JJ Fields opened the show for Canned Heat at around 8.00pm. The milling and excited crowd were in loud conversation during his set and many people missed out on hearing a very fine performance by this excellent musician, but it was never going to be an easy gig.
No stranger to the Adelaide blues scene Fields has been an active player since 1989 and was awarded the coveted SA Blues Player of the Year Award in 2008. He played with the Streamliners, Blind Dog Taylor & the Heat and has shared the bill with Junior Wells, Canned Heat, Eric Burdon, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and many others.
His solo playing style is best described as old school with variations. He plays a finger-picking style that takes the listener back to the blues maestros of the 20s and 30s but with an even greater authority and style. He switched between twelve-string and six-string guitars and sang his songs with sincerity and style, all the while beating time with his left foot on a battered stompbox.
The audience slowly began to realise what this man was offering and towards the end of his set he had their complete attention as conversations dropped and an appreciative semi-circle of listeners formed in front of the stage. He was really good.
Canned Heat assembled on stage around 9.00pm to hoots and howls of approval from the expectant crowd, Dale Spalding talking amiably to them with an easy, practised stage style as he calmly tuned his guitar and arranged his row of harmonicas. Larry Taylor was taking on the bass guitar playing role at the other end of the stage as Fito de la Parra sat himself behind the drum kit and the tall gaunt figure of John Paulus strapped on his guitar.
The first song they played was On the Road Again, and what a brilliant opening gambit that was. The crowd exploded with delight to hear this classic Canned Heat number. Spalding's harmonica work was sensational, and he pumped out the familiar riffs with massive energy as Paulus sang the lyric that is so deeply embedded in the brains of many blues fans.
The large venue space of the Gov had been cleared of tables and chairs in front of the stage to leave a huge dance floor, in expectation of an eager and active crowd and it was a good decision. The space was filled with bopping and swaying listeners with an age range of 20-somethings to 70-somethings, and the energy and excitement in the room were palpable.
The band members themselves are not exactly spring chickens; de la Parra and Taylor have been with the band since 1967, de la Parra continuously and Taylor sporadically. Spalding joined the outfit in 2008 and Paulus in 2012, replacing Harvey Mandel, who joined in 1969 but has moved on to resume his solo career. There have been a lot of personnel changes since the original group of Bob Hite, Alan Wilson, Henry Vestine, Frank Cook and Larry Taylor formed the band in 1965; indeed, 43 different members have passed through the band since then.
Canned Heat played a one set, high octane show that went on for over an hour and boy can they play. The crowd adored them as they strategically injected well-known songs into the busy set.
Let's Work Together, Bullfrog Blues, Going Up The Country, Bring It On Home, all lifted an already heightened crowd but when Spalding invited the audience to join in on Same All Over, I thought we might be in danger of losing the roof.
It was a great performance that was very much appreciated by what appeared to be a capacity crowd.
Reviewed by Ray Smith, Wednesday 28th March 2018.