Review | The Wilko Johnson Band at New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth: 'Very much alive and kicking'

Back in 2013 Wilko Johnson was playing a farewell tour after being diagnosed with what was thought to be terminal cancer. At The Wedgewood Rooms it was like attending a wake with the deceased still up on stage playing. It was certainly one of the most surreal shows I have attended.

Thankfully following the intervention of a photographer/cancer specialist (what are the chances of that?) at the Cornbury Festival, Wilko Johnson heralded the greatest comeback in rock’n’roll history .

For two years during the pandemic Wilko's guitar remained idle in the corner of his room.

He amused himself with a series of hilarious podcasts with his rock’n’roll mates, but now here he is still dressed in his signature black, armed with his faithful Telecaster with red scratch plate.

His faithful lieutenants, Dylan Howe on drums and possibly the greatest living bass player in the world, the ubiquitous Norman Watt Roy.

The band maybe a bit ring rusty after a long lay-off, but this is the first night of the tour, so one can give them a bit of slack. However, Wilko still shimmers across the stage, giving the time-honoured bug-eyed stare made more famous by his role as the mute executioner in The Game of Thrones .

The big hits from the Dr Feelgood days are fired out with aplomb, with Wilko dishing out the requisite machine gun etiquette from the aforementioned Telecaster.

There is even time for the reggae-tinged Sneaking Suspicion from the Solid Senders days.

Wilko barely says a word to the crowd all night apart from the perfunctory ‘Thank you very much’, and the introduction of his band members who are given time and space to show off their skills, especially Watt Roy, and the chemistry between the two is palpable.

No surprises with the set closing Back in The Night and She Does it Right, leaving the crowd wanting more, and they duly oblige with Chuck Berry's Johnny B Goode, for which Wilko remarks: ‘It’s been so long I may have forgotten this one.’

We are left with the refrain 'Bye bye Johnny, bye bye,' which back in 2013 we thought would be the case.

Thankfully the 74-year-old Wilko is very much alive and kicking.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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