Blog

Oct 14 2021

You can scroll down these pages to see some great photos and reviews of the vast majority of our past gigs. If you go to our Past Shows pages, you can also leave a comment on any show you’ve attended here by clicking on Post Show Report.

Oct 6 2024

The Paul McKenna Band

Sunday 29th September 2024

Review, photos and videos by Keith Belcher

29th September 2024. The return visit of the Paul McKenna Band who last visited on 15th February 2022. It was a great night then and a great night in 2024 as well. A different line up, Paul on main vocals and guitar, two usual band members in Conal McDonagh on pipes and whistles, Robbie Grieg on fiddle. Adam Rhodes of Imar stood in for Conor Markey on bouzouki and Eoghainn Beaton playing bodhran. Last time we had Ewan Baird on bodhran. Conor was tending to urgent family matters.

I’ve pretty much given up detailed reviews but here’s one that may help to investigate Paul’s back catalogue.

A great night of music with Paul’s very distinctive voice leading the way. The pace and delivery were mixed. Opening with the uptempo Mickey Dam, the only song that features the town Milngavie (pronounced Mil-gai) in the lyrics. From that into Beyond The Day, a gentle and delicate song, a Paul co-write with Canada’s Dave Gunning. Paul continued with a tip of the hat to Christy Moore’s singing of One Last Cold Kiss, a story of a bereaved Nantucket Swan whose mate for life was shot by a hunter. Strangely, that song had heavy rock origins as it was written by Gail Collins and Felix Pappalardi of Mountain who gave it a heavy rock treatment by their band, Mountain. I think the versions by Paul, Christy and Luka Bloom are more apt and fitting to the song content.

One Last Cold Kiss was the first song played from the new CD EP Setting Sun. Solid Ground from the CD followed, a Dougie MacLean song. Dougie being best known for Caledonia but he has written a lot superb songs than Caledonia which is probably the unofficial Scottish National Anthem. On a roll, Western Island, also from the new CD followed.

A cover of another Scottish legend, Archie Fisher. A Paul song Indiana was next. Some great audience involvement during No Ash Will Burn, a song I first heard by Molly O’Brien (Tim’s sister), covered by many people but written by Walt Aldridge. Paul taught the chorus to the audience and they took it from there. Throughout the set the interplay between all instruments was superb, Adam Rhodes stayed mainly in the shadows at the back of the stage but the bouzouki playing was excellent.

The bodhran playing was also excellent, reminding me of the great Andy Cutting on boxes, everything was there without being prominent or getting in the way of the song, there were some lovely touches which brought comments from Paul and applause from the audience. Paul gave detailed back stories about all the songs, what they meant to him, how they came about. Even a tale of living in Orlando for a year (in a Mickey Mouse suit!). It’s always great to have the song introduced properly, so many artists give no background or even titles. Many could learn much from Paul’s rapport with an audience.

Only one CD on the Merch table , Setting Sun, with due deference to the ever decreasing numbers of CD players there was also a coaster which gave the appropriate download code for Bandcamp. Anyone unaware of Bandcamp operations should check it out as you can download in a variety of formats and on certain Fridays all monies go directly the artists. Jeff Bezos doesn’t do that! It also takes many plays on Spotify etc to get enough money for a cup of coffee! The role of a grass roots travelling musician is generally not a glamorous one.

A Tim O’Brien song, John Riley opened the second set. You got the feeling that Paul is a great admirer of Tim O’Brien (who will be back at TLR early next year). I share the feeling. I am a long time fan. Tim and Molly O’Brien were the first artists to record a Gillian Welch song, way back when. A Paul composition The Dream followed. The much covered Banks Of The Moy followed, some debate as to the writer of the song, some list it as traditional.

An interesting co write between Tim O’Brien and Paul was next, Can You See Me Sister?, a song all about Thomas Jefferson’s many illegitimate children, they were born slaves but emancipated on his deathbed. To close the set Paul played Home, a song about his love for the city of Glasgow and how it always calls him home, no matter where he is in the world. Home will always be home. The usual pantomime of leaving the stage with Paul returning to perform a solo version of Cold Missouri Waters. The band then joined the stage for a cracking version of John Spillane’s song Passage West. The instrument playing and interplays was superb, the singing excellent, the audience participation and appreciation also excellent. I have no doubts that Paul and his band will be very welcome to return for a third visit.

Oct 2 2024

Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings

Thursday 26th September 2024

Photos by Ron Pengelly, review by Pete Lambert

What an absolute delight it was! Jon Boden and friends never disappoint, do they?

I was at least one who did buy the 2019 album ‘The Rose in June’. It is a fabulous song, but I think no recording could ever be a match to hearing and seeing and experiencing  it live. It was a complete triumph of musicianship, tension, emotion, build  and climax with a tremendous meld of instruments and then the vocals….. which were on a different, heavenly plane. Jon was not joking when he said it was a long one, and I counted 14 verses on the sleeve notes, not to mention the verse and double chorus of that beautiful hymn “Hallelujah, send the glory” (not sure that is the title but I am about to look it up!)

