographs by John Brown
