Blog

Sunday 27th October 2019

Review and photos by Keith Belcher

Sunday 27th October 2019, Poor Nameless Boy at The Live Room, Caroline Street Social Club, Saltaire. Poor Nameless Boy being the stage persona of Joel Henderson. Currently touring the UK with a band comprising Joel on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Dana Rempel -bass, Tanner Wilhelm Hale- drums and Darnell Stewart-guitar. All the band are from Saskatchewan, Canada.

The relatively small but perfectly formed Live Room crowd had a great evening of extremely well penned and beautifully sung songs performed as both solos from Joel and with the full band. Many thanks must go to local virtuoso guitarist Jon Gomm who came to the rescue with a guitar pick up, it would have been a different show without him.

Plus support Joe Martin

Monday 21st October 2019

In the absence of our usual photographer, Keith Belcher, we managed to grab a few of our own! A small but perfectly formed crowd saw a great performance from the Texan and his band, prompting one enamoured gig goer to describe them as ‘a great treat; real classy, clever stuff with great musicians……. like The Divine Comedy and Steely Dan if they were brought up in honkytonk bars’!

We’ll definitely be trying to find a weekend spot for them next year!

Friday 18th October 2019

Photos by Keith Belcher

Sunday 13th October 2019

A great way to kick off our autumn programme of TEN shows in six weeks! Many thanks to Heidi, Adam and Jen for a wonderful show, everyone who came along, sang, bought CDs and gave them a great welcome and to our friend Keith Belcher for the great photos!

Sunday 15th September 2019

Review and photos by Keith Belcher

The Lonesome Ace String Band, Sunday 15th September 2019. The Live Room, Caroline Street Social Club, Saltaire. The first visit by Canadian trio, The Lonesome Ace String Band. They are Chris Coole (banjo), John Showman (fiddle) and Max Heineman (bass). I am glad to be able to echo the outstanding reviews and receptions they have garnered everywhere else they have played on this tour. I saw them earlier in the year at Celtic Connections , Glasgow and was looking forward to this one . I sincerely hope they will be back soon.

Sunday 8th September 2019

Photos by Keith Belcher

Some great photos as ever by Keith Belcher from Sunday’s show with Fraser Anderson and support The Silver Reserve. Beautiful songs, beautiful vocals and beautiful playing all round. And an absolutely lovely bunch of people too. Exquisite.

Friday 30th August 2019

Review and photos by Keith Belcher

3hattrio, 30th August 2019, The Live Room, Caroline Street Social Club, Saltaire, West Yorkshire.

The very welcome return visit of Zion Canyon’s, Utah based 3hattrio of Hal Cannon, guitar, banjo, Greg Istock , bass and Eli Wrankle, violin. Greg and Hal alternate lead vocals. Their musical genre is unique. They term it American Desert Music. A more upmarket terminology of “profundo Gregorian sagebrush chat” was attributed to their first album “Year One” by one reviewer. 

Now with 5 albums to their credit (the fifth “Live At Zion” is officially released this November altho’ it is available on this tour). No one else is doing what they are doing, they create their own , at times hypnotic and spiritual sonic landscape taking you to Utah and back and then some. Dust devils and sagebrush were almost visible in Saltaire last night.

During their performance you are fully immersed in the music, it is highly infectious to say the least. One of the very few bands that I feel extremely privileged to watch and hear. They are truly awesome. They don’t talk a great deal, letting the music do the talking but are always fully engaged with their audiences through their music and in no way aloof. See them if you can.

Monday 19th August 2019

Photos by Keith Belcher

We were thrilled to bring the amazing Lucky Peterson back to TLR for the second year running. In 2018 he came touring his new album, ‘A Tribute To Jimmy Smith’, which was his personal thank you to his sometime mentor, the great Hammond player of the same name. This year, it was the full blues and soul extravaganza, demonstrating not only his prowess on keys, but also his scintillating guitar playing.

For someone who in his own words, ‘don’t really call myself a guitar player’, he does a mighty fine impression! Walking down into the audience, he sang off mic and played sizzling solos over a medley of blues and rock and roll numbers that kept his band on their toes wondering what was coming next.

Joined by Lucky’s wife, Tamara Tramell, Lucky showed just why he is one of the great live performers on the modern day blues scene, in demand throughout the world.

It was another great night evening at The Live Room, helped in no small part by a wonderful turn out on a Monday night with an enthusiastic and vociferous crowd. Thanks to everyone who came along.

Friday 26th July 2019

Photos by Keith Belcher

Friday saw the long awaited first visit to TLR of the Grammy Award-winning bluesman and we weren’t disappointed! As well as his famed guitar skills, he’s blessed with a rich, deep big baritone voice that matches his 6 foot 5 inch frame.

California born, but Louisiana resident, he doesn’t believe in being pigeonholed into any arbitrary genre trap, and as well as some fine blues, we got power rock, punk, ska and even straight up honky tonk country. Alvin goes wherever his musical sense takes him and the audience were more than pleased to go with him! The only thing lacking on the night was any merchandise, denying the audience a chance to buy a CD, which we’re sure they would have done, judging by their reaction to the show

It was a powerhouse performance by any standard, from a man at the top of his game. He was ably supported by Italians, Fabio Drusin on bass and Silvano Bassi on drums.

Sunday 21st July 2019

Photos by Keith Belcher

We had booked Mama’s Broke – Amy Lou, vocals, banjo and guitar and Lisa Marie, vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, step dance – after watching a few YouTube videos and being incredibly impressed by their songs, harmonies and playing. We were not disappointed when they took the TLR stage for the first time last night.

The songs were even more powerful live, their dark lyrics given real potency by the beauty of their voices in harmony. Drawing their influences from traditional songs, their self written material deals with such topics as public hanging (Black Rock Beach), mental illness (Count The Wicked) and the life and mind of the travelling singer songwriter (the bleak and beautiful Dirty Mattresses).

Already winners of a Canadian Folk Music Award, these two incredibly talented young musicians are now deservedly making a name for themselves on this side of the Atlantic.