8 Ball Joe - A Good Old Fashioned Pub Rock Band
A month or so ago my gig buddy and I went to see a good old fashioned Pub Rock Band up in the Midlands called 8 Ball Joe. As any well informed british music fan knows, the Midlands have produced some of the UK's most talented musicians and sucessful rock bands, and there is still a thriving live music scene in area. 8 Ball Joe are a three piece Rock Band based around Coventry who have carved a niche in the current circuit offering a varied, ever evolving set, merging the old favourites of rock music with some newer covers.
8 Ball Joe were winners of Radio One's ‘Rock Wars’ hosted by Tommy Vance and have played many prestigious gigs including the Marquee in London. They are a firm favourite at Motorcycle Rally’s - playing two years running at the Bulldog Bash where they supported Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson.
The band have been playing for over 25 years now, solidly gigging and serving up all the music they love mixed with a few of their own compositions too. My gig buddy grew up with 8 Ball Joe's charismatic singer and guitarist Joe Delfuego in Atherstone, and when we attended the gig, it was a bit of a reunion night as they hadn't seen each other face-to-face for 30 years.
Joe and his band turned up just as we were having dinner in the Golden Lion in Wellingborough. They dont have any muclebound roadies to lug all the amps and equipment around - they do it all themselves or rope in family and friends to help. There's no Road Manager or lighting and sound technician to set up the stage and do a sounscheck. They usually have to ask the Bar manager to turn Sky Sports off before they start playing.
This is a million miles away from the pampered lives of the untouchable rock gods who bagged that elusive record deal, sold millions of albums but then lost touch with their working class roots. The three guys in 8 Ball Joe all have day jobs and families, they probably only earn enough from each gig to cover their beer money and petrol costs for the night. They drive for hundreds of miles every weekend to play to audiences of less than 100 people, half of whom are drunk by 9pm. They earn their ciggie and a swift pint during the interval. They've paid their rock and Rolls dues.
8 BALL JOE - RADAR LOVE - GOLDEN LION, WELLINGBOROUGH 2014
However - when they play live, they give it their all, and it is clear that they absolutley love doing what they do, and can entertain everyone - even the drunks! They're not over-syled within an inch of lives, nor do they live in huge gated estates, with rooms full of expensive guitars and gold discs on the wall. Joe, Chico, and Bone are just 3 regular guys from the Midlands who love playing Classic Rock and Blues and have all performed their musical apprenticeships with a variety of local bands before coming together as the current line up of 8 Ball Joe.
Their stage outfits are jeans and t-shirts, their instruments are "Well- loved" and their set is full of great songs by Bowie, The Stones, Steve Earle, ZZ Top, The Sweet, Mott the Hoople and Billy Idol. They deliver their Rock in huge meatly slabs. They get people up dancing, and even the grumpy old git nursing a pint of guiness in the corner ends up tapping his toes and nodding. They put a smile on your face and make your ears buzz when you leave. They are a "feel good band" playing the music we all grew up and rebelled to.
Long Live 8 Ball Joe.......and many other bands just like them who give up their weekends so that we can rock out!
