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Friday 23 February 2018, The Live Room, Caroline Social Club, Saltaire: the long awaited first visit of Edinburgh born Adam Holmes & his band The Embers to the Live Room. The wait was worth it. A superb performance. With Adam on guitar and vocals, Alex Cutter on bass, Calum McIntyre drums and on keyboards and sax Colin Train. Backing vocals from everyone.

Colin stepped in at late notice virtually learning the set during the sound check, if Adam hadn’t told the audience then no one would have known, such was the quality of the show. It was obvious to all present that the band were having a great time as well as the audience. From the first set opener of Monday Morning to the encore of Bob Marley’s Stir It Up they had a fully attentive and participative audience. They won a quite a few new fans during the night.

Review and photos, Keith Belcher

The return of Colorado’s Railsplitters after three years was a complete triumph, with 170 crowding in to see them. A truly unique addition to the bluegrass genre, they bend the music in many different directions, with pop, rock and even jazz influences in their playing, particularly that of fiddle player, Joe D’Esposito and banjo picker Dusty Rider.

Add to those ingredients the sweet soul vocals of Lauren Stovall, the blues inflected mandolin of Peter Sharp and the rhythmic and melodic bass of newest member, Jean Luc Davis, and you have something completely irresistible. We has several of the crowd telling us it was the best thing they’d ever seen at TLR on their way out, clutching CDs. We should also mention their impeccable harmonies, with the whole sounding so much bigger than the sum of the parts. A brilliant band!

Thanks to Keith Belcher for the photos!

Sunday 11th February 2018, The Live Room, Saltaire. Probably the slickest and most polished Sam Baker show I have seen to date. Sam was accompanied by Grammy nominated master percussionist Mike Meadows (Willie Nelson, Shawn Colvin & many more bands). By the end of the show you could appreciate the Grammy nomination.

During the show Sam transported the rapt audience through a wide range of emotions with his own very sparse but oh so rich individual style of looking at the world and telling the stories he has seen there. The most intense point must have been the introduction to ‘Broken Fingers’, the story of the terrorist bomb exploding and killing a German family and severely injuring Sam on a train to Machu Picchu. I cannot recall another show in The Live Room creating a mood quite like that number created last night, the song details Sam’s remembrance of the young German boy who lost his life that day and contains the very harrowing lines (lyrics Sam Baker 2007)
‘Forget his face? Of course I don’t, Etched like a crystal vase, These broken fingers, some things don’t heal, I can’t wake up from a dream when the dream is real…’

Continuing the dream references he then performed ‘Angels’, dedicated to the 99% of the world’s population that are intrinsically ‘good’, again a wonderful line ‘Everyone is at the mercy of another’s dream’ (Sam Baker 2004).
However, the mood was by no means all sombre, Sam’s shows and songs always have a great deal of humour (‘Isn’t Love Great’), poignancy (‘Waves’) and interaction with the audience, last night was no exception, it was superbly paced both musically and emotionally. A wonderful night greatly enjoyed by a very attentive, appreciative and respectful audience.

Review and photos by Keith Belcher

Friday 2nd February 2018 The Live Room, Saltaire. Red Tail Ring on their first UK tour. Michigan based Laurel Premo and Michael Beauchamp wowing a delighted audience with some beautifully delicate close harmonies and superb minimalist intricate arrangements of original, folk and Americana ballads and tunes on fiddle, banjo and guitar.

Review and photos by Keith Belcher

Just about recovered from Friday night’s extraordinary night with Lucky Peterson. What an incredible night. It was like a bomb going off in Caroline Club, such was the energy created by him and his incredible international band. Guitarist, Kelyn Crapp from San Francisco, Parisian trumpeter, Nicolas Folmer and French-based, African-born drummer, Ahmad Compaoré helped Lucky generate enough power to light up a city. Add to that, a startling guest spot from Lucky’s wife, Tamara Peterson on vocals, it was one of those nights that will last forever in the memory.

We’ve had some great gigs here at The Live Room over the past five and a half years, but this one must surely be up there vying for the best ever. We heard a dizzying range of music from the funky jazz of Lucky’s mentor and subject of his current album, Jimmy Smith, through to some blistering blues with Lucky on slide guitar and on to powerhouse soul and funk of Wilson Pickett and The Temptations.

