BB’s Blues Club, The Colour House Theatre, South London.

The band that followed are no strangers to BB’s, the Electric Experience, whose very name gives a clear indication where their musical sensibilities lie – in the music of Jimi Hendrix, which they celebrate in their own inimitable style. The line up (in true Experience style) is a power trio consisting of Pete Orr on guitar and vocals, Gordon Davis on bass and Tony Kiley on drums (since this was written both replaced by Dave Innes on drums, Andy Tolman on bass).

Not only do they excel at playing the music of Jimi Hendrix, but also they recreate in their own material the emotional intensity of the great man’s work. This was typified in their first number ‘Cryin’ Out For Love’, a shuffle with biting rock guitar and a good groove from the rhythm section. On ‘Up From The Ground’, a ‘Hendrixesque’ tone poem there was plenty of atmosphere, not played in a clichéd way and augmented by a well-balanced vocal.

Next came the real thing with ‘Are You Experienced’, Hendrix played in the round, followed by ‘The Sky Is Crying’, a restrained and poised version of this Elmore James classic. This was succeeded by another Hendrix classic ‘Little Wing’ – a thoughtful but impassioned rendition, and although Pete’s guitar did not catch fire it did everything else but. Another original, ‘Feelin’ Blue’ was a fitting conclusion to a fine first set.

For the second set the band started with ‘The Struggle’ with good ‘Vaughenesqe’ power guitar, then launched into that Woodstock Magnus Opus from Santana ‘Oye Como Va’ a fine effort from a power trio with vibrant guitar work. ‘The Devil’s Crave’ was a moody and rumbustious number very much in the vein of Albert Collins on ‘If Trouble Was Money’. This was followed by ‘Black Magic Women’ from the Peter Green by way of Santana, a classic jet-propelled and sumptuous rendition. Next was the hard driving ‘Angry Heart’ which is featured on their latest album, followed by ‘Strut’ and ‘Red House’ where I had the opportunity to join the line up. The band finished on ‘Let The Good Times Roll’, and let rip getting the usual ovation from the audience.
As usual a fine evening from the Electric Experience with a bravura performance from the whole band which was very much appreciated by a partisan crowd.

Bill Smith – ‘Blues In Britain’ - January 2002 issue

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Miller’s, Kirkby-in-Ashfield (Notts)…(10/10/02)

Not many blues/rock fans can cut the mustard these days, but here’s one that does, as sharp as you please; Pete Orr and his band have been ‘bubbling under’ on the blues circuit for a few years now, making a lot of fans, doing some class festival gigs, and lots of small venue work. From mostly Hendrix covers, hence the name, they have moved on steadily writing and recording and performing their own distinctive material – it’s been great to see the band change and develop. And after ‘loosing touch’ personally for a while it was a pleasure to see them at Miller’s, at last. It was a long haul for them from London to fill the vacant Nightporters gig, but they got a welcome second-to-none from a serious lot of loving locals.

The line-up has changed since I last saw them, to Dave Innes on drums, Andy Tolman on bass, but still up front it’s Pete Orr on lead, to make up the power trio. The first set was very much an introduction to the band – a little of their own material, ‘Feeling Blue’ and ‘Captured’, but mostly it was classic blues rock from Hendrix, Santana, Doors, Cream…a bit of Taj Mahal, with startling solo’s from both the drummer and bass player that were very much in bluesband style, and received by the audience with lots of hootin’n holler’ enthusiasm. Pete on lead guitar is always stunning to watch and listen to, his style so sharp and accurate, but what really sets the band apart from so many others are his superb vocals – the icing on the proverbial blues/rock cake.

By the second set the groove was well laid down, the audience with them all the way, with the emphasis now more on their own material – ‘Strange Days’, ‘The Struggle’ with it’s great hook (which I’m hopelessly stuck on now), which powered into Louis Jordan hit – ‘Let The Good Times Roll’, then their own ‘Angry Heart’ – brimming over with feelings, the real Pete Orr stamp on all his writing, superb Zeppelin ‘Black Dog’, Black Magic Women’ – bit Peter Green, bit Santana, lot Electric Experience, with drum solo to end them all for a delighted audience, and no time to breathe before an encore of tremendous and beautifully controlled Voodoo Chile, and well… not quite well known ‘classic blues’ as it was tongue in cheekily introduced… a bone crunchingly wonderful ‘Foxy Lady’.

You know a bit more of this and I could really get into it…but joking apart, this is a band where the ‘experience’ shows, it’s blues/rock for those who like it really hot, and for this audience I think it was a bit of that ‘love at first sight’ too!

Hilary Drysdale – ‘Blues In Britain’ December 2002 issue

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