Legendary British guitarist and songwriter Wilko Johnson (formerly of 70’s r&b band Dr. Feelgood, as well as The Blockheads), was the centre of attention in more than just one way during his concert at the Koko.
Prior to the gig, a special screening of the film ‘Oil City Confidential’ by cult director Julien Temple (The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle, Joe Strummer: the Future Is Unwritten) took place. OCC will be reviewed separately on our Film-News UK site (http://www.film-news.co.uk/)

On to the gig. Wilko opened the night with one of the best Dr. Feelgood tracks, ‘You Shouldn’t Call The Doctor (If You Can’t Afford The Pills). Just like in old times, Wilko performed his trademark steps, sliding one from side of the stage to the other and back again – all the while playing the guitar with his typical choppy style. Accompanied by Norman Watt-Roy on bass and Monti on drums, the opening track set the tone for the rest of the evening, which was rock and roll at its very best!

Next came ‘Sneaking Suspicion’ which was followed by ‘All Through The City’ – another fantastic Dr. Feelgood tune. Wilko and band were joined on stage by special guest Alison Moyet (the lady can sing for sure!), as well as English music journo Charles Shaar Murray, who decided to turn up unannounced with a harp!

Everyone had a rockin’ good time and that includes the musicians as well as the audience. The venue was filled to the brim and the audience consisted of an interesting mix of various generations, however, it was obvious that a lot of original Dr. Feelgood fans came to support Wilko. The set continued with ‘Dimples’ and then with ‘I Don’t Mind’ and went on with the John Lee Hooker classic ‘Boom-Boom’ – with Alison departing for the rest of the night.

Other tracks from the set list included ‘Paradise’, ‘Going Back Home’ and ‘She Does It Right’. For ‘Mr. Dupree’, Wilko was joined by Slim with his squeezebox. What followed were the classics ‘Mendocino’ and ‘Woolly Bully’ – originally recorded by Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs. The last song of the evening was ‘Don’t Let Your Daddy Know’ and after several rounds of applause and cheers, director Julien Temple took over and told the crowd about his film and how much he enjoys the whole evening and of course, the band. Wilko and band returned to the stage once more for the requested encore. One of the bonus tracks was the Bobby Troupe composed ‘Route 66’ – and an ecstatic audience truly got their kicks.