Stunning solos from all musicians were met with spontaneous rounds of applause from the packed crowd, none mores so than Lucky himself on his huge Hammond B3 and whirring Leslie speaker. There are some fine digital keyboards out there now, but none can match the genuine B3 for its huge sound – that growl and scream in the hands of a true master, who not only played some blistering runs but was also supplying all the bass via the foot pedals!

We should also mention that Lucky not only held the audience in the palm of his hand for the entire night, but that he has one of the greatest soul voices you’ll ever hear.

As we said: what an incredible night! We must do it again.

Review and photos by Keith Belcher

Sunday 14th January , The Live Room, Caroline Social Club, Saltaire. The Outside Track. The first gig of the year for both venue and band. The Outside Track are rightly regarded as one of the very best pan-Celtic bands . This was their first visit to The Live Room and their first get together as a band for 103 days. The band, comprised of the two Scottish founder members Scottish highlander Fiona Black on accordion and , Edinburgh born Ailie Robertson on harp. Also Breton Islander Mairi Rankin on fiddle, Co.Cork’s Teresa Horgan on flute, whistles and lead vocals and Finland dwelling , Perthshire born, Michael Ferrie on guitar.

A serious logistical nightmare for meeting up, practicing and recording but they really make it work well. From the very opening you would not have known they hadn’t played together for such a length of time. A brilliantly paced set, mingling Irish, Scottish, Canadian, French and English influences and much ,much more. It was always energetic and driving, no one, despite invitations, other than Mairi danced but there was some serious foot tapping and chair shuffling. They mixed energetic but at the same time sensitive instrumentals with songs.

Lead vocals on songs were mainly from the very versatile voice of Teresa Horgan which adjusted to the humorous and also sometimes poignant songs. In the instrumentals all instruments shared leads but intertwined beautifully with some high degrees of delicate interchange. A large part of the show comprised material from their last CD Light Up The Dark (LUTD).

The first 3 songs and tunes were from that CD opening with Set You Free. The aptly named Body Parts Set from Flash Company followed, so named as the translation from the French is Reel of the Cramped Arse Cheek and the Neckbelly Set. As they said the french title seemed more romantic! The remainder of the first set shot by including Brandy Wines from Ailie’s solo album and a new , as yet unrecorded set of tunes entitled The Queen of Rangoon Set, hopefully for their 5th album release this summer if logistics allow. If the rest of the new album is of that standard it will be a superb album. A humorous introduction to a sing along Mountain Road from Flash Company compared the song to speed dating in Ireland as there is a baby by the third verse. Great singing from both band and audience ended set 1.

Set 2 opened with more from LUTD. A lively set of tunes entitled The Drilling Set moved to a Lenny Gallant song Pete’s Dream about the decline of the East Canadian fishing industry. Changing the mood totally Teresa’s intro to The Wrong House Set comically told of attempting to find the correct house they were lodging in when all looked the same. A delicate harp and guitar intro leading to a full foot stomping crescendo. Mood change again with Nanci Griffith’s Trouble in the Fields, a beautiful and moving song , the definitive version of the song (in my opinion) must be Maura O’Connell’s version but Teresa did a wonderful cover. Upping the pace again more instrumentals including Panic! from Curious Things Given Wings and another step dance exhibition by Mairi before finishing the show with the Kathryn Roberts inspired Whitby Maid .

They weren’t going to get away without an encore and Le Voyage from Curious Wings finished the show brilliantly. Hopefully they will be back soon with a new album.

Bit slow catching up with our blog posts, so sorry! Just a few photos, courtesy of Keith Belcher, of another brilliant show by Eugene and his band! What a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas!

We’re very sorry to have to tell you that, owing to Amy falling ill, she has been advised by her doctor to pull out of the whole tour. As we had a similar situation last year and decided to continue with the show featuring Luke solo (he played an absolute blinder!), we decided that it would not be appropriate to repeat the process, so we made the decision to pull the show on this occasion.

