Joanne Shaw Taylor
- Rock Metal Machine
- Oct 3
- 5 min read
Artists: Joanne Shaw Taylor / Ferris & Sylvester
Venue: Barbican (York)
Date: 25 September 2025
"If you’re a fan of great music with a heavy Blues influence but also covering Pop, Rock, Soul, Jazz and Americana, then do yourself a favour, and check out the wonderfully talented Joanne Shaw Taylor, you’re Shaw (sic) to have a hell of a good time."
Husband and wife duo Issy Ferris (vocals & bass) and Archie Sylvester (vocals, guitars & percussion) stepped on to stage at 7.30 pm for a thirty-minute set of laid-back Folk/Blues/Americana. They started with the up-tempo ‘Dark Side’ from their 2024 album ‘Otherness’. This was the pair’s return to York, having sold out the Fulton Arms eighteen months earlier. The acoustic ‘Flying Visit’, from their 2022 debut album ‘Superhuman’, was inspired by a little boy who Issy use to nanny for, whilst ‘Fishing Song’ (written about their son Lucky) continued the family tradition. The pair concluded their set with ‘London’s Blues’ and left the stage to warm applause.
Setlist (contains spoilers)
Dark Side / Better In Yellow / Mother, / Flying Visit / Fishing Song / London’s Blues
Last year, I volunteered to review Joanne Shaw Taylor’s show at the Royal College of Music in Manchester. I went along as a casual follower but since that night I’ve become a huge fan, with her ‘Black & Gold’ release becoming my most played, and favourite album of 2024. So, when it was announced she would be touring again, it was a no-brainer to book tickets and an overnight accommodation in York. This was my first visit to the 1400-capacity Barbican Theatre. Although far from full, there were still an estimated five hundred in attendance. My wife and I were originally sat at the end of a row near the back of the balcony; however, we relocated for a more a central position for JST. The latter made for on even more enjoyable evening with no disturbances throughout the whole set.
The lights dimmed, The Rolling Stones’ classic ‘Gimme Shelter’ came over the PA, as Joanne Shaw Taylor, dressed in double denim, and her band took to the stage to heartfelt applause. The show started with the first of four cover versions, Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Stop Messin Round’, and it was clear from the beginning that it was wise decision to play an auditorium with great acoustics, despite the empty seats, as opposed to crushing people into a smaller venue with an inferior sound. It should also be noted that the demographic was a largely older audience who prefer to watch their music in comfort.
The feelgood nature of the show kicked in early doors with ‘Hell Of A Good Time’ and ‘Sweet ‘Lil Lies’. It was also evident that JST was more than happy to share lead guitar duties with the talented Shane Sanders. JST’s first introduction to the crowd was to thank them all for coming out, endearing herself to the majority, as she declared that York was her favourite city in the UK. Earlier in the day, whilst wondering around the streets of one of Britain’s most beautiful and historical cities, we bumped into the main lady and her beau outside the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Shop. We stopped and introduced ourselves and had a brief conversation; I would have love to have gotten a picture but I decided not to ask so as not to draw attention to them. JST continued her narrative regarding the second cover of the evening, The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ ‘Two Time My Lovin’’, but asked the audience to take the lyrics with a pinch of salt.
The crowd took little encouragement to start clapping during the excellent foot-tapping ‘Dyin’ To Know’, and along with ‘Wicked Soul’ from ‘The Dirty Truth’ opus, highlighted JST’s phenomenal guitar skills.
Those that have seen JST live previously will know that she likes to have a five-minute chat halfway through the set and give the fans a few fun facts in her blended accent of American (Nashville) and Black Country, “My name is Joanne. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. I’ve always been in love with Kevin Costner (my future ex-husband). And I hate making music videos.” She then continued to regale the story of the video to ‘Wild Love’ but sadly did not play the song (my personal favourite from last year’s ‘Heavy Soul’ opus). Fortunately, my disappointment was short-lived as she performed my favourite track, the Americana style ‘Grayer Shade Of Blue’ from this year’s long-player ‘Black & Gold’ and continued with ‘Look What I’ve Become’ from the same album.
For someone who can count the likes of Joe Bonamassa and Kevin Shirley as two of her best friends, JST shows no ego whatsoever. It was the legendary South African producer who first suggested Taylor should cover George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ (originally written for the opera ‘Porgy And Bess’). The “Caveman” is not one of the greatest producers of all-time by luck and has an ear for these things. If you ever want to know what an exceptional passionate singing voice the lady from the Black Country possesses, check out this track, which is almost on a par with the late, great Janis Joplin. ‘Summertime’ was my wife’s favourite track (“the worth the ticket price alone”) of the evening and juxtaposed to the hard rockin’ Blues of ‘Wanna Be My Lover’ that followed, underscoring the great rhythm section of Katelynn Corll (drums) and Chris Alexander (bass), who along with guitarist Sanders also provided superb backing/harmony vocals throughout the evening.
JST joked about the silence between songs, liken it to silent children, in that there must be something going on; however, the quietness between the songs was not one of boredom but one of utmost respect to JST and her band. It was refreshing to be in such a well-behaved audience who were not continually up and down from their seats to the bar and the bathroom.
The final cover of the evening, ‘Wild Is The Wind’ (original by Johnny Mathis) featured another jaw-dropping vocal performance. A keyboard solo from TY Bailie preceded ‘Black Magic’. After just over an hour-and-a-half, the quintet concluded with the rip-roaring ‘Watch ‘em Burn’ to a standing ovation. They briefly left the stage before returning for a one-song encore ‘Change Of Heart’, described by JST as the only happy song she’s ever written!
If you’re a fan of great music with a heavy Blues influence but also covering Pop, Rock, Soul, Jazz and Americana, then do yourself a favour, and check out the wonderfully talented Joanne Shaw Taylor, you’re Shaw (sic) to have a hell of a good time.
Selist (contains spoilers)
Stop Messin’ Around / Hell Of A Good Time / Sweet ‘Lil Lies / Two Time My Lovin’ / Dyin’ To Know / Wicked Soul / Grayer Shade Of Blue / Look What I’ve Become / Summertime / Wanna Be My Lover / Wild Is The Wind / Black Magic / Watch ‘em Burn
Encore: Change Of Heart
Gallery: All photos © Andy Pountney (used with kind permission)
Review: Mark Donnelly
Photos: Andy Pountney
Location:
Disclaimer:
All photographs in this review are given for free for us to use (either in the magazine or website). We will not give them to a third party without the express permission of the rights owners. If payment is required between the rights owner and the third party, that will be decided between them, not Fireworks Rock & Metal Music Magazine.
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