The Live Room
The best all round roots music club in West Yorkshire
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 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.
Friday 28th April 2023
Photos by Ron Pengelly
This was Joe’s second visit here to TLR with his full band, this time on his first ever full tour in support of his debut album, Empty Passenger Seat, from which we heard a good selection of tracks. We love Joe’s songs, his dedication and that wonderful voice of his and he deserves support as he builds his career. This was a fabulous performance from him and his stellar band, Tom Dibb on guitar, Mark Lewis on bass and Dan Wiebe on drums. Ten shows in on the tour, they were firing on all cylinders and were a tight and dynamic unit, a perfect frame for Joe’s songwriting.
Supporting Joe on this leg of his tour was young Sheffield-based singer songwriter, Harriet Rose, who delivered a sparkling and confident set. Another beautiful singer, she has a great future ahead of her and we’ll no doubt be seeing her back here at TLR in the not too distant future.
Sunday 5th February 2023
Photos and video by Keith Belcher
We were absolutely blown away by Canada’s Del Barber last Sunday, as were the crowd. We love it when a show exceeds expectations and this one did that by a country mile. Del and his band were absolutely superb in every sense: fabulous songs, amazing musicianship, funny, engaging and entertaining. The whole evening was fantastic from start to finish and we can’t wait to welcome them back to TLR again, when we’re sure it will be a sell-out.
Friday 20th January 2023
Review & photos by Keith Belcher
Friday 20th January, The Live Room.
Opening for Canadian Trio The Lonesome Ace Stringband were Phrase and Fable, a duo consisting of Maria Wallace and Phil Stott . Maria Wallace on vocals, claw hammer banjo and fiddle and Phil on vocals and guitar.
This was Lonesome Ace Stringband’s second visit to TLR. Last time was 15th September 2019. I saw them earlier that year sharing a double header with The Local Honeys at Celtic Connections on 26th January 2019. They would have been back a long time ago had it not been for you know what.
Like a fine wine they just carried on getting better and better and the audience had a real treat on Friday. They are Chris Coole on banjo, John Showman on fiddle and Max Malone on upright bass. Singing is divided between all three in both as soloists and harmonies.
Not surprisingly the show had been sold out for quite a while. A double gig weekend with Sierra Hull and Justin Moses (also sold out)on Sunday 22nd January. Judging from the very rapturous response from the audience they will be back.
Sunday 25th September 2022
Photos by Keith Belcher
The first visit of New Yorker, Annie Keating and her band to The Live Room was an absolute triumph. Her band – Joe Coombs, guitar; Scott Warman, basses; and Jamie Dawson, drums – supported Annie superbly, with a performance of skill, maturity and power that had the audience cheering wildly from the first number. Read a full review of the show by John Barlass of At The Barrier here.
Sunday 4th July 2021
Photos by Keith Belcher
It was Joe’s third visit to TLR, but the first as a headliner and also with his full band. It’s great when you see an artist develop and you’re part of that journey. It was a fabulous night with a great young artist and a brilliant band. We’ve already booked a return visit for them in 2022, so watch out for that!
