Photo by Al Stuart

Perhaps Warren Haynes simply doesn’t like fireworks. In both 2012 and 2013, Gov’t Mule celebrated Independence Day with gigs in London and, this year, although the group’s two-show run missed the holiday itself by a couple of days, there was still a festive air as the USA played soccer against Belgium—leading various members of the audience to shout out the score at intervals, much to Haynes’ apparent bemusement.

While their first two-night run in London seemingly would allow the band to ease into the new room, this group had other plans from the get-go, opening with two charging, segued pairs: “Any Open Window” and “Steppin’ Lightly,” then “World Boss” and “Mother Earth.” The quartet was ostensibly touring Europe in support of their new album Shout! and while the songs on that record only made a handful of appearances, they were top showing, nonetheless—from the staccato jazz-funk-as-played-by-Sabbath “World Boss” through “No Reward”’s relentless stomach punch of a riff and “Whisper in Your Soul”’s shimmering psychedelia. That ‘60s spirit continued in “Thelonius Beck”’s fusion of jazzy complexity and heavy blues with a very Cream-style bass-and-guitar midbreak free-for-all, and in the heavily-sedated tripped-out reverie of “No Need to Suffer.” “Mother Earth” and “If Heartaches Were Nickels” both highlighted Haynes’ blues roots, with soulful vocals and passionate, delicate solos enhanced by Danny Louis’ muscular B3.

Three tracks from their High & Mighty album showed the influences of British ‘70s rock: touches of Bad Company in “Million Miles from Yesterday,” lashings of Free-style oomph in the swaggering title track, and a very Zeppelinesque slant to the driving, slide-led “Brighter Days,” and more of the same in the choppy “Trampled Underfoot” riff of “Lola Leave Your Light On.” Matt Abts’ extended tour de force tour of the kit also included a “Rock & Roll” tease. A final burst of Free came in the 20-minute, three-song jamming encore with special guest Reeves Gabrel of Tin Machine, as “Mr. Big” led into Albert King’s “The Hunter” and then Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.”

Back again the next day to do all it again with a fresh set of songs, the Mule are just the band to give the U.K. blues-rock scene a well-deserved kick: Here’s hoping for an even longer run next July.