Our American guest has been in the country for something like three weeks and this Newcastle date would find Thomas and his band in top form. The Pain is the veteran soul man's ace band, comprising a three-strong horn section, guitar, keyboards, bass and drums. Ural Thomas belied his eighty two years, moving like a spring chicken, smiling throughout. On the road promoting his new album Dancing Dimensions, from time to time during the one hour set Thomas would wisely dip into the back catalogue.
Opening with a superb take on Pain is the Name of Your Game, the audience took to the dance floor. The horns - trumpet, tenor sax, baritone sax - knew the routine, as did the rest of the band. Thomas' sweet soul voice hit the spot, the sound of Booker T, Otis Redding, Robert Parker and others in the air.
The Pain took few solos (a bootin' tenor sax feature a highlight), these guys knew their job was to support Mr Ural Thomas! One hour later he was gone. Raucous applause persuaded our man to return to the stage. Encore done, lights up, it was time to head off into the night. Russell
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