When I received Popa Chubby's 'Back To New York City' album to review recently, I found it to be one of the most impressive and enjoyable blues-based albums I've heard in a long time. In fact I'm still playing it now, and it's one of those albums that grows on you with each listen. I mentioned at the end of that review that I got the impression that as good as the album was, it would be on the live stage that Popa would really shine. Well tonight I got the chance to find out, as he's in town with his old blues pal Walter Trout for a blues rock double header.

When Popa hits the stage I realise just how huge this man actually is in the flesh as he plugs in his battered old Fender Strat. The last time I saw a blues artist plug in a battered old Strat and proceed to blow me away was a very long time ago at the Reading Festival in '83, at my first festival. I had never heard of that guy before, I was in the very front row and as I said he blew me away. That man was Stevie Ray Vaughan. Tonight, Popa Chubby did the very same thing. The big man sure can play a guitar!

Popa's set features a large amount of material from the 'Back To New York City' album, with the boogie blues of 'She Loves Everybody But Me' kicking things off in style. Chubby's guitar style is heavily influenced by Hendrix, so 'Rock Me Baby' gives us a flavour of Jimi. The psychedelic blues rock of 'Pound Of Flesh' is one of the outstanding tracks from the album, and so proves to be a highlight of the live set here too. An unexpected bluesed-up take on 'Over the Rainbow' adds a bit of diversity to the proceedings, as does Popa's take on J.S. Bach with 'Jesus Joy Of Man's Desire'. The straight ahead hard rock of 'It's About You' is dedicated to the audience and much appreciated by them it is too, whilst 'A Love That Will Not Die' is a top notch piece of songwriting that highlights what an immense guitarist this man is. 'Hey Joe' and 'Angel' give the audience another taste of Hendrix, which just about raps up an hour and a quarter of simply superb blues rock, New York style. Popa is ably assisted by a rock solid rhythm section that deserves a mention, with some particularly fine drumming providing the backbeat for Popa to shine tonight, which he most certainly did.

For me it was all about Popa tonight, as it was specifically him I'd come to see on the back of the latest album. Now I'll be honest and say that although I've certainly heard of Walter Trout, although I've never heard any of his stuff or seen him live, so tonight was a perfect opportunity to rectify this. As soon as Walter hits the stage, it's clear we're in the midst of a blues rock party. Trout, as with Chubby, is clearly a maestro of the blues guitar and delivers a corking set of blues standards such as 'Dust My Broom' and 'Catfish Blues' alongside some of his own tunes such as the impressive 'Been Gone Too Long', which Trout dedicates to his brain cells! He uses a quite superb singer by the name of Andrew Elt intermittently on tracks such as 'Helpin' Hand' and 'Mercy'. Although one time Sleeze Beez singer Elt seems to be doubling up as a roadie half the time, he really does still have the air of a top class rock frontman to him and is highly impressive for me. Not surprisingly Popa Chubby pops up again for a mind-blowing guitar duel with Trout on 'Goin' Back Home' which probably sums up the evening as a whole.

Popa Chubby and Walter Trout is a blues rock match made in heaven, and so tonight really turned out to be a top notch blues rock party.