Wilko Johnson

I closely watch this man play but still can't fathom how he does it. (Photo :  Efestivals)

I've seen Wilko Johnson and his band twice now and been blown away both times by perfectly crafted blues rock, belted out by three of the best musicians in the business. They look like they're melting as cotton shirts assume a shine like wet-look vinyl. It's a good look on these guys, though, as they draw on the energy from the crowd, energy they put out to begin with but get back with interest.

Latin-scholar Wilko looks scary but isn't really. He's not machine gunning you with his guitar he's peppering your soul with licks you can't understand even when he's explaining them in slow mo on YouTube. How he plays his guitar is still a mystery when he strives to make it look simple. He's left handed but plays as if he's right handed, which goes some way to make sense, and loops his thumb over the top of the guitar to play rhythm. Beyond that, I'm still in the dark how he does it.

I also like the way he lets Norman Watt-Roy occasionally take the limelight. This guy is as much a prodigy on the bass as Wilko is on lead/rhythm and with drummer Dylan Howe this three-piece could almost be the perfect blues rock band. I think they're great and wanna see 'em again - and soon.