Gov’t Mule Keeps Bust Outs Coming & Welcomes Frequent Collaborator In Cardiff

Veteran jam act Gov’t Mule continued their second European Tour of the year on Friday night at Tramshed Cardiff in Cardiff, England. The band continues to mine their repertoire for hold and for the fourth night in a row unveiled a long-lost favorite. Mule’s visit to Cardiff also saw the quartet reunite with a frequent collaborator as part of an extended encore.

Gov’t Mule focused on originals throughout the first set, beginning with a batch of old school classics and ending with three of the best songs from this year’s Revolution Come…Revolution Go. Up first were heavy rotation staples “Railroad Boy,” “Thorazine Shuffle,” “Banks Of The Deep End” and “Time To Confess.” What was followed was “Thelonious Beck,” along with the biggest surprise of the night “Gordon James.” Gov’t Mule recorded “Gordon James” for 2009’s By A Thread and it was played somewhat regularly until June 13, 2013. The Cardiff version marked the return of the tune for the first time in over four years. Mule ended the frame with a handful of Revolution Come…Revolution Go favorites including the title tracks, “Stone Cold Rage” and “Dreams & Songs.”

Warren Haynes, Matt Abts, Danny Louis and Jorgen Carlsson began the second set with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “One Of These Days,” along with “Fool’s Moon,” “Monkey Hill” and “Funny Little Tragedy.” The quartet then dug into the first “Tastes Like Wine” since July, the gorgeous recently-debuted “Traveling Song” and regulars “Mr. Man” and “Lola, Leave Your Light On.” One of the improvisational highlights of the concert came next, when Mule fit an instrumental rendition of Band Of Gypsys’ “Machine Gun” within “Blind Man In The Dark.”

English rock guitarist Bernie Marsden of Whitesnake fame first sat-in with Gov’t Mule on July 4, 2012 and the band hit it off with Marsden. Both Gov’t Mule and Warren Haynes have now brought out Marsden for a jam session at least six times since during U.K. stops for Mule and the Ashes & Dust Band including in Cardiff. Friday night’s encore started with a cover of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City,” a song Mule last performed on May 12, 2016. Marsden also contributed to that version. Bernie stuck around for the evening’s finale, a medley of Allman Brothers Band Mule hadn’t played in sequence previously. Gov’t Mule and Bernie Marsden lit into “Blue Sky” which somehow the quintet worked into “Mountain Jam” before ending “Blue Sky.” Mule had fit “Mountain Jam” within “Melissa,” Game Face” and “Traveling Tune” this year as well a few standalone versions. Friday’s “Blue Sky” > “Mountain Jam” > “Blue Sky” sequence was a first.

Gov’t Mule’s European Tour continues at London Bluesfest in London on Saturday.

Setlist

Set One: Railroad Boy, Thorazine Shuffle, Banks Of The Deep End, Time To Confess, Thelonious Beck, Gordon James, Revolution Come…Revolution Go, Dreams & Songs, Stone Cold Rage

Set Two: One Of These Days, Fools Moon, Monkey Hill, Funny Little Tragedy, Tastes Like Wine, Traveling Tune, Mr. Man, Lola Leave Your Light On, Blind Man In The Dark > Machine Gun (Instrumental) > Blind Man In The Dark

Encore (w/ Bernie Marsden): Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City, Blue Sky > Mountain Jam > Blue Sky