Joe Bonamassa: Live At Radio City Music Hall

His bucket-list gig: on CD and DVD.

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Joe Bonamassa has played many landmark shows in his career. In 1989, at the age of 12, he opened for BB King. Twenty years later he headlined at the Royal Albert Hall.

But for a guy born in New York State it was always a dream to play at Radio City Music Hall, the Manhattan theatre where so many showbiz legends, including Frank Sinatra, trod the boards. That dream became a reality in January 2015, and Bonamassa rose to the occasion.

This album, and separate DVD, captures a performance of complete authority – a masterclass in confident blues rock, lit up by soulful versions of signature songs Dust Bowl and Different Shades Of Blue. But with Bonamassa’s live albums now in double figures, this one is for hard-core fans only.

Paul Elliott

Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2005, Paul Elliott has worked for leading music titles since 1985, including Sounds, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q. He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N’ Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. He has written liner notes for classic album reissues by artists such as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Kiss, and currently works as content editor for Total Guitar. He lives in Bath - of which David Coverdale recently said: “How very Roman of you!”