The Live Room
The best all round roots music club in West Yorkshire
Friday 19th April 2024
Review, photos and video by Keith Belcher
The third visit of songstress Maya de Vitry to The Live Room, Saltaire. The 2 previous visits in February 2014 and October 2016 were as a member of The Stray Birds. This time, having left The Stray Birds in 2018, she was touring with guitarist and singer Joel Timmons. Great song writing from both, delivered with superb musicianship, stories and the wonderful voice of Maya.
Sunday 14th April 2024
Photos and video by Keith Belcher
The first visit of San Diego’s Sara Petite to The Live Room with her UK band, who many of you will be familiar with from Annie Keating’s shows! A really cracking evening of country and Americana from a great songwriter and performer; you could tell that she loved playing with this band.
Friday 15th March 2024
Photos, videos and review by Keith Belcher
The fourth visit of master song-writer and raconteur Richard Shindell. Richard hasn’t toured for many years so we were in a small and select group of venues that he chose to play. As you can see, an all electric show.
A truly wonderful night and we got to hear some new, unrecorded songs and very different arrangements of some old ones. All that and some great humour. Even an unrecorded cover of Leonard Cohen’s Alexandra Lost as an encore. A great night.
Sunday 10th March 2024
Photos Ron Pengelly, review Mike Latham
Great show last night. Another great addition to the TLR roster.
Wonderful guitar playing and a marvellous voice that is clearly going to develop into something even stronger.
They say to write about what you know, how much of what Robbie was singing about last night was personal to him, I wouldn’t know.
What was clear was the depth and maturity of his lyrics, some surprising lyrics amongst the songs that he performed last night. Thanks Ron and Hilary for another great night.
Sunday 28th January 2024
Review, photos, video by Keith Belcher
Another sold out show for the second gig of the year. It’s becoming a habit. The third one is heading that way too. A debut appearance for Good Lovelies. Good Lovelies are Caroline Brooks: Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Kerri Ough: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboard and Susan Passmore: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Keyboard. They do sometimes have a larger touring band but tonight we had the original core Good Lovelies trio.
They last toured 2019 and 2017 so this was the first post Covid tour. They did a straw poll at the start and from the hands up it looked like most of the audience were seeing them for the first time. I doubt many were disappointed. I would say everyone went home delighted with the pampering their ears got from the show.
We got 2 sets of great songs, good humour and stories and some of the most delightful harmonies heard at The Live Room. The lead vocals were juggled by all three, instruments alternated also. . There was a lovely tribute at the end of the show to one of their biggest fans and friends, Nick Lawson from Hull who passed away last February.
Rebecca Kemp, tour manager called up to the stage to join in for that. Nick went to all of their gigs in the UK and also travelled to Canada to see them too. RIP Nick , you are missed by those knew you.
The queue at The Merch desk was looong! at the interval and also still long when I had packed up my cameras and was on the way out. . Always a good indicator of popularity. The PA went down just before the start (the stage is not a drinks table!) but Ron sorted it out very quickly and we had the usual highly rated sound we have become accustomed to (Most artists say that , it’s not just me!).
Another band that will be very welcome back at TLR.
Friday 19th January 2024
Review, photos and video by Keith Belcher
The first gig of the year. The very welcome return of Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius with special guest, master fiddler Kevin Burke for the start of Set 2. We were very lucky to see Tim and Jan. They had a 36 hour nightmare journey from Nashville, delayed by snow. The gig scheduled for Sheffield on Thursday was cancelled. Tim and Jan had travelled up from Heathrow to make our show.
You really would not have guessed they had been travelling for 36 hours. The quality of the playing and singing was top notch. Jan playing mandolin , Tim, guitar, fiddle and mandolin and Kevin fiddle. Tim sang most lead vocals with Jan taking 2 songs as lead and they harmonised beautifully.
Special guest Kevin Burke opened the second set with Tim with 2 instrumentals . Jan joined the stage with Kevin and Tim for a third instrumental (Pear Tree/The Muddy Roads/Ladies Pantalettes/ The Kid On The Mountain and O’Carolans’s Concerto – for those interested) Lots of new songs as it’s been quite a few years and 3 albums since we’ve seen Tim on these shores.
Some old favourites like Brother Wind and Look Down That Lonesome Road.As you would expect at a Tim O’Brien show lots of humour throughout especially in new song Nervous.
70 years young this year and 50 years in the business and he played for just under 2 hours! The beauty of Tim is that it all looks so effortless whether its guitar,mandolin, fiddle or banjo. A true master tradesman.
Sunday 5th November 2023
Review, photos and video by Keith Belcher
Sunday 5th November 2023. Caroline Street Social Club, Saltaire. The debut appearance and I hope the first of many appearances at TLR for Daniel and his band. Emma Rose opened with a short acoustic set and then joined Daniel with and without Zachary and Jason.
The Daniel Rodriguez Band, Daniel Rodriguez Lead Vocals, acoustic guitar, Zachary Jackson, vocals, bass, Jason Mazer, vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, Emma Rose , acoustic guitar, vocals
It’s just me, and the universe, tonight, and together we’re going to have to make things right from “A Thousand Lights” by Daniel Rodriguez
I have pretty much stopped writing reviews and these days I mainly just post pictures/videos with a brief accompanying introduction to the artists. I was very tempted to change that after Sunday night’s show. I had such a good time and felt very uplifted by the show. Without gushing, it genuinely left you with a warm glow.
To be honest a seriously glowing review had pretty much written itself in my head as I left the venue. I’ll just say if you want a really good night that’s going to to leave you feeling very glad you took the time to see this band then go and see them! They are really worth travelling to see. You won’t regret it.
The words below are from the much acclaimed £10 pom Scotsman Eric Bogle and they encapsulate the feelings generated on the night. I heard quite a few people who thought it was THE show of the year. Considering the wealth of talent we have seen this year that’s a strong but justified statement. If not familiar with Daniel’s back history you may also want to check out the music of his band until 2018, Elephant Revival, you won’t be disappointed.
Don’t know what music means to you,
but that’s what music means to me,
it can capture my heart, yet somehow set it free.
It can tear me to pieces, yet somehow make me whole,
it gives me hope and feeds my soul.
The Last Note – Eric Bogle
Thursday 19th October 2023
Photos & video by Keith Belcher
Thursday 12th October 7.30pm
Photos and video by Keith Belcher
Sunday 10th September 2023
Review & photos by Keith Belcher
Sunday 10th September 2023. After a 7 week break the new Live Room season kicked off with the return visit of The Annie Keating Band. The band tonight being Annie Keating, guitar and lead vocals, Joe Coombs, guitars, Jamie Dawson, drums and Mark Lewis , upright and electric bass.
Almost a year since the debut visit on 25th September 2022. They rocked the summer off in style to a very appreciative audience who had (hopefully ) dodged the late afternoon’s torrential rainfall. The entire show was pro filmed, hopefully clips will be available soon. Catch the tour if you can.
