Tedeschi Trucks Band

Live at SSE Arena, Wembley, London

1st February 2020

By Robert Corich


Tedeschi Trucks Band or TTB are a band I have been wanting to see live for nearly ten years after hearing hugely positive things from friends and colleagues who witnessed them in concert in the US. In particular, the swamp state of Florida. Often missing them by only a few days or more on many trips to the Sunshine State over the years than I care to admit. Every time I arrived they’d just played when I was leaving they were playing a few days after. Every time they were in the UK, I wasn’t.

I was starting to wonder if it was ever destined to be.

I had previously witnessed Derek Trucks live, both with his band and the Allman Brothers, on his home soil so I knew that at the very least there was going to be some hotshot guitar playing from Mr Trucks at this well attended London gig.  

I was thrilled to finally get the opportunity to see them even if it was in a less than sunny England on a chilly winters evening in a not so nice a venue, Wembley’s archaic Arena, formerly the Empire Pool which was built 85 years ago. Still, it does have plenty of history, I guess.

I’ve seen many a band in the Arena over the years and as a venue for good sound, it’s often a tough nut for both sound engineer and band alike to crack.

The seats we were assigned were dead centre, about 25 rows from the stage, so the view (apart from a gentleman the size of King Kong a few rows in front of me) was clear. I'm glad he seated himself for a decent part of the show.

Opening act Blackberry Smoke delivered a reasonably good set overall and the band were a more than an adequate starter for any good headline act.

There were no flash pots, fireworks or dramatic lasers to commence the entrance of what would culminate in a twelve-piece band taking to the stage including two drummers; two horns; sax player; three stunning vocalists; a bass player; keyboard player and finally Derek Trucks on guitar and Susan Teschedi on guitar and lead vocals.



I was familiar with all four of their studio albums and the few live offerings the band has issued since their formal combining of Trucks and Tedeschi’s bands over ten years ago. I had more than an inkling of what to expect.

Lifting off with a smooth version of the title track to their 2019 studio release, and then following on with the beautifully sublime ‘Do I Look Worried’ from their second studio album ‘Made Up Mind’, it was pretty clear that if they kept this up it would be a performance to treasure.

The third song in was ‘Don’t Know What It All Means’, from their third studio release ‘Let Me Get By’, with guitar and vocals from the two T’s that slowly sucked the crowd in.

The fourth offering was a heartfelt and soulful cover of the Boxtops 1967 number one hit ‘The Letter’, a song possibly just as well known as Joe Cocker’s first US top ten hits in 1970 and included on his classic Mad Dogs & Englishmen album of the same year. Both extremely hard acts to follow. Susan Tedeschi’s vocal delivery on this live version made it shine and gives the song a whole new lease of life as the band make it their own for the modern era.

Mike Mattison, delivered the hauntingly beautiful vocal on the band's fifth concert offering ‘Life Is Crazy’. Penned by Mattison was also previously the lead vocalist for the Derek Trucks Band and his award-winning Scrapomatic.

Next up were two beautifully delivered Derek and the Dominoes covers in the form of ‘Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?’ and ‘Bell Bottom Blue’ which Trucks and Co. arguably deliver better than any version since Eric Clapton’s Fillmore recordings of 1970.

Following on from the Clapton homage the band reverted to their material with ‘Part of Me’ lifted from 2013’s ‘Made Up Mind’, then the beautifully gentle ‘Hear Me’, from the bands third studio release, before hurling themselves back into showcasing ‘Hard Case’ and ‘Shame’ two tracks from last years ‘Signs’ album. ‘Shame’ already showing the signs of a classic live song.

A dozen tracks into the set and we are treated to a sublime and dreamy performance of ‘Midnight In Harlem’ from the band's debut album.

This was followed by another track made famous by Clapton and the Dominoes, ‘Keys To The Highway’, proving that Trucks and Co. are up there on the top shelf at delivering these beautiful blues standards. Tonight’s version would enthral any lover of electric blues and, supplemented with the guest appearance of Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr, bringing a baker's dozen to the stage was just icing on the cake.

Next up, the penultimate track of the main set ‘Bound For Glory’ from the bands debut album was used to feature the double drumming of Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson; the bubbling bass skills of Brandon Boone; the stunning sax playing of Kebi Williams; the superb trumpet and trombone playing of Ephraim Owens and Elizabeth Lea along with the supreme vocals of Mike Mattison, Alecia Chakour and Mark Rivers. Not forgetting the hauntingly beautiful keyboard playing by newbie to the live band, Gabe Dixon, his playing is eerily similar to the sound of 1960’s Jimmy Smith and early live performances by Jon Lord.

The musicianship of Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and their band is simply stunning throughout.

Following the inevitable pause before the expected encore, the band rolled back on stage with the won over audience cheering and stomping for more.

Delivering a funking brilliant rendition of George Clinton’s lost classic ‘Good To Your Earhole’, this brilliant version summed up how nearly 10,000 pairs of ears felt this evening.


It might not have been the Royal Albert Hall or Madison Square Garden but, tonight, TTB won over their audience (as did those sound engineers) and made The Arena a place worthy of being at on a chilly February evening. 

There are not many American bands that can claim that now are there?


Live rating: 9.5 out of 10


Recommendation: Catch this band live where and whenever you can.

I know I will again.


Setlist:


Signs, High Times
Do I Look Worried
Don’t Know What It Means
The Letter
Life Is Crazy
Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?
Bell Bottom Blues
Part of Me
Hear Me
Hard Case
Shame
Midnight in Harlem
Key To The Highway
Bound For Glory
Show Me

Encore
Good To Your Earhole