[Slowhand] Albert Hall, First Three Nights

[Ken Norris]

Okay, I am just back from London, where I saw the first three shows at the Albert Hall.

It's a very good band, and an interesting setlist. 

The band is new, and at times they are still finding their way. So each of the shows had different highlights. By the
time they get to the U.S. I expect they will be playing together on a more consistent level. 

IMHO, in a two hour show, half an hour was great (Anyday, I Am Yours, Little Queen of Spades, Milkcow), an hour
was quite good (Pretending, So Tired, GTGBIALW, Lost & Found, I Shot The Sheriff, Let It Rain, Back Home, Nobody
Knows You When You're Down And Out, After Midnight, Running On Faith, Everybody Oughta Make A Change, Motherless
Children) and half an hour was so-so (Wonderful Tonight, Cocaine, Layla (except for the coda, which now has some lovely
slide going on in it) and Crossroads). Obviously, these opinions are colored by song preferences. 

Lots of sharing of guitar duties, with lots of guitar flying every which way. 2004 was plagued by too much keyboards
(as much as I love Billy Preston's playing). Now it's guitar saturation, which for me is not a complaint. Derek Trucks
can really give EC a run for his money, and I really like how Doyle is playing right now. When they get all three guitars
going at once it is really quite glorious. 

Willie Weeks and Steve Jordan push harder than Nathan East and Steve Gadd. 

It's too bad they aren't doing an hour of Derek & the Dominos songs, because this band could really do them justice. But
they are doing close to half an hour of Derek & The Dominos songs. 

Best,

Ken