Thanks to the hundreds of you who listened to the various Joe Bonamassa interviews over the last couple of weeks - we're now delighted to announce the availability of the Full podcast. This podcast re-unites all of the audio from our interview with Joe, previously split between the Varmint Show and the Rock and Blues Circus, plus many of the tracks from Black Rock.
So, set aside around 1 hour 20 minutes, find a decent claret, sit back and wallow.
Last Updated ( Monday, 15 March 2010 00:02 )
The VBSC Needs Your Help
Written by Matt
Sunday, 07 March 2010 00:17
Like cracking music? Always fancied being a censor? Then why not join the Varmint Board for Show Classification?
The VBSC is looking for volunteers to go through the Varmint Vaults and rate them, according to their suitability for broadcast during certain hours of the day. In addition, we're looking to augment the Varmint Vinyl playlists with a brief description of the show. Now, obviously, we could do this ourselves but, with over 120 shows (240 hours) and counting, we could do with some help.
How we would envisage this working is as follows;
Pick a month from the Varmint Vaults
Let us know and we'll list you as working on this particular month - to avoid duplication
Listen through to each of the shows
Email us with a synopsis of what we talked about and a recommended VBSC rating
We'll add the synopsis and rating to the playlist of each show and credit you as Official Censor
This will enable us to;
Reference old shows, not only by tracks, but also by "the one where John talked about being a goldfish in his nativity play" (or whatever ...)
Start to introduce shows into daytime repeats on the schedule (or realise that nothing we broadcast is suitable for airing pre-watershed!)
We'd really appreciate your help so, if you can do even just one show,
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and we'll go from there.
In the meanwhile, I'll do one myself so you've got a template for the kind of thing we're looking for and will link to it from this article when done - now, which show shall I choose .....?
Matt
Last Updated ( Monday, 08 March 2010 20:45 )
The International Sheila Show
Written by Matt
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 16:04
Yippeeee! It's that time of the year again!
OK, I'll explain. Monday 8th March is International Women's Day. Every year, the Varmints celebrate the occasion by turning over the entire playlist to tracks by female writers and musicians and this year is no exception. So, join us this Friday to celebrate all that is fantastic - cross-genre - in music by "the other half of the sky". This year is even more special, as it marks the 100th anniversary of the 1st International Women's Day and, whilst it's difficult to tie this fact into the theme (as my collection is certainly somewhat thin on the ground when it comes to centenarian female recording artists - happy to take suggestions though ...) I'm sure we'll come up with an appropriate twist.
And, if the music itself is not enough inducement, it's worth tuning in just to hear Oz Varmint do his live jingle (see bottom of attached poster).
Be there, or be a grumpy misogynist with no friends ... unless of course you ARE a grumpy misogynist with no friends, in which case you won't be going out so tune in anyway - bargain, everyone satisfied!
I'll get me coat ...
(Click on the thumbnail above for a full-size poster)
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 March 2010 16:29 )
Joe Bonamassa's Black Rock
Written by Matt
Friday, 19 February 2010 00:35
From time to time, the Varmints are lucky enough to get their paws on new releases before you, the great washed. This week we took delivery of a couple of review copies of Joe Bonamassa's new album, Black Rock. Having established that you couldn't actually eat it, we wiped our drool off and passed it to Rob Varmint for his thoughts (frankly we were expecting something monosyllabic - Great .... Monster .... Urk .... Crunchy ... something along those lines, but, bugger me, he's actually gone and used proper words, sentences and punctuation thingies!) So, for those of you who like the whole words-in-the-right-order-malarkey, here's Rob's fantastic review:
“Black Rock” is Joe Bonamassa's eighth solo studio album, and yet again raises the bar in terms of the quality of the product.
Recorded at (and named after) the Black Rock Studios in Santorini, Greece, the album features five original tracks and eight cover versions, and, as fans have come to expect with producer Kevin Shirley at the helm, everything about the album, including the arrangements, personnel and choice of covers is at once eclectic and innovative. But that's not to say that the album strays from Joe's blues rock roots – instead he takes the raw material and continues in his affirmed quest to break new ground musically.
The album opens with a thumping, rocky cover of Bobby Parker's “Steal Your Heart Away” which was suggested to Bonamassa by legendary Wolves fan (and occasional Led Zeppelin vocalist) Robert Plant. Maybe it's the Plant reference that encourages me to hear the influence of Jimmy Page in this track, maybe not – whichever, it's a high energy start to the album, and this is maintained on the second track, another cover, this time of the John Hiatt song “I Know a Place”.
“When the Fire Hits the Sea” is the first Bonamassa original on the album, inspired by the spectacular sunsets viewed from Santorini, featuring Joe on slide guitar, with superb support from the band – Rick Melick's keyboards are absolutely sublime on this track. The autobiographical “Quarryman's Lament” is the album's first real foray into world music, featuring local Greek musicians on bouzouki and clarino. Joe's vocal is pretty damned special as well.
