Aynsley rocks historic hall
It's unlikely that blues rocker Aynsley Lister has ever played anywhere quite like Lichfield's ancient Guildhall, writes Ian Harvey.
Aynsley Lister Band
Lichfield Guildhall
By Ian Harvey
It's unlikely that blues rocker Aynsley Lister has ever played anywhere quite like Lichfield's ancient Guildhall.
The Midland singer-guitarist and his band brought their modern, driving rock sounds to a venue dripping in flags, crests and history.
And perhaps, just perhaps, the Guildhall witnessed a new piece of history as the four-piece raised the flag for British blues rock, a genre dominated these days by American names.
Quiet and self-effacing by nature, Lister comes alive with a guitar in his hands, evoking the raw grit of George Thorogood in Sugar Low and the barroom swagger of early AC/DC in Balls Of Steel.
Most of the set was drawn from his new album, Equilibrium, mixing soulful melodies and muscular riffs to great effect.
The pairing of Lister's own Hurricane and a blues-infused version of Prince's Purple Rain was particularly inspired, going down a storm with an appreciative audience.
Aynsley Lister returns to the West Midlands on April 22, for a gig at the Robin 2 in Bilston.
