Old, new, borrowed, and a distinctly blues sound. Aynsley Lister’s concert at Bonn Harmonie had it all. Now into November, this could be the best show thats passed my ears in 2024. I’ve seen Aynsley a good few times now, but none better than on this mid-November evening.
Checking back through my old reviews, and I think my first sighting of Leicester’s best bluesman was in 2008 at the now defunct Klangstation in Bad Godesberg. Pre-show advertising had been dire and I arrived to find only around thirty people in the hall. When the show started it was only twenty six people – four of them turned out to be Aynsley and his band. It all seemed unjust. Especially since, only a couple of years previously, Lister had been a part of the very first RUF Blues Caravan tour. Sometimes sh*t happens right? Since then, his shows here, usually at the Harmonie, have been regular and popular – and I saw a fair few of them. For some reason or another I stopped going after his visit in 2013. So, eleven years? I know that I’ve changed in that time. Has he?
The only detectable change on the stage pre-show is that his favourite red Stratocaster from the early days that was succeeded by a favourite red Probett Strat replica is now superceded by a blue/green 1970 Strat. Oh, and there’s no acoustic awaiting a run-out like there used to be. One thing that obviously hasn’t changed then is Aynsley’s love for guitars. But the music?
I was promised by the young lady on merchandise that there would be a good smattering of material from the last (2022) release ‘Along for the Ride’ and she wasn’t wrong. Amongst these is Aynsley’s critical song about Social Media ‘Amazing’ which is, as he points out, something he struggles to stay on top of; he’d rather just be ‘out there’ playing his music to the fans every night. But in these days where so many musicians are going it alone, Facebook, Instagram and co are indispensable to musicians. Rather like the proverbial tree falling in the empty forest – if no one knows it’s fallen how do we know it happened? Another newie is ‘Eve Part 1’ (yes, surprise, surprise there is also an Eve Part 2 on the new disc) both inspired by ‘Killing Eve’. Both tracks show Lister’s guitar playing expertise and inventiveness have not waned since 2013. I’m starting to wish I hadn’t left that gap between visits to his shows already…
As mentioned, the latest Strat in the rack is an intriguingly coloured Blue/Green? relic. To my untrained ears, it sounds as good as the others. Truth is, that Aynsley Lister could make ANY guitar sound good, as proof, the early songs are played with a plain black silvertone but still sound like Hendrix is pulling the strings. Oddly enough my favourite of all the axes is the big deep-throated semi-acoustic that is all too briefly deployed (on ‘Wake Up’? not sure of the song here). This beautiful looking model was in his guitar rack back in 2013 I remember, so it’s held its ground well. When I ask him later, even Aynsley doesn’t know its make, only that it was 50 pounds well spent after they put electrics in it – well, you can’t expect the World for 50 pounds can you? Whoever put the insides in did a pretty good job. I’m heading into ‘guitar-head’ anorak territory here – that’s what happens when you start talking about them with Aynsley though.
So that was a taster of the new. For old we had a sizeable chunk of 2009’s ‘Equilibrium‘ disc, including ‘Running out on me’, ‘Hurricane’ and ‘What’s it all about?’. The latter being an all-time favourite of mine that shows Lister’s undervalued (I think) lyrical talents, and also that he has a good solid singing voice when he moves down from raw pure Bluesrock. Another example of that songwriting talent is the excellent ‘Soundman’ (from 2006’s ‘Everything I Need’) documenting the importance of keeping on good terms with the house sound technician who can turn the mightiest rock riff into a whisper and the clearest fretboard run into an inglorious feedback rumble.
Tonight though Aynsley was obviously on good terms with the soundman because it’s acoustically as good as I’ve heard the sound at this venue. Hard-hitting but never rumbling or distorting. Ten out of Ten sir (and if anyone reading this knows your name step forward so I can name you!) I can certainly name Aynsley’s excellent rhythm section for the evening – Jono Martin on bass and Craig Bacon on drums. As tight as the proverbial ducks behind and a whole lot better looking! Always good to see a band clearly enjoying what they are playing, and although this is the last show of a long run in Germany and the tiredness was in their eyes at times they all gave of their considerable bests.
Borrowed? Yes, regular visitors to Aynsley (and even less regular ones like myself) will know that the man has a penchant for a couple of rock guitar classics. This evening’s choice is ‘Purple Rain’ – a coversong that has been appearing and disappearing from YouTube as quickly as the Purple one’s legal team can find it. It’s a shame really, because if you want to know just how really, really good Aynsley Lister’s technique on that Stratocaster is then this is the one to show it.
The band rock out the encore with ‘Falling Down’ and if Aynsley’s ACDC T-shirt hasn’t told you that he is a lover of heavier sounds too, then this will have done the trick. “We english hold back where praise is concerned” Aynsley noted during the set. If you are really playing brilliantly, you come off stage to be told “Not bad – all things considered and that’s about the highest praise you will get at a UK show”. Well, it just leaves me to say “Not bad – all things being equal!” One might even say “Well done gentlemen!” Or is that a little too rumbustious?
