Ian Siegal at The Arc (2016)

Ian Siegal

The Arc, Stockton-on-Tees

9.11.2016

Ian Siegal brought The Arc to life last night as his 25th anniversary tour came to town.

Ian has had many adventures since the early days of supporting Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings and has built up a very impressive back catalogue of blues. This tour is to showcase some of the material on 2wentsive: The Collection, a brand new, strictly limited edition box set, featuring 38 songs from the 25 years.

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He played solo last time I saw him at The Arc but this time he was a three-piece band. No two Siegal performances are ever the same. The extra guitar added considerable kick to the sound.

They played with purpose, as if they had a big point to prove. The first few songs - covering the first half hour or so - segued into one another, without pause for breath. Skinny led the way, setting the high-octane tempo for what was to follow.

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Given the celebratory nature of the occasion - clocking up 25 years in the road is no mean feat - the songs were pulled from all across the quarter of a century. For example, we had How Come You're Still Here and Revelator (John the Apostle) alongside the likes of Butterside Up, Hard-pressed and Mortal Coil Shuffle.

Despite 25 years, numerous albums and excellent reviews, Ian Siegal remains, in some respects, one of best-kept secrets of British blues. Catch him on tour and enjoy the revelation.

Here are a few more photos from the evening with which to conclude.

For tour dates, details of the new box set and other matters, head for the official Ian Siegal website.

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