Show Two: Thursday 9 September 2010 at The Robin 2, Bilston

Once again, the West Midlands’ premier rock venue provides an early tour highlight as Robin, Glenn, Pete and Davey serve up an absolutely full-on show. One of the best RTB shows ever!

Set List: Confessin’ Midnight; Lady Love; Somebody Calling; You Can Find Me; Twice Removed From Yesterday; Extermination Blues; Day of the Eagle; Bridge of Sighs; Shame the Devil; The Turning; Too Rolling Stoned; Little Bit of Sympathy. Encores: Rise Up Like the Sun; Not Inside - Outside.

Laurie and Guy are on stage making the final adjustments. The bass tunes down one whole step from EADG to DGCF. Confessin Midnight is a challenging number to start with, on any night. Yet Glenn and Pete are able to unleash its energy with drive and tenacity, right from the off.

The 400-strong crowd are loving it too as an excellent rendition of Lady Love thunders to a crushing conclusion. Rapturous applause follows. “Let me hear you say YEAH!” The more the crowd reacts, the greater the commitment, delight and passion which flows back from band to audience. It’s infectious stuff, all right.

There’s a subtle swap in the set list. Maybe I Could Be Your Friend is replaced by Extermination  Blues. Yet the highlight of the night is, without doubt, The Turning. Although in two distinct parts, it’s confirmed later that this is a single number (recorded in one take) which ends with an introspective instrumental section after an uptempo shuffle (in terms of structure think A Tale Untold) .

The Turning has the sweetest blues riff at its core. You can’t help but tap your feet or clap your hands to it. It literally bubbles along on the crest of a wave. Robin’s contortions are confined to his left hand during the chorus. It’s another dazzling, if not slightly uncomfortable looking, combination of classic Trower chords. “Thank you very much, thank you!”

At what seems like the end, Robin plays on after the closing cadence by introducing the most intoxicating rising arpeggios (something like Bb-G-D to C-A-E and resolving to D minor). After setting the tone, Robin launches into a beautiful lead break, very lyrical in its early part. Meanwhile, Glenn takes on the harmonic mantle, picking up on the chords where Robin left off. It’s just the most incredible sound.

You know you’re watching an exceptional Trower performance when the whole band takes the mainstays of the set up onto another level. That’s exactly what happened tonight in Bilston. The key indicator was Bridge of Sighs. Robin’s smooth legato solo playing which took in some startling destinations coupled with 65 storeys of light and shade (and indeed subtle silences, in part) combined to make this one of the best Bridge of Sighs I have ever heard played live. As the crowd roared, the band soared.

Lots of good folks in the house tonight including Mike and David, Karen and John with many thanks to my hosts Steve and Steph. Hey Dunc, sorry you couldn’t make it!