…………….a supremely talented bunch of people who swapped instruments with consummate ease through  fiddle to oboe to cor anglais to slide to guitar to concertina to double to electric bass, to drums to keys and masterful vocals from Jon himself. And all of them sang in fabulous harmony and to top it all each of them played concertina together on one of the songs!

As a trumpet and flugelhorn player myself, I would have loved that addition, though they would have needed an extra stage!

Don’t miss it next time, whatever you do ! Truly awesome!

Pete Lambert

Oct 2 2024

Peter Bruntnell Band

Sunday 15th September 2024

Photos and video by Keith Belcher

A return visit from The Peter Bruntnell Band. Touring and playing music from new record (CD and vinyl) Houdini And The Sucker Punch The band is Peter Bruntnell guitar and main vocals, Mick Clews, drums, Dave Little , electric guitar and Peter Noone on bass.

videos by keith belcher

No Place Like Home

Out Of The Pines

Perfume River

Oct 2 2024

India Electric Company

Sunday 8th September 2024

Photos by Nigel Plant

Oct 2 2024

Kristian Bush

Sunday 1st September 2024

Photos & video by Keith Belcher

We were very lucky to secure the services of this multi-platinum selling, Grammy Award-winning artist here at TLR, and we weren’t disappointed, as Kristian, accompanied by his brother Brandon on keyboards, gave us a sparkling show, full of warmth and great songs. Another award winning artist, Jeff Cohen, opened the show and gave a very engaging performance that had the audience laughing. It was a mark of how popular the show was that we’ve rarely seen such a queue at the merch desk after the show!

videos by keith belcher

Jeff Cohen: Hey Love

Kristian Bush: A Different Way To Get There

Kristian Bush: All I Wanna Do

Kristian Bush: Giving It Up

Aug 28 2024

Andrew Combs

Sunday 25th August 2024

Photos, video by Keith Belcher; show comments from Kevin Thomas

We’d been chasing Andrew since about 2018 when we discovered him at Americanafest in Nashville, so we were very excited to bring this wonderfully talented singer songwriter to The Live Room for the first time. With a new record just released, Dream Pictures, Andrew was on a tour of the UK, Ireland and Europe. He was supported by Bradford Americana singer songwriter, Chris Dover.

Andrew Combs was a revelation to me. An excellent musician, very calm, composed and insightful. I really like his songs, delivered with a relaxed style that grows on you as the night proceeds. His modest, no bullshit patter is not typically American, another plus. The long queue to buy his albums at the end showed I was not the only one impressed. – Kevin Thomas

videos by keith belcher

Chris Dover: Whiskeyhead

Chris Dover: Sweet Angeline

Andrew Combs:Eventide

Andrew Combs: Too Stoned To Cry

Andrew Combs: Better Way

Aug 14 2024

Northern Resonance

Sunday 4th August 2024

Review, photos & videos by Keith Belcher

The debut appearance at TLR and also the first UK tour of Sweden’s Northern Resonance. A string trio of Anna Ekborg playing viola d’amore, Jerker Hans-Ers playing hardanger fiddles and Petrus Dillner playing nyckelharpa, a previously untested combination of instruments. During the sets interval they had been asked many questions about their instruments. They gave a brief explanation of their instruments and also Nordic culture (tongue in cheek!). If you weren’t there you missed a truly delightful instrumental concert.

videos by keith belcher

Rauland's Reinlender

Route 83

Aug 13 2024

Errol Linton 2024

Friday 26th July 2024

Photos and review by Ron Pengelly, video by Keith Belcher

Roof raising show on Friday night from Errol Linton and his fantastic band. Tracks from the new album Break the Seal, and a great mix of blues, reggae and New Orleans influences from: Errol on vocals and harmonica, Lance Rose bass, Petar Zivkovic piano, Richey Green guitar and Gary Williams drums. And a great DJ set from Andy Nicholls to set the groove and keep it going through the break.

Think the band enjoyed it as much as we did. Fantastic show.

videos by Keith Belcher

Cry To Me

Love Gone Cold; Bo Did It

Aug 13 2024

Grupo Lokito

Sunday 14th July 2024

Photos by Ron Pengelly

The sensational 8-piece Grupo Lokito made their TLR debut, featuring musicians from The Congo, Cuba and the UK. They also managed to get the whole room up dancing!

Aug 13 2024

Jon Gomm

Sunday 7th July 2024

Photos & videos by Keith Belcher

We’d been chasing Jon for several years, despite the fact that he lives right here in Saltaire! One of the difficulties is that he’s so busy touring the world, performing and doing demonstrations (his latest trip was to China, just a few days after this show) that he’s rarely around long enough to organise a show.

videos by keith belcher

Weather Machine

Ain't Nobody (Chaka Khan & Rufus)