The Pat Travers Band at The Robin 2, November 2007

Yet another trip on the M6 Toll road beyond T8 finds us back in our beloved Robin 2, a finer live music venue in the West Midlands you are unlikely to find.

PT and the boys are back in town within a year of their last visit here [22 November 2006]. It’s a great privilege to come along to a venue like the Robin 2 and see Pat and the band playing. Thank you very much indeed for making the trip, guys.

The well-oiled backing machinery that is guitarist Kirk McKimm and bassist Frank “Rizzo” McDaniel is in excellent form tonight. Although long-term sticks man Eric Frates has made way for the introduction of new drummer, Randy Lane.

The set list is blissfully recognisable from that of the last visit, with 11 of the 14 numbers played last year repeated tonight. If you detect a tiny hint of disappointment there, you’d probably be right!

Then again, Pat and the boys need to shift some ‘product’ and ‘Stick with what you know: Live in Europe’ is an excellent addition to any CD collection and on sale tonight!

Our hopes for a full-on celebration of 30 years of two of Travers’ most quintessential albums ‘Makin’ Magic’ and ‘Putting it Straight’ dashed; we do at least get to hear ‘Stevie’, ‘Life in London’ and ‘Getting Better’.

In fairness, we do get ‘Rock n’ Roll Susie’. It’s just a shame we don’t get ‘Makin’ Magic’, ‘Need love’ or Statesboro Blues’. I feel sorry for Pat here. He’s damned if does and damned if doesn’t with fans like me around.

Perhaps this is a natural consequence of having such a fantastic treasure trove of material to choose from, a fertile back catalogue of material from over 20 albums. Pat, please, a little more rotation next time round?

Stop moaning and enjoy the show Alan! Yes, you’re right, time for some highlights. Pat and Kim really get down to it on ‘Getting Better’ especially in their double-lead duel at the end of the number, definitely my favourite number of the night.

Frank’s bass on ‘Crash and burn’ is a joy to behold. As proved last time, this number works amazingly well without the keyboards that flooded the arrangement on the original recording. Hear it for yourself on the new CD and tell me what you thinkl!

Set list: Life in London; Crash and burn; I don’t care; Heat in the street; Getting Better; Elijah; Stevie; Red House; If I had possession over judgement day; Rock n’ Roll Susie; Snortin’ Whiskey; Boom Boom out go the lights; Born under a bad sign; Black Betty.

More PT live reviews    Nov 2006    June 2004

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