Foghat was in town Saturday night for an expeditious performance at Jannus Live in Saint Petersburg. The show was a last minute announcement so it didn’t get the publicity it deserved.
Here’s what Adam St. Simons, the Director of A&R for Jannus Live had to say about booking Foghat at the venue,
“Foghat's availability was confirmed right after their Biketober Fest performance on the East Coast. We had a hole in our programming schedule and rolled the dice on it. We did, however, have much higher expectations based off their name as a classic rock headlining band. More promotion time would have definitely resulted in a better attendance; however, sometime 2-minute drills are inevitable in our industry. The band played an amazing performance and we look forward to hopefully having them back in the future.”
Nevertheless Foghat pounded out a masterful hardcore rock and roll performance pleasing its devoted Tampa Bay following on Saturday night. Although their setlist was rather short Foghat managed to deliver the crowd pleasers including an impressive blues interpretation of Robert Johnson’s “Terraplane Blues.”
Foghat’s British Blues and Boogie was founded by Savoy Brown alumni Dave Peverett (Lonesome Dave) on vocals and guitars, Tony Stevens on bass and Roger Earl on drums. In 1971 they brought in slide master Rod Price on lead guitar and Foghat was officially launched. The band prominently expressed its British blues roots early on with the release of Willie Dixon’s penned “I Just Want to Make Love to You.” With the addition of their mega hits “Slow Ride” “Fool for the City” and the commercially successful Foghat Live album, (selling over two-million copies) the band became mainstays on FM Rock radio worldwide.
Throughout the 70’s the band toured extensively usually supporting headliners. But later Foghat had numerous personnel changes and could never amass the success of their 70’s glory past.
In 1993 the original Foghat members reformed and released the albums Return of the Boogie Men, a live album called Road Cases and an album recorded on the syndicated radio show King Biscuit Flower Hour in 1999.
In 2000 Lonesome Dave Peverett died of pneumonia and complications stemming from kidney cancer at the age of 56 years old.
Then in 2005, ‘The Magician of Slide’ Rod Price died after suffering a heart attack before falling down a flight of stairs. Price was 57 years old.
Foghat’s current line-up has original drummer Roger Earl leading a rejuvenated and talented band of rock and roll musicians. Veteran bassist Craig MacGregor has played with Foghat from 1975-1992 and then returned in 2005 through the present. Charlie Huhn on vocals and guitars admits, “It’s just so great to be involved with people who have been around the block and really know what the purpose is.” Guitarist Bryan Bassett has been Foghat’s axeman since 1999. Bassett also played his guitar for Molly Hatchet, Lonesome Dave’s Foghat and Wild Cherry (“Play that Funky Music”).
Foghat is currently on the final leg of a lengthy tour that winds down with the Rock Legends Cruise on December 1st thru 5th. The cruise is sort of a Woodstock on the high seas featuring headliners ZZ Top, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, John Kay and Steppenwolf, Dickey Betts and Great Southern, Johnny Winter, The Edgar Winter Band, Pat Travers and many more.
Setlist
Road Fever
Take Me To The River
My Babe
Drivin’ Wheel
Stone Blue
Rollin’ & Tumblin (You Need Love)
Terraplane Blues
Fool For The City
I Just Wanna Make Love To You
Slow Ride
Foghat’s latest release is called Last Train Home and available to purchase on their Website at http://www.foghat.net/
Jannus Live concert information at http://www.jannuslive.com/
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