A rocked out cover of the Jeff Beck Group's “Spanish Boots” provides a heavy interlude before the Greek influence resurfaces on Leonard Cohen's “Bird on a Wire” which builds beautifully over five minutes before the plaintive final verse. Fans of Joe's blues work will be pleased with the cover of Otis Rush's “Three Times a Fool” and his duet with B.B. King on Willie Nelson's “Night Life” - the latter featuring a sumptuous horn section, and the two guitar maestros complimenting each other's playing and singing.
Another original, “Wandering Earth” follows, a slower, heavier blues track, before another cover – “Look Over Yonders Wall” by James Clark, somewhat more upbeat and with some fine vocals and guitar work. “Athens to Athens” is an acoustic blues track with beautiful Greek instrumental accompaniment. One more heavy blues track, “Blue and Evil” (with more Zeppelin overtones) follows before the final track – an impromptu campfire version of Blind Boy Fuller's “Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind” featuring Anton Fig playing chair and spoon and some virtuoso whistling – not sure who that is!!!
All in all, it's a fine album, with Joe and his producer, Kevin Shirley, yet again refusing to rest on their laurels and trying (and succeeding) to do something different whilst still remaining faithful to Joe's blues/rock roots.
Rob Varmint.
Great Stuff! And if you'd like to hear more, the Varmints will be playing a track from the album on this week's show ... and maybe letting y'all into a little secret ... so, join us, Friday19th Feb, 22.00 -Midnight to find out more. (Trust me - tune in, but ... you aint seen me, right?)
Last Updated ( Friday, 19 February 2010 01:21 )
The Varmints in Conversation with Joe Bonamassa
Written by Matt
Saturday, 20 February 2010 21:32
This Friday, 26th February, between 22.00 and Midnight, the Varmint Show are proud to announce an exclusive interview with Joe Bonamassa.
Show Trailer:
Widely regarded as one of the finest players of his generation and arguably one of the most popular of recent years, Joe has recently been attracting rave reviews for both his studio and live work as well as a number of hugely prestigious awards - including Classic Rock Magazine's "Breakthrough Artist of the Year" 2009, Planet Rock's "Guitar God of the Year" 2008 and 2009 and "Album of the Year" 2009. In addition to these, he has been No: 1 Artist on the Billboard Blues Charts in the US for the last 6 years on the trot.
We caught up with Joe earlier this month, annexed the Executive Lounge at the Hilton Hotel (75 pounds just to close the doors!) and during a very convivial hour discussed Joe's new album Black Rock (see review below), the last 12 months and many other things.
So, join us for a unique insight into the thoughts of a performer whose stock is rising stratospherically and enjoy tracks from the new album, some of which will be receiving their first airplay - anywhere ... (who knows, we may just play the whole album!)
Show starts at 22.00 GMT, with the feature starting at around 22.30.
To listen, just mouse over the Listen LIVE! link on the menu above and select your preferred media player (or just click Listen LIVE! and allow our system to make the decision for you) - alternatively, go to www.10radio.org and click on the Listen link / little speaker icon. And don't forget to email us with your thoughts.
Click the thumbnail above for a full-size poster
Last Updated ( Monday, 22 February 2010 09:24 )
British Blues Awards 2010
Written by Matt
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 00:10
As many of you will know, over the past couple of years, the Varmint Show and the Rock and Blues Circus have played tracks by, featured and indeed interviewed a wide range of fantastic British Blues Artists (just see below for just a couple of recent examples). During this time we have wondered about (and searched for) the British Blues Awards - never managed to find them. We now know why ... they didn't exist!
To redress this almost criminal imbalance in UK music awards, those wonderful people at the Nottingham Blues Society have launched the British Blues Awards 2010, giving their reasons as follows;
" We are justly proud of the artists and bands that make up the British Blues scene and provide so many of us with some fantastic entertainment. For so long now they have gone unappreciated, un-praised and relatively unnoticed in the world of entertainment awards, ignored by the Grammys and blatantly disregarded in the MOBO's.
To redress the balance we have created our own awards to heap back-slapping and praise on our musical heroes and heroines.
Unfortunately, we do not have the financial backing of the Oscars so all that we have to honour our favourites is the esteem amongst their fans and peers that holding the title of "Best British Blues Guitarist" or "Best British Female Blues Vocalist" affords to them"
We at the Varmint Show / Rock and Blues Circus say hats off to the NBS and would like to get behind this wonderful idea as much as we can.
So, initially, please go to the awards site here - British Blues Awards 2010 - to nominate your favourite artists in a wide range of categories ... go on, it'll take a minute or two of your time.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 February 2010 00:33 )
