Steve Lukather at the Robin 2, Bilston

Steve Lukather, the lead guitarist with Toto, showed just why he is one of the most in-demand musicians and producers in the world.

Published Nov 20, 2010

Steve Lukather

Robin 2, Bilston

Concert review and photos by Ian Harvey

It's not every day that you see a guitarist who has played with legends like Michael Jackson, Eddie Van Halen, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Short appearing at the Robin 2.

But last night, Steve Lukather, the lead guitarist with Toto, showed just why he is one of the most in-demand musicians and producers in the world.

Click on the image on the right to see the gig photo gallery

Promoting his new album, All's Well That Ends Well, Lukather provided a masterclass of hard rock riffs, jazz fusion phrasings and melodic, expressive soloing which thrilled his rapt audience.

As well as newer songs like Darkness In My World and Can't Look Back, Lukather stretched back over 20 years of solo recordings, with songs including Extinction Blues and Ever Changing Times.

He seemed genuinely surprised at the voracity of the welcome he received in Wolverhampton as the crowd chanted and sang along – and he even took some good natured Black Country banter on the chin.

Although Lukather had insisted this was not a night to play any of Toto's big hits – to hear them you'll have to catch next summer's tour by that band – he did treat the audience to two relatively obscure Toto numbers in the beautifully moving Out Of Love, dedicated to his late mother, and a solo acoustic rendition of The Road Goes On which closed the show.