We realise that this will be a big disappointment, especially to all those people who loved Luke last time, but we will definitely bring him back again, and hopefully with Amy too.

If you know anyone who has bought tickets for the show, please help us get the word out there that it is not going to happen. Refunds and ticket exchanges can be organised by replying to this email or direct to Hilary at hilary@theliveroom.info

Sunday 10th December 2017, The Live Room, Caroline Social Club, Saltaire. I’d been looking forward to this one since it was announced and I certainly was not disappointed. The very wonderful and unique Duke Special (aka Peter Wilson), Lisburn born, Belfast-based singer and musician making his debut appearance at the Live Room. Quite simply one of the best entertainers on the circuit.

His act can lean at times towards best music hall traditions. The concept of entertainment is never lost. It’s not uncommon to see parents with their children at Duke shows and tonight was no exception. Supported by Dan Donnelly, another Belfast singer and musician. Dan, armed with the most battered guitar still allowed on stage, gave a very humorous and entertaining start to what was a very memorable Live Room evening.

A sell out crowd braved the sub zero temperatures and snow flurries, with a few hardy souls standing at the back. This was the last night of the Hallow tour, promoting Duke’s new venture, an album featuring the poems of Michael Longley. I’m fairly certain we had every track from the CD throughout the evening. Anyone who hadn’t seen Duke Special before may have wondered what was going on when the dreadlocked, nattily becapped and now bearded Duke strode on stage, wound up an old gramophone to provide some accompaniment to his own keyboards and very rich, warm brogue singing Another Wren, the opening track from the CD.

Mixed amongst the songs from Hallow were many songs from Dukes extensive back catalogue. A varied catalogue would be an appropriate term, his interests over his 9 CDs involving many diverse projects with a Huckleberry Finn production scheduled for next year.

The middle of the show saw Dan join Duke on stage to conduct a raffle. Dan announcing the numbers in a ‘bingo caller on LSD’ fashion. Certainly not the bingo calling the Live Room is accustomed to. Friday night’s crowd in next door’s bar would definitely have been left confused! Each number draw preceded by a joint ‘keyboard roll’ from Duke and Dan.

Dan then stayed on stage for a couple of songs, leaving as Duke launched into ever popular requests for Brixton Leaves and Digging An Early Grave. I have to be honest and say I have heard far more audience participation in the past for Digging but it was a cold night.

Winding up the gramophone again, Duke played The Ice Cream Man, a tribute to a man murdered during the troubles in Northern Ireland in the 80s and read by Michael Longley, while he went into the audience distributing flowers.

Lena, the last track on the CD finished the set before Duke performed encores of crowd favourite Freewheel before a superb rendition of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon.

Duke has his own band of followers. Many of the Live Room audience were first timers to the venue but not first-time witnesses to this tour, some coming from far and wide to follow the tour. Ron and Hilary have been promoting Duke since 2002. Long may they continue to do so. He loved the venue, hopefully he will be back on his next tour.

The third and very welcome visit of multi Folk Award winner Chris Wood. The show was, quite simply, as I expected, excellent. No real review from me just a couple of comments. We had a change of person intro as Sam Samociuk had asked to do the intro, giving Hilary a break!

There is a thought that song writers have their entire lives to write their first album and then 1 or 2 years each for any subsequent ones. Chris Wood’s writing, already in my opinion the best Britain has to offer, is still getting better. The new CD SO MUCH TO DEFEND is certainly a magnificent genuine folk offering with some of his best ever songs.

Generally audiences can be quite insistent on requesting old favourites which are familiar. I’ve noticed with Chris Wood audiences that many are more than eager to hear the new or unrecorded material; it’s been a while since I’ve heard ‘One In A Million’ requested. Even the ones they are familiar with often change in melody and delivery.

Last night saw a relatively rare performance of the very powerful ‘Masterpiece’, a song which featured in 2012’s BBC Olympics Ballads. We were treated to a new song about, amongst other things, old folk tearing around the tennis courts. Also a very beautifully delivered Jake Thackray cover ‘To Do With You’ brought resounding applause. A fabulous night from one of our very best.

Keith Belcher, 25th November