The Half Moon, Putney, London 16th November, 2023 Long Road Home launched their debut album Are We Invisible? at The Half Moon in Putney with special guests the Bad Influence duo of Val Cowell and Richard Hayes opening the evening. A varied set, that showcased Val’s wonderful voice and ‘Dickie’s’ superb slide guitar, contained songs by Bonnie Raitt, Del Shannon, Delbert McClinton and Neil Diamond, standouts being Raitt’s ‘Love Me Like A Man’, the duo’s take on Del Shannon’s ‘Runaway’ and the classic ‘Mercury Blues’, all three inch-perfect in their execution. By the time Long Road Home hit the stage, the venue had filled up nicely for a set of mostly new material from Are We Invisible?, the band opening with the title track, one of a clutch of new songs composed largely by guitarist Steve Summers and singer Mike Sebbage. The single ‘Long Road Home’ was next, with its powerful guitar riff and ear-worm hook, before the tortured blues of ‘I Lose Again’, its Trower-esque feel and broody guitar setting the tone for a fine vocal by Sebbage. ‘I Don’t Belong Here’ has a funky, blues infected riff, before an interesting take on the Jethro Tull classic ‘A New Day Yesterday’ and the band’s own ’Waiting For The Kill’. ‘Where I Wanna Be’, with its dynamic guitar/keys riff riding over the super tight rhythm section of Derek White and Lee Morrell was a highlight, as was the blues ballad ‘Whispering Rain’, Sebbage’s sensitive vocal drawing powerful guitar from Summers, reminiscent of Gary Moore. ‘Perfect Afternoon’ was a powerful closer, before they wrapped things up with versions of ‘Ain’t No Love In The Heart of the City’ (in tribute to Bernie Marsden for whom Derek White (bass) and Ian Salisbury (keys) were occasional sidemen) and ‘I’m Ready’, dished up ZZ Topstyle, a great finale to a night of top class entertainment.