Live Review: Charlie Musselwhite, The Gentle Good

An orderly queue running from one end of the sold-out venue to the other, weaving through the tables and features of the Chevron Festival Gardens and terminating around the corner and down the hill; that’s what greeted those that hadn’t thought to get in early.

Clearly Mississippi-native, bluesman Charlie Musselwhite had been the talk of the town. Staying true to its orderly nature, the queue moved quickly and efficiently as admission was granted, and everyone got a decent seat.

Once everyone was seated and waiting, Charlie’s only support act, The Gentle Good took to the stage. Softly-spoken and gentle-hearted, the accomplished guitarist/folk singer/songwriter from Cardiff, South Wales born Gareth Bonello was a drastic contrast to what one might have expected for an electric blues gig. However the man delivered a captivating and powerful set. Ranging from his own compositions to traditional Welsh folk songs, sung in the native Welsh tongue, performed in many different guitar tunings (including one accidentally discovered by dropping his guitar on the kitchen floor), The Gentle Good’s set showed just how diverse an acoustic guitar and a male voice can be.

Perhaps Musselwhite had chosen such a support because, by contrast, his band would seem louder and more raucous; if that’s true, it worked. Launching into a set of no-nonsense, foot-stomping 12-bar blues, Charlie and company cut straight to the chase. Announcing himself – “Good evening, I’m Charlie Musselwhite and we’ve got the blues in the house tonight and I ain’t lyin’” – the only thing left to be said was by the burning harmonica that came straight up to his mouth. Guitarist Matt Stubbs had many a chance to convince the crowd he was worth his salt, and when it came to Musselwhite’s CD-selling spiel; “I didn’t know this, but apparently there’s a way that you can listen to us in the comfort and warmth of your own home,” everyone’s interest was piqued as Stubbs’ own record, along with drummer June Core’s, was plugged as well.

No-nonsense blue music – an apt description if there ever was. Musselwhite’s set was one that required a little momentum to get going, but once it had there was no stopping it. Perth’s many harmonica players had much to take in from Charlie himself, and it didn’t hurt that he was backed by the sort of band that only gets as tight as they are by gigging every night of the week for years.