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Peter Frampton

From page 97 of Classic Rock Magazine June 2011

Cover of June 2011 issue.

London Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Coming alive one more time.

The Achilles heel of the classic rock market is how so few of its major players are able to emulate, let alone exceed, the musical heights they hit in their heyday. Peter Frampton is one of the exceptions. As he ably demonstrated before a packed adoring crowd at the Empire, not only is he a miles better guitar player these days, but he’s also found a brand new groove as a singer-songwriter.

Live, though, is where he is still found at his best, and his current band – keyboardist, guitarist Rob Arthur, Comes Alive veteran bassist Stanley Sheldon and drummer Dan Wojciechowski – is also of the highest order. Tonight we get a set of non-stop highlights, from Frampton’s pop-rock purple patch – Show Me The Way , Baby I Love Your Way , Do You Feel Like We Do – to his masterclass musician present, such as the beautifully understated acoustic instrumental Suite Liberte , the stirring Restraint and the movingly autobiographical Asleep At The Wheel .

Equally impressive is the effortless way he communicates with his audience; witty asides; true-life stories; and of course the ever-dependable talk box – albeit the modern, trimmer version.

Mick Wall