Walter Trout

04 December 2023

WALTER TROUT PLAYS HIS BEST EVER CONCERT AT WILBARSTON

Excerpt for an Interview with Walter Trout at the Hunting Lodge Hotel, 22 October 2000.

At Bilston several people said it was the best gig they had heard. I thought last night at Wilbarston was the best I had ever heard.

That’s what I thought too. I called my wife after the gig and said “last night could have been the best I’ve ever played the guitar in my life. It could have been my peak so far”.

And it’s Wilbarston center of the musical universe !

That’s it man. That’s what that place is. It’s got a certain energy when we play there, It’s incredible. I think part of it is because everybody has to come there from the surrounding areas. It’s not like they just have to walk down to the local gig to see us. They are coming there specifically to hear the music. So they come there with a lot of expectations and a lot of energy. Also, I have to say there was a great opening band (Marcus Malone) and they threw us a challenge. They really got everybody going. I was sitting in the back thinking the audience is going to be burned by the time we get on, I’m going to have to really kick some butt here, or I’m going to lose this crowd. And that’s a good challenge to have, I like that.

He’s a good guy and sings great. I was telling him that his voice remained the same voice, but as the genre of the music changed his delivery changed. When he was doing funk he sounded like a funk singer, but when he did a couple of hard rock songs, he sounded to me almost like Paul Rogers. He could change with the tune. He was great.