The best all round roots music club in West Yorkshire
Category: Gig reviews
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)
Jul 10 2024
Mark Radcliffe & Dave Boardman/Weeping Willows Double Bill
Sunday 30th June 2024
Photos, video and review by Keith Belcher
Sunday 30th June 2024. The Live Room, Saltaire. A double header of two debutantes to TLR. From Australia, The Weeping Willows (not to be confused with Weeping Willows- a Swedish band ) and Boltons own Mark Radcliffe with Knutsford resident David Boardman.
The Weeping Willows are Australians Andrew Wrigglesworth (guitar, lead vocals) and Laura Coates (lead vocals, accordion and tambourine). Currently resident in Melbourne. Ron and Hilary “discovered” The Weeping Willows on one of their Nashville visits, meeting up with them again in Kansas (the pandemic came between the visits I think). The usual good taste in bringing these two musicians to TLR. It took a while but happened eventually.
There was the little matter of a football match on Sunday night but the gig was sold out regardless. On Monday I saw a gig cancellation at Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton ( Jon Palmer Acoustic Band) for this Saturday (July 6th). The reason for the cancellation “EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO UNFORESEEN FOOTBALL”. On Sunday there were a few who crept in at 8pm after the travesty had reached its conclusion. They would have missed the best part of The Weeping Willows but probably caught up with their sleep during the football.
The Weeping Willows opened a really tremendous night of high quality entertainment. I was not familiar with Andrew and Laura’s music before the night. I was very impressed. Their opening song “River Of Gold” reminded me greatly of The Civil Wars (remember them, a meteoric rise and similar crash but absolutely phenomenal on stage – I saw them twice), Andrew’s very accomplished guitar and Laura’s tremendous voice create a very large sound for 2 people. They had that same power and presence on stage. Andrew took lead on several songs and they combined their voices beautifully. On another song, “Singin’ The Blues”, I was reminded of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (who I adore) with homage to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant.
They covered a vast range of musical genres, Americana , Southern Gothic, obviously but a touch of bluegrass, some blues , some rock, uptempo and ballads. In just under an hour they crammed a lot of music in as well as getting the audience to check the footie scores . They left the stage to serious applause . They returned during Mark’s set to help with “Out On The Shore”. After the show they posted that they couldn’t stop smiling . They were not alone. It was one of those evening where everyone went home smiling, even the football supporters. Let’s have them back for a full show please.
Continuing with the action on 30th June 2024. Mark Radcliffe and David Boardman took the stage following The Weeping Willows. At times you may have thought you had come to a comedy night. There were lots of very funny stories mixed in with the largely self penned songs mainly about the North of England.
