A plethora of chart-topping, Grammy-nominated blues laden hits, 10 studio albums under his wings and the frustratingly brilliant mind of a self-taught mastery of guitar. Kenny Wayne Shepherd has entered the building. On a beautifully chilly April night in London, we head to Shepherds – the puns must start and stop here – Bush O2 Empire for a night of sophisticated blues love. It’s been 5 months since Shepherd released his latest record ‘Trouble Is…25’, leaving a good amount of time to fonder over the tracks with great anticipation for what the live show would bring. With the sterling set-up of Noah Hunt on vocals, Kevin McCormick on bass, Joe Krown on Keys and Chris Layton on drums, all eyes and ears were set for what was to come.

In full faith to his latest album Shepherd opens with the funk-induced title track ‘Trouble Is…’. In all its dignitary the song is done even more justice by the live show with riff roaringly solid plucks and star-gapingly good string twangs. Shoulders drop in relaxation as we dive, with ease, into Shepherd’s world. We then dip into true-form blues territory with ‘Somehow, Somewhere, Someway’. Whilst Hunt provides sterlingly husky-toned, powerhouse vocals, it’s Shepherd who steals the show, sweeping in with his accurate picking with the ease of a born performer.

‘Chase the Rainbow’, ‘Nothing to Do With Love’ and ‘King’s Highway’ from the newly released album are all on the point. Shepherd graces, gifting us with that extra live seduction. Krown takes his hold from the back, providing a key in change hook for each track. Looking around during the instrumental breaks – when Shepherd hits his pedal board before taking his 6-string friend for a walk – I catch the expressions of those around me. Lips pursed, eyes eager, heads bobbing to every note, every hit. This is the blues.

Covering Bob Dylan is no small feat. But ’Everything Is Broken’ is done live as it is on the album: with that Kenny Wayne Shepherd attitude with a little added debonair. Once again Hunt lends his vocals overwhelmingly well, before hustling upon the tambourine to give head to the main man of the night. Lifting us within those juicily well-covered tracks they take on Jimi Hendrix’s ‘I Don’t Live Today’. It’s a shuffle, off-handed beat marvel for those who know the original track but have never experienced this take. An Ode to the night’s proprietor it’s the best damn version I’ve heard of the track and a testament to Shepherd’s live composition. Slapping his pedal board, it’s that minute in spark where he lets loose into the music, stepping forwards once more, reminding us – not that we needed it – of what a great guitarist he truly is. Taking on the classics is no small feat but when done good, you just feel the energy in the room rise.

With the show being tip-on-the-tongue grand so far, Shepherd whips out the ultimate classic. “You know, we released this song 20 years ago and people still come up to me and say how much it means to me, when they’re going through a hard time, it resonates”. ‘Blue on Black’. Hunt whips out the acoustic and it builds in such an emotively endearing way with such musical bravado thrust, it’s damn well hard to ignore. A playthrough of a legendary song.

As the cheers yelp, the nostalgic encore is the only option. ‘Women Like You’, ‘I Want You’, ‘Diamonds & Gold’, ‘Heart of the Sun’ and of course, the BB King cover ‘You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now’. The fact that the undying greatness of albums such as 2011’s ‘How I Go’ (Here of the Sun’ can still resonate so much in that midpoint of an artist’s career with an audience of this size speaks volumes. Finger twining, emotive working, blues inspiring. A great show from an artist that needs no introduction. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is the artist of the blues and always has been.