DOOBIE DOOBIE DOOOO




Doobie Brothers, Hammersmith Apollo, London, 29th October 2010


You can hate me if you want, but when I thought about the Doobie Brothers I inevitably heard Michael McDonald in my head. It was for this reason I was a trifle anxious in all the wrong ways to see how this played out. What would they sound like without Michael; what tracks would we get and how could I get my coat dry again as I had accidently kicked my water over? Sans cap the bottle was just a sitting target for my restless foot and a consequence of worried bar staff who confiscated the cap in case I filled it with pee and lobbed it at the stage. Ok, fair do’s on that one.



Take me in your Arms was the first track and it left me in no doubt that they were about to deliver. They present as an 8 piece band; two drummers, 1 bass guitarist, 3 electric guitarists, 1 sax player and 1 keyboardist. The sound is gritty, bluesy with a twist of John Fogerty. ‘Jesus is just Alright’was a three part harmony gospel number that showcased their California roots from the halcyon days of the 70’s.


They jump from 1973 to 1996 with the rocky ‘Dangerous’from their Rocking Down the Highway’ live album; some good old fashioned bluesy rock with some of the best guitar playing I’ve heard all year. Founder member, Tom Johnston, patrolled the stage aggressively grimacing like a madman scaring all the silver foxes in the first 10 rows.
In what could only be described as a revolving door of musicians Patrick Simmons seems to have been the most consistent Doobie member and his very beautiful Crosby-styled ‘Clear as the Driven Snow’ from the ‘The Captain and Me’ album filled the Apollo with sweet harmony.



Delving into Doobie history I realised that the band were a game of two halves really. As they came to the end of their short set with Takin’ it to the Streets, I realised that most of the Michael McDonald years had been erased – ‘Minute by Minute’, 'It Keeps you Runnin’ and ‘What a Fool Believes’– all missing from the setlist. They returned to the stage with the bluesy ‘Black Water’, followed by two more well-known tracks to finish, ‘Long Train Running’ and ‘Listen to the music.’


No question that their musical skills are second to none and this was some of the best guitar playing I have heard in a long time. So many tracks I wanted to hear from them, but the soulful element that McDonald brought to the table was sidelined and it makes you ask why.