Review: Joe Bonamassa - The Royal Albert Hall, May 7th, 2026

Review: Joe Bonamassa – Live In Concert

The Royal Albert Hall, May 7^th, 2026

Reviewer / Photographer – Phil Honley

I was first introduced to New Yorker Joe Bonamassa in February 2006 when the 28 year old was brought to The Boom Boom Club by Pete Feenstra. I believe, at the time, this was his second visit to the UK having made a big impression the year before.

Anyway that was then when Joe was first establishing himself on the British blues scene by playing the modest circuit venues…this is now, a celebrated and award-winning blues rock guitarist/vocalist of the highest order filling the Royal Albert Hall on the second of two nights. Incredibly this was his fifteenth performance at this historic establishment. Not sure what Clapton’s current record is but JB is after you.

Bonamassa has always surrounded himself with stellar musicians and his band featured Josh Smith on guitar, Lamar Carter on drums, Calvin Turner on bass, and a real treat for yours truly as I have been longing to see him perform for a while, the fantastic keyboardist Lachy Doley who replaces legendary Hall of Fame keyboardist Reese Wynans who had been tickling the ivories for JB for over ten years now, and back up singers Jade McCray and Danielle De Andrea.

Bonamassa has 29 number one Billboard Blues albums, more than any other blues artist in history, so it was a little surprising that he didn’t delve deeper into his back catalogue. Nothing from the excellent “Time Clocks” album, Minds Eye would have been a bonus. My only grumble was the fact that the previous evening’s set list would have ticked all of my boxes as he played my three all time favourites, “Sloe Gin”, “Dust Bowl” and “Driving Towards The Daylight”, none of which were included on night two….ho hum.

“I Want To Shout About It” gave Josh Smith the opportunity to solo. I saw Josh in 2018 with his own band but he seems to be a permanent fixture in Bonamassa’s band these days. Quite a talent as he also produced “Blues Deluxe Vol. 2”. I can never understand why audience clapping is encouraged to accompany any number but it seemed totally unnecessary with the tempo of “I Want To Shout About It”. I felt like shouting something but it wouldn’t have been appropriate.

A fantastic evening and another guarantee when Bonamassa plays, the show will always start bang on time end at a respectable time allowing everyone time to either enjoy a couple of drinks post show or a stress free journey home where you do not have to rush or worry about catching your last train. Bonamassa played for over two hours with no banter except to tell us that he would be celebrating his 49th birthday the following day. Wow, twenty years after I first saw him.

Joe encouraged everyone to sing him “Happy Birthday” in advance of the following day’s celebrations before the inevitable encore. Bonamassa was sure to include crowd favourite, Tim Curry’s Sloe Gin, but sadly not on this occasion. Joe had said last time I saw him that he had became sick and tired of playing it as it was always requested and only succumbed last time as it was one of his dear friend Bernie Marsden’s favourites. We were instead treated to what was an extra encore, a cracking cover of Cream’s Crossroads which he reminded us has of course been played on this stage on two very special occasions by Cream. I didn’t need reminding as my beloved wife was there on 26th November, 1968 and sitting right next to me tonight. Mountain Time brought the evening to a close and Joe and band left to a standing ovation.