At the Tuesday Blues residency , this evening unfolded like a tour through the many tributaries feeding British Blues. Three bands approached the genre from different angles, but all understood the value of groove, grit and a little theatrical swagger.

Opening the evening, the Ryk Mead Band delivered a tough, guitar-driven set that bridged Traditional Blues and Classic Rock without leaning too heavily into either camp. There was an easy confidence about them, the feel of seasoned players enjoying the intimacy of the club rather than trying to overpower it, and they set the tone for the night with muscular riffs and unflashy precision.

Snake Oil Band followed with a more rootsy, Pub-Blues spirit, rattling through a set built on sturdy classics and crowd-pleasers. Their take on Junior Wells’ 'Snatch It Back and Hold It' had the room moving early, while 'Parchman Farm' carried the right amount of dust and danger. A left-turn reading of Thin Lizzy’s 'Don’t Believe a Word' worked surprisingly well, slipping naturally into the set’s Blues backbone rather than feeling like a novelty inclusion. By the time they hit 'Flip, Flop and Fly' and a rolling 'Gimme Shelter', the band had found a loose late-night momentum that suited the venue perfectly.

Headliners David Sinclair Four arrived with the confidence of musicians fully at ease with one another. Sinclair’s songs have a literate, sharply observed quality, but live they gain extra punch from the chemistry of the band around him. 'Sick Of Being Good' and 'Long Grey Mare' carried an easy rolling rhythm, while 'World Turns Around' and 'Perfect in Every Way' balanced melodic warmth with a faintly world-weary edge.

For this show, the “Four” often felt more like a small ensemble revue. Laurie Garman’s harmonica playing effectively made him an unofficial fifth member, adding smoky flourishes throughout the set, particularly on 'Apropos Blues' and 'Southern State'. Behind the band, backing vocal duo The Easy Peelers - Georgie Webb and Colleen Cooper - brought depth and soul to the arrangements, nowhere more effectively than on 'Born Under a Bad Sign', where Cooper stepped forward on lead vocals and gave the Booker T & the MG’s classic a commanding, full-blooded reading.

There was also something unmistakably London about the performance. 'The Bands of London' captured that spirit directly, before the closing run through 'Life Gone Cold', 'Hip-Hopping' and 'I’m Waiting' pushed the set towards a celebratory finish. Their encore of Chuck Berry’s 'Bye Bye Johnny' sent the crowd back onto Oxford Street grinning.

Review: Ivan De Mello
Photos and video: Denise Lester