BOOKER T with THE DRIVE BY TRUCKERS
The Prince Of Wales, St Kilda
April 10, 2009
By GEOFF CAHIR
On Good Friday I ventured down to St Kilda to catch the mighty DBT start their first Oz tour with the wonderful Booker T Jones. Booker looked like a man born to be on a stage, exuding charm and style and sounding pretty damn great for a guy in his 71st year.It was magic hearing that Hammond b3 played with such class by a real pro.
The Truckers were having a ball doubling up as a soul band soaking up all their influences from the Dirty South.
He played a fair swag of his great Stax stuff from his MG’s days including "Time is Tight" which got everyone jumping around and grinning, none more so than Shonna Tucker on bass who pumped out ripper soul lines for the 45-minute set. You know it would’ve been enough just to see this show but the best was yet to follow.A little while later DBT strode out with big ol' Patterson Hood at the helm and ripped right into "Lookout Mountain" from ‘The Dirty South’. To honest with ya I wasn’t sure whether they were gonna be as good without Jason Isbell no longer around, but the first few bars of "Lookout" allayed my fears.
Everything Id hoped they’d be they were: fiery, powerful and willing to take chances. When I'd heard they don’t have setlists I didn’t really believe it - every band has don’t they? So I had a look and: no set list - they were trusting to rely on instinct and the fact they must know each other inside out. Newish boy John Neff sounded fine on third guitar swapping over to pedal steel on the countryfied slow-ons like "Heathens" and the like.Highlights of the set were Patterson bellowing about burying the banker in "Sinkhole" the many ,many licks and runs to the front of stage by the most laidback man in rock Mike Cooley, plus Shonna belting out a few numbers along the way.
In the end the pub was packed, the band were happy which must encourage 'em to come back soon. A Good Friday ? It sure was.
