Tag: The Live Room

May 28 2024

Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys

Sunday 5th May 2024

Photos & video by Keith Belcher, review by Keith Belcher with contribution from Mike Latham

What a great way to celebrate 12 years of TLR! This was a show in the truest sense of the word. We were transported back to the 50s with the self-confessed ‘retro man’ and his brilliant band.

Sunday 5th May 2024, The Live Room, Caroline Street Social Club, Saltaire. Debut appearance of Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys. Jake Vaadeland, a self-taught singer/songwriter originally from Saskatchewan, accompanied by his bandmates: guitarist Joel Rohs, banjo player Jaxon Lalonde and bass player Stephen Williams.

A very lively affair to say the least. I have reported the bassist to the Bass Police for being far too animated . We’re really not used to bass players dancing around the stage (with or without their double bass!). A very slick show from Jake and the boys, slick in just about every way , dialogue, music , songs, humour and not to mention hair!

Mike Latham said “Recent concert by Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys from Canada was another debut at the Live Room at Saltaire. A storming performance that went down well with the full room that greeted them on Sunday. A magnificent performance (in more ways than one), these young men proved to be masters of their craft.” He was pretty much spot on.

VIDEOS BY KEITH BELCHER

Until The Day I See You Dear

Get Rhythm; That's Alright Mama

Apr 27 2024

Dallahan

Sunday 21st April 2024

Review, photos and video by Keith Belcher

The last night of their UK tour but the first visit to Saltaire for Dallahan AND a sold out show. A band raised in the Scots/Irish traditional music scene but taking on many aspects of world music as well.What did the Live Room audience think of the band? No review coming from me but below are comments made by members of The Live Room’s Whatsapp group shortly after the show.

“A rousing performance from Dallahan this evening. It certainly went down well with the audience.”

“They were nothing short of sensational. One of my favourite shows. Amazing musicianship and arrangements.”

“A wonderful evening”

“Fantastic show last night, brilliant instrumentalists with amazing faculty all at the service of the music. What a privilege to be able to sit so close and watch them with a pint in my hand.”

Love the comment: ” ‘We know you’ve all got work in the morning’. Ha ha , think they’re used to playing to younger audiences. Anyhoo , what a superb band. Thanks for putting them on Ron and Hilary, absolute gem of a band.”

“… we were amazed by Dallahan last night. A new name to us but what a revelation. Without hearing them before one would expect the normal mix of Irish and Scottish tunes. Not so , just as the tunes were going in the normal cycle we were suddenly blasted in another direction. As Ron said , Jazz, other European and American styles would suddenly take over and the skill of the musicianship was amazing. I almost expected sparks to fly from the banjo in that opening number…”

“Thanks for some more great music”

OK , I think the audience quite liked the show. I overheard comments to Ron from several people already talking about show of the year and we’re still in April!

videos by keith belcher

Jailsong

Dutch Courage

Apr 23 2024

Maya de Vitry

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.

videos by keith belcher

Go Tell A Bird and The Odds Of Getting Even

Apr 23 2024

Sara Petite Band

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.

VIDEOS BY KEITH BELCHER

(I Can't Stand The Smell of Her) Perfume and God Save The Queen

Apr 2 2024

Martin Simpson 2024

Sunday 24th March 2024

Photos, videos, review by Keith Belcher

Another sold out show. This time the great Martin Simpson entertained the Saltaire (and further afield) audience. The vast majority of the songs tonight were from Martin’s forthcoming double CD/album SKYDANCERS.

Not officially on sale until April 12th. There were a few copies available but not many as they have been a resounding success at gigs. The early birds (or purchasers) got the CD. In deference to Andy Muscroft‘s superb monochrome artwork for the album/CD more shots than usual are in black and white.

Musicianship, as expected was superb throughout the night. You can always rest assured you will learn something you didn’t know about the songs and music and history at a Martin gig, tonight was no exception with many detailed stories, jam packed with good humour.

Videos by Keith Belcher

The Recruited Collier

Icarus

Apr 2 2024

Richard Shindell 2024

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.

Videos by Keith Belcher

Stray Cow Blues

There Goes Mavis

Dec 28 2023

A Winter Union

Sunday 10th December 2023

Photos by Ron Pengelly

Dec 5 2023

Jim Causley: A Causley Christmas

Sunday 3rd December 2023

Review, photos and video by Keith Belcher

After a 10 year absence, a 7 hour drive in awful conditions and only a half hour sound check, Devon’s Jim Causley took the stage on a cold, wintry night . The audience were treated to pre-show drinks and nibbles from Hilary and Ron. A sign of the times that some mince pies were labelled vegan.

Switching effortlessly between accordion, keyboards, a Capella , stories, poems and songs, happy ,sad and somewhere inbetween. Jim, blessed with one of the best voices in the folk genre delighted the very enthusiastic Live Room audience not only with his singing but also the humour in the show. An unaccompanied poem by Roald Dahl mixing all the panto/fairy tale stories together had the audience in stitches. None of your usual festive carols featured in this show.

The show itself was a bit of a history lesson of Christmas songs from all around the British Isles (even a Gracie Fields cover from Lancashire and that well known folkie Cyndi Lauper were allowed in!). A lot of the songs were from Jim’s latest Christmas CD but many from the folk archives.

A goodtime was had by all. Set List below for those interested. (Note the Ivy and The Holly is not a typo and the Hunting The Wren is traditional not the one on the latest Lankum CD which is also covered by Natalie Merchant). Some shots below, videos to follow. Jim also wore a Christmas hat in the second set but I’d put my camera away by then. The video captures the hat though.)

Set 1

Yule

Mari Lwyd/Dartmoor Wassail

The Dunster Carol

On Christmas Day It Happened So

Wailey Wailer

Hunting The Wren

The Plymtree Carol

Christmas in No Mans Land

My Christmas Day

Set 2

Adams Fall/Feels Like Christmas

A Song Of Truth

The Jacobstowe Wassail/Christmas Morn

Innocents Song

The Ditchling Poem

Hot Pot Hot

Shepherds Arise

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs (Roald Dahl)

Mistletoe

The Ivy & The Holly

Video by Keith Belcher

Yule and Marie Llwyd/Dartoor Wassail

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