The eponymous debut from Black Country Communion showcasing the talents of Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian was my album of the year.... Fact.  This is an album that gets better and better with each repeated listen, and the much talked about band (I won't use the word "hyped" as they don't need the hype.), are about to play the second of their first official gigs in the UK.  The night before the boys wowed the crowds in the Black Country homeland of Wolverhampton but tonight it's the turn of England's capital city, which should be a sublime way to end of a great year not only for the band but also for gig going punters in general.

Another Midlands artist Joanne Shaw Taylor opened up the evening with a short blues set, and its immediately obvious why she's already a big hit in the States.  Well, she looked hot, she played hot, and when she sang I was hot (under the collar). Playing tracks from her album 'Diamonds In The Dirt' she certainly won herself many new friends tonight. Joanne is already gaining a lot of interest from the blues market and I'm sure Uber rockers will be hearing a lot more from Joanne Shaw Taylor. Keep 'em peeled.

I was fortunate enough to see Black Country Communion play earlier in the year at the John Henry Rehearsal Studio's in London at a special invite only gig on the day the album was launched. In a fifty minute set that night the band were phenomenal and before tonights show I was wondering how the band would fair with a longer set on a much larger stage.  Any apprehensions I may have had though were soon quashed as the band thunder bolted on stage with 'Black Country' and Glenn Hughes is preaching in his banshee wail 'I am the messenger, this is my prophecy, I'm going back, to the Black Country'' before his bass kicks in galloping over you as if you're being trampled by a herd of stallions.  Hughes once again impresses us with his vocal range on the rocky 'One Last Soul', after that the band really finds their groove with the many slower drawn out numbers, with almost the entire album getting played, although there is no time for 'No Time'.

A ten minute 'Too Late For The Sun' sees some neat Hammond work from Sherinian, whilst the seventies sounding 'Song Of Yesterday' is fast becoming my favourite track sung by the suited Joe Bonamassa who then stays on the mic for a plough through his own 'Ballad Of John Henry' which also sees him doing his best Marcel Marceau impersonation on the theremin. It was actually a bit odd seeing Glenn Hughes at the back during these two numbers just playing the bass leaving the spotlight for other band members.

Then follows a fine version of 'Medusa' from Hughes' own Trapeze days and newly recorded by the band, this transported me back to a time when we'd only listen to music in an audio fashion, tremendous stuff.  Homage was then paid to Jason Bonham's father John, who would sometimes play on 'Medusa' with Glenn, with a trippy keyboard intro from Sherinian the band surprisingly launches into Led Zep's 'No Quarter'. Just as I thought Bonham would start crashing his cymbals up steps Joe Bonham-assa who hammers out a solo for the gods.

Throughout tonight the band was tight and solid throughout and seemed to be playing with ease. The chemistry within the four piece being almost spontaneous. So an encore is demanded for this incredible gig and the Deep Purple classic 'Burn' gets everybody in the upper tiers up on their feet.  What a perfect way to end the gigging year, and with Glenn Hughes saying from the stage that the band will be playing the summer festivals and that they will also be making another album (which I'm lead to believe they are recording right now), we have a lot to look forwards to in 2011 that's for sure.

I am the messenger, this is my prophecy, and I'm going back, to the Black Country Communion CD to play it over and over again. The boys from the black stuff were simply awesome tonight.

Set list: Black Country / One Last Soul / Beggar Man / The Revolution In Me / Down Again / Too Late For The Sun / Song Of Yesterday / Ballad Of John Henry / The Great Divide / Medusa / No Quarter / Sista Jane / Black Country (Reprise)......Encore...Burn

Photo Kudos Ben O'Luckely