Review and photos By Ali Burman
Jack J Hutchinson and bassist Greg Smith prove that you don’t need a full band to make a serious blues-rock impact at Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
Opening for Robin Trower is no small undertaking. Trower has spent more than five decades establishing himself as one of the great expressive guitarists in rock, so the support act has the unenviable task of winning over an audience who have come primarily to hear one of the genre’s legends.
Jack J Hutchinson, however, seemed entirely unfazed.
Appearing on stage at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 5 September with just bassist Greg Smith alongside him, Hutchinson delivered a compact but remarkably powerful set that demonstrated just how much sound two musicians can create when they know how to use space.
From the opening “Bullets,” it was immediately apparent that this was no conventional support slot. With no drummer or percussionist to provide the obvious rhythmic foundation, the responsibility for creating the momentum fell squarely on Hutchinson and Smith. It could easily have sounded sparse. Instead, the pair turned the limitations of the two-piece format into one of the performance’s greatest strengths.
Smith’s bass provided a deep, muscular foundation beneath Hutchinson’s guitar, allowing the latter to roam between chunky riffs, bluesy phrasing and sustained leads. There was an appealing rawness to the sound — less polished than a full production, perhaps, but more immediate and intimate.
And Hutchinson himself was clearly enjoying the experience.
One of the most likeable aspects of the performance was his interaction with the audience. He came across as personable, relaxed and thoroughly down to earth, appearing completely comfortable on the Shepherd’s Bush stage. Between songs, he engaged directly with the crowd, punctuating the set with humorous interludes and observations.
That humour mattered. It broke down the barrier between performer and audience and made the performance feel conversational rather than staged. Hutchinson wasn’t hiding behind the rock-star persona; he came across as a musician genuinely pleased to be there.
Musically, however, there was nothing lightweight about the performance.
“Road to Hell” pushed the blues-rock intensity higher, Hutchinson’s guitar cutting through with a satisfyingly gritty tone while Smith locked into the grooves underneath. The absence of drums actually gave Hutchinson’s playing greater prominence, allowing the audience to hear the nuances of his phrasing and the interaction between guitar and bass.
“Shine a Light” provided a change of pace, demonstrating that Hutchinson isn’t reliant solely on volume and heavy riffs. There was space in the arrangement, allowing the melody to breathe, while Smith’s understated bass work helped hold everything together.
Then came “Burn,” and the two-piece format really began to show its muscle.
Hutchinson attacked the guitar with renewed ferocity, while Smith supplied the low-end weight necessary to make the performance sound considerably bigger than its personnel suggested. It was an impressive demonstration of musical economy: no excess, no unnecessary embellishment, just two players filling the room with sound.
“I Will Follow You” brought the emphasis back towards songwriting and melody, before “Call of the Wild” restored the heavier edge. By this point Hutchinson had established a genuine rapport with the audience. His between-song humour continued to earn smiles and laughter, while the music itself remained uncompromisingly blues-rock.
The final song, “Soul Believer,” provided a suitably emphatic conclusion. After seven songs and around 35 minutes, Hutchinson and Smith had achieved something that support acts don’t always manage: they had made the audience invest in them.
What was particularly impressive was the confidence required to perform in such a stripped-back format. Without drums filling the sonic spectrum, every bass note and guitar phrase becomes exposed. There is nowhere to hide. Hutchinson and Smith embraced that rather than attempting to disguise it, creating a performance that felt spontaneous, honest and refreshingly direct.
The pairing also made perfect sense on a night headlined by Robin Trower. Both performances were ultimately built around the power and expressiveness of the guitar, rather than elaborate stage production. Hutchinson may have been the opening act, but his approach shared that same belief that a great guitar sound, a strong groove and a good song can carry an entire room.
And perhaps that’s the biggest compliment that can be paid to this performance.
Jack J Hutchinson didn’t attempt to compete with Trower, nor did he need to. With Greg Smith beside him, he simply walked onto the Shepherd’s Bush Empire stage, plugged in and made a very convincing argument for the power of the two-piece.
By the time “Soul Believer” faded, Hutchinson had left the audience warmed up for the main event — but also, perhaps, with a new artist to investigate.
9/10
VERDICT
A gutsy, stripped-back performance that proves two musicians can make one hell of a noise. Powerful guitar, heavyweight bass, plenty of humour and a genuine connection with the crowd — Hutchinson was far more than a support act.
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