It isn’t every night you get a chance to see a living legend in Belfast and as soon as the news broke that Out to Lunch Festival had booked Booker T Jones we quickly noted the date in our brand spanking new 2015 gig diary.
The Black Box in Belfast was packed out with people eager to be a part of this special intimate show with the Stax Records legend. Early on the excitement is clear for all to see as the eager audience get as close to the venue’s stage as possible, making for challenging conditions for the not so dainty festival photographer to work in.
As soon as the band hit the stage the hits start coming. An early highlight is ‘Theme from Hang ‘Em High’ one of Clint Eastwood’s first westerns and it gets a rapturous response as does ‘Green Onions’ which sees some audience members reaching new levels of personal ecstasy, while somewhat more amusingly it also sees sparks and ash trails from smokers rushing in from outside after being caught out by the early appearance of the tune in the set list. There are covers tonight to as Booker T lifts up his Fender Telecaster and moves centre stage to delight us by singing a re-arranged and stripped back version of ‘Purple Rain’ along with versions of ‘Hey Joe’ and ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’, which he informs us he played bass on during Bob Dylan’s recording session.
The show continues with more hits; ‘Melting Pot’ is sublime and ‘Soul Limbo’ almost lifts the roof off the Black Box as the audience erupts with delight at hearing the opening beat played on the cow bell. Tonight it also features a very impressive drum solo, which works very well in the arrangement. ‘Time is Tight’ heralds the beginning of the end of the show and the frenzy of the audience continues unabated.
Fuelled by drink and classic tunes this lot don’t want to go home and as the night ends with a medley of ‘Hey Ya / Loving You Too Long’. The calls for more and the whistles and cheers show no sign of abating.