Nov 28 2023

Blue Rose Code 2023

Friday 24th November 2023

Review, photos and video by Keith Belcher with additional info from TLR

The fifth visit of Blue Rose Code to The Live Room Saltaire. Last time as I think without checking Ross Wilson (aka Blue Rose Code) was a duo with guitarist Lyle Watt. Tonight a 4 piece with Ross, main vocals and guitar, Lyle on electric and acoustic guitars and mandolin. Gus Stirrat playing a 5 string bass, making it resemble a lead guitar at times and Stuart Brown on drums. A really cracking night. The first half was superb but the second half notched the pace up to another level altogether, serious rocking in Saltaire last Friday. Here’s to the 6th visit.

Note from TLR: As part of the 10th anniversary of their debut album, North Ten, the band has been performing the record in order as part of their shows this year. The video is their full performance of North Ten from the night. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Video

North Ten in full

Nov 28 2023

Adam Holmes

Featuring Jen Austin

Sunday 19th November 2023

Photos and video by Keith Belcher

Video by Keith Belcher

Nadine

Nov 14 2023

Daniel Rodriguez & Friends

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

Video by Keith Belcher

Colorado; Vast Nothing; and Birds and Stars

Oct 30 2023

Ímar

Sunday 22nd October 2023

Photos & video by Keith Belcher

Sunday 22nd October 2023. The sold out debut appearance of award-winning multi-national band Ímar. Five members, on stage from left to right Adam Brown (England), bodhrán and guitar, Tomás Callister, fiddle (Isle of Man), Ryan Murphy, uilleann pipes, flautist and whistle player (Ireland), Mohsen Amini, concertina (Scotland) and Adam Rhodes, bouzouki, (Isle of Man) plus (purely from a photographers point of view!)! a veritable forest of microphones.

Video by Keith Belcher

Eoghainn's

Oct 30 2023

Ali McGuirk

Thursday 19th October 2023

Photos & video by Keith Belcher

Video by Keith Belcher

Evaline

Oct 15 2023

Martin Stephenson & The Daintees

Sunday 1st October 2023

Photos & video by Keith Belcher

Video

Martin Stephenson & The Daintees

Sep 26 2023

Annie Keating Band

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.

Jul 25 2023

Carter Sampson & Amelia White

Sunday 9th July 2023

Review and photos by Ron Pengelly

Lots of love at The Live Room at Saltaire for a superb Americana double bill on Sunday evening. Great show from Carter Sampson and Amelia White of Oklahoma and Nashville towards the end of their UK tour.

Jul 25 2023

The Hoth Brothers

Sunday 25th June 2023

Review and photos by Ron Pengelly

A taste of the wilderness of New Mexico came to Saltaire on Friday with the Hoth Brothers. My photos of a hugely entertaining set of toe tapping Appalachian inspired songs from Bard Edrington and Sarah Ferrell, with Karina Wilson on fiddle and vocals standing in for Boris McCutcheon who couldn’t make the tour.

Great show, thanks folks.

Jun 10 2023

Kris Drever Band

Sunday 4th June 2023

Review, photos, video by Keith Belcher

4th June 2023. Kris Drever is no stranger to The Live Room, this was his sixth visit. This was his first with this band of friends making a rare and very welcome foray south of the border. The first of 3 Scots performances in a row for TLR in June. The wonderful Karine Polwart and Iona Lane on 4th and Glasgow based Gnoss on the 11th. Tonight the band comprised Kris on main vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, Euan Burton on upright and electric bass, Rachel Lightbody on vocals and multi tasking Admiral Fallow leader Louis Abbott playing drums, percussion, guitar and vocals.

Pretty much a sell out show with trips through the extensive back catalogue but not usually heard live with this combination of artists. Opening and closing the show proper with songs from 2016 album If Wishes Were Horses. Capernaum to start and finishing with title song If Wishes Were Horses (Both songs also feature on the new CD ..The Best Of.. a 36 track double CD). The harmonies working very well throughout. All band members contributing to vocals. An extremely well paced show with Kris giving good introductions to each song in his distinctively humourous understated style .

Set 2 opened with Kris solo playing Shetland fiddle music on guitar, The Unst Bridal Marches from 2019 mini album Hill And Shore. You could have heard a pin drop in The Live Room. The band re-joined the stage for newish song Catterline from the 2023 new album (The Best of ) . Tempo definitely upped for Hunker Down/That Old Blitz Spirit. Harvest Gypsies was next, a song performed recently at TLR by writer Boo Hewerdine.

The rest of the show just whizzed past ending with I Didn’t Try Hard Enough before a double encore of encores of Poor Man’s Son followed with an off mike encore of The Poorest Company. Kris providing solo unplugged guitar as the only instrumentation and everyone contributing to harmonies. A wonderful ending to a wonderful night. Both songs from the new compilation album.

Ron enjoyed a rare night off sound duties thanks to Tom Stanier doing a cracking job of sound mixing for this tour.

For anyone interested Poorest Company is also a song from 2006’s Before The Ruin where Kris collaborated with John McCusker and Roddy Woomble (and many others-well worth checking out ).

Interviews

Hunker Down and Harvest Gypsies