The Live Room
The best all round roots music club in West Yorkshire
Saturday 18th September 2021
Photos by Robert Mitchell
What a band we had to close out the festival with! Fabulous songs a great front man in Joshua and a brilliant band. They got a standing ovation from the crowd and we can’t wait to see them back here so the rest of you can see them too!
Sunday 12th September 2021
Photos and setlist by Keith Belcher
LAUREN HOUSLEY BAND
TLR,Saltaire
12th September 2021
Lauren Housley on Vox and acoustic guitar
Thomas Dibb on electric Guitar/BVs
Mark Lewis on Bass/BVs
Xavier Winton on Drums
Chris Larcombe on acoustic & electric guitar
Clive Mellor on Harmonica
Set 1
The Song I Sing – (A)
Guaranteed Sunshine – (A)
What’s Troubling You Child – (E)
Stay Awake To Dream – (D)
Sing To Me – (F)
Bless His Soul – (E)
Willin- (E)
This Ain’t The Life – (C)
The Beauty Of This Life – Acoustic w/ Clive (C)
Set 2
My Sleeping Heart – (Ab)
Sweet Surrender – (A)
The Waiting Game – (Bb)
Why Are We Making It So Hard – (C#)
Breakdown (C#m)
Jolene – Acoustic (C#m)
Ghost Town Blues – (E)
We’re Not Backing Down – (D)
To Love Somebody – (A-solos G/A/C)
Sunday 5th September 2021
This show was originally set for the end of March 2020, but we all know what happened there! After several abortive reschedules, we finally managed to get the band, albeit with a revised line-up, onto our stage. We needn’t have worried that the long gap may have blunted their edge, as they delivered a brilliant set for us, full of terrific musicianship, harmonies and a genuine sense of fun. Bella, Holly and Kate are now working on a follow up album and we’re sure that they are going to build a huge reputation on the folk scene.
Thursday 2nd September 2021
We were intrigued and excited about this collaborative project with two very different singer songwriters combining their talents on a new album, ‘Talk About The Weather’. Throw in the huge bonus of Kirsty McGee as both support act and part of the band and the whole night just came to life. Wonderful harmonies, brilliant songs and witty banter made the evening a joy from start to finish.
Friday 20th August 2021
Photos by Keith Belcher
The fifth visit altogether for Sam here to TLR, the third under his own name, the other two being with his friend Jim Moray in False Lights. A beautiful evening showcasing his crystal voice, clever and moving songwriting, and of course his brilliant guitar work on both acoustic and electric. Here are some comments from our visitor’s book:
And some of Keith Belcher’s brilliant shots from the night…
Friday 30 July 2021
Photos by Keith Belcher
What a return to larger capacity shows we were treated to on Friday! Ross, deprived of part of his band owing to a family illness, but with his phenomenal guitar player and long time sidekick, Lyle Watt, nevertheless gave the gig-hungry audience a blistering show. The energy generated by these two fabulous musicians really set the crowd afire and at times the performance was right out on the ragged edge, just as live music should be. For the first time in well over a year, it felt like The Live Room of pre-pandemic days.
There are some lovely comments from our visitor’s book at the bottom of this post. More of this please!
Sunday 18th July 2021
The second visit to TLR by Martin and a hastily rearranged show to avoid clashing with the final of the Euros the previous week. Martin was sensational, as ever, his guitar playing really is transcendent, and his voice soulful. Looking to bring him back soon with his full band. Been playing his latest record here at TLR Towers and it’s a thing of beauty.
Photos by Keith Belcher
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!
Friday 2nd July 2021
Photos by Keith Belcher
Many thanks to Sean & Katie for a wonderful 250th show here at TLR, it was a fabulous double bill, as we knew it would be when we booked them!
Sunday 13th June 2021
Photos, set list and review by Keith Belcher
Jon Boden, The Live Room, Caroline Street Social Club, Saltaire 13th June 2021
Late Show (21: 00) of a socially distanced, two-house gig
Set List
Intro -Hilary
Rigs Of The Time (Trad)
We Do What We Can
Old Straight Track
Walking Song
Rose In June (trad)
Cinnamon Water
All Hang Down
Dancing In The Ruins
Come Out Wherever You Are
One Night As I Lay On My Bed (trad)
Roll Alabama
Jordan
Last Mile Home
New York Girls
This was meant to be the last of the socially distanced gigs at TLR but it was obvious to all even without the systematic leaking that it was likely to be late July before venues might be fully open (fingers crossed on that). Hilary sadly confirmed that before the show.
What can you say about Jon Boden? The dates for the original shows sold out very, very quickly. One of the very best voices and front men in roots music. Anyone who has seen the phenomenal Bellowhead will attest to that. Combine him and Eliza Carthy on either side of the stage and you would have Vinegar Joe/Jefferson Airplane – yes, that really dates my musical tastes!
Jon opened the second of the two shows with the very appropriate “Rigs Of Our Times”, a nineteenth century song about maintenance of good and honest trading mechanisms. Rigs meaning “a trick or way of swindling someone”. He quipped that no way was the song appropriate to current times….Perhaps it was a planned theme but that song was followed by one of Jon’s own compositions, “We Do What We Can”, again very appropriate. Songs featured during the evening were a mixture of traditionals that may have been more familiar as Bellowhead recordings and songs from Jon’s recent trilogy of post-apocalyptic, climate change themed albums. The latest of those albums mainly composed and recorded during lockdown and only recently released. Not surprisingly many songs from the latest album Last Mile Home were featured in possibly one of Jon’s first “real” shows since the album release. I for one am very happy at anyone returning to albums that follow a theme rather than numerous, non-related, singles.
Jon came equipped with 3 guitars, violin, concertina and an array of foot pedals and stomp box. All of which were played superbly. “One Night As I Lay In My Bed” ignored most of that and was performed with accompanying clapping and stomp box. Who noticed Bellowhead weren’t on stage? I find a solo performance of songs like “Rigs of Time” and “Jordan” really bring the very meaningful lyrics to the fore when not distracted by the heavy instrumentation of a large band, personal opinion as I find it difficult to concentrate on too many things at once!
Post-apocalyptic Morris dancing was predicted during the show, many of the songs having enough drive and beat to tempt the dancers in the crowd if there weren’t Covid restraints in force. Finishing the show with the powerhouse song “Jordan” and a double encore of “Last Mile Home”, the title track and last song on the new album and then the magnificent upbeat “New York Girls” just made you want more. I am sure that I wasn’t the only one pretending not to sing along. A great gig, thoroughly enjoyed by all present, audience, promoter and artist.
TLR’s summer shows will be socially distanced until policies and opinions change. Check the website/blog for all dates, join the mailing list for updates.