2023

May 25, 2023 by David Vousden in Blues, Classic Rock, Guitar, Live Review, Rock

After an evening of acoustic loveliness with Milk Carton Kids at Union Chapel on Saturday, It was only a short walk down Islington’s Upper Street for Sunday's entertainment as legendary blues singer and guitarist Walter Trout is in town. For those unfamiliar, the Assembly Hall is part of the Islington Town Hall complex built in 1930, but only reopened as a venue in 2010 after languishing as storage space for many years and retains many impressive art deco features. The hall has a capacity of approximately 900, but it always feels more intimate, the staff are friendly, and most importantly, the sound is excellent. But enough of the architectural/history lesson, it's time we get to the music, and as we arrive, opening act Alastair Greene is doing his thing.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - Shepherd's Bush Empire, April 23rd 2023

April 24, 2023 by David Vousden in Blues, Classic Rock, Guitar, Live Review

It's a Sunday night, and I'm at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, undaunted by the typically miserable weather, for the final night of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band UK tour. The Empire is a long way from Shreveport, Louisiana, but it's also been twenty-five long years since the original release of ‘Trouble Is’ elevated the guitarist to the top of the blues tree. The platinum-selling record would spawn four crossover rock hits, building on the success of his debut album, ‘Ledbetter Heights’, and catapulted the young guitarist to headline status while still in his early twenties.

Lee Rogers - Green Note, London 29/06/2022

July 05, 2022 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Americana, Blues, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

They say that timing is everything. This certainly seems to be the case with Lee Rogers, the Northern Irish singer-songwriter who surprisingly left the world of music behind some fifteen years ago to embark on a career as a tattooist, opening his own studio and winning multiple awards in the process. Only to return in the last couple of years with a burst of musical creativity to make many of his peers more than a little jealous. Naturally, we jumped at the chance to catch up with Lee when it was announced he would be opening for The Sam Chase at the always-welcoming Green Note in London's Camden Town.

Amigo The Devil - Hoxton Hall, London 15.02.2020

February 18, 2020 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Americana, Blues, Country, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

For the second weekend in a row, the UK was in the grip of a named storm as the RGM team made their way to Hoxton Hall in London. The onset of Storm Dennis, which would bring driving rain and treacherous winds to the majority of the country wasn’t going to put us off and proved rather fitting as Amigo The Devil seems very comfortable with the dark and the desolate.

Black Deer Festival 2019 - June 23rd (Day Three)

July 08, 2019 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Americana, Blues, Country, Country Rock, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

The RGM team doubled in size for day three of Black Deer in an effort to reach into even more of the many nooks and crannies from which live music could be heard floating around the site. On arrival, RGM and Black Deer favourite The Sheepdogs were doing their thing on the main stage (impressive as they’d closed the Supajam tent the previous evening). The Sheepdogs were again going down a storm with ‘Nobody’ a perfect complement to a sunny day with its Paul McCartney & Wings tribute/pastiche breakdown and no less than three guitarists trading musical blows to complete their set. A great start to the day.

Black Deer Festival 2019 - June 21st (Day One)

July 01, 2019 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Alt-Country, Americana, Blues, Classic Rock, Country Rock, Country, Folk, Hard Rock, Live Review, Singer Songwriter, Southern Rock, Stoner, Psych

For the first day of the annual Black Deer Festival, the gods have been kind and the sun is trying to break through the clouds. The UK is back in love with country music and all things Americana - at least on a musical level. This level of acceptance for the genre has not been seen on our shores since Dolly, Kenny and Tammy topped the charts and the Wembley Country Music festival was a must-see on BBC2. Black Deer is only in its sophomore year but it already feels like a must do on the crowded festival calendar.

Dan Reed Network - 229 The Venue, London - 23/11/18

November 26, 2018 by Rich Barnard in Classic Rock, Blues, Live Review, Rock, Hard Rock

I set out on a crisp November evening to catch the Dan Reed Network on the London leg of a fourteen-date UK tour in support of their new album, Origins, at the intimate club 229. The night is hosted by radio station Planet Rock, (those tongue-out champions of chunk, churn and chug) and thus the black t-shirted rock credentials of the evening’s opening acts are beyond question. Hollowstar, from Cambridgeshire, are satisfyingly old-school bluesy hard rockers who sell out of CDs while they’re still onstage and Glasgow’s muscular Mason Hill - who also swiftly win the crowd - deliver a heaviness of the type I haven’t witnessed in years. It’s fantastic to see these hungry young guns perform with so much passion and pride and both acts give tonight absolutely everything they’ve got, which is plenty.

BluesFest - Zac Brown Band + Beth Hart, The O2 London 27/10/2018

October 29, 2018 by David Vousden in Americana, Blues, Country, Live

On what feels like the first cold night of the year your RGM scribe is at the O2 in London for the Zac Brown Band and Beth Hart. Tonight's show is part of the annual BluesFest which has found a home at the O2 and is now in its sixth year. With ticket in hand, airport-style security negotiated and a sharp intake of breath at the beer prices I'm in my seat bright and early for Beth Hart to get things started.

Randy Houser + Lindsay Ell + Walker McGuire - Bush Hall, London

October 03, 2017 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Americana, Blues, Country, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

London is my usual stomping ground for gigs so the announcement of Country Music Week was most welcome. From October 2nd – 8th some of the best and the brightest artists of the genre are popping up all over town in various musical configurations be it with full bands, acoustic sets or the much loved, and quintessentially Nashville, songwriters circle, CMW had all the bases covered

The Crooked Brothers - Green Note, London UK

November 08, 2016 by David Vousden in Country, Folk, Live Review, Americana, Blues

The Crooked Brothers hail from Winnipeg in the province of Manitoba, Canada. “The Gateway To The West” according to Wiki and the home