The Robin 2 in Wolverhampton:
I'd not heard of Ron Sayer Jr and resisted the urge to do the myspace thing prior to the gig...far too many times, just lately, have I gone to a gig with extremely high expectations only to be let down by a weak live performance. The opposite can also be true, weak myspace, great gig, but this is a rarity so these days I'd sooner go in without any preconceived perceptions of how the gig will go.
As soon as he walked on stage I thought "Clapton" and I wasn't far off the mark. Ron has a very Claptonesque, easy flow, no rush approach to the blues - playing one note to everyone else's 15. But don't get me wrong like "Mr C" he can turn up the heat when required and then take it down at the flick of a switch.
During the set he gave a good mix of covers and original material mixing blues, funk and rock effectively. From his own stable "Little White Lies" really stood out for me, tis a great live track.
All in all an extremely enjoyable set and I'm sure that we'll be hearing a lot more from Mr Sayer Jr in the future!
Reviewer: Rob Stanley
The Boom Boom Club, Sutton
Support for Popa Chubby was from a new name to me – Ron Sayer Jr. I expect to be hearing a fair bit more from him in the future.
He gave us a good 40 minutes of Blues and rock and mixed up the originals and some covers including Free's 'The Stealer' but his original songs are good enough to focus on. 'Little White Lies' is a funky and danceable number and 'What Would You Do' reminded me of Ian Parker with a dense sound and great riff. His guitar style is full on and he solos well and he has a fair voice to go with it. The audience was very appreciative and he has a good way with them – one to watch.
Reviewer: Andy Snipper
The Walnut Tree Shades, Norwich
Tonight at the walnut tree shades I went and saw the mind blowing Ron Sayer and his band. It has been a long while since I have heard a band such as this! Ron is possibly one of the best guitarists that I have heard in the local area! His singing is soulful and spot on and his guitar skills are out of this world!
As for the rest of his band, well, it's very, very rare that a band is this tight and the communication between them while playing definitely paid off!
Their first set was filled with songs by the likes of Robben Ford, Peter Green and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Truly great stuff!
Their 2nd and strongest set was full of even more delights! With songs from greats such as Gary Moore, Robert Johnson and possibly some of the greatest covers of Hendrix possible. Everyone who reads this must go and see this man and his band! You will not regret it!
Reviewer: Nick Hall
Canny Gigs: Walter Trout (Ron Sayer Jr. Supporting)
This particular show has support from the up-and-coming blues guitarist Ron Sayer. He's British and has been quietly doing the rounds in the south of England for a while now getting very good reviews from the promoters. Sayer performs a mix of covers, but his own numbers are apparently very good, so well worth getting in early to catch this guy. This is a Saturday night gig, which means an early start and finish at the Academy. The doors will open at 6.30pm, Ron Sayer Band at 7.00pm and Walter Trout at 8.00pm. It's a 10.00pm finish so you have time to head round the corner for another pint. Enjoy the gig!
Reviewer: Adrian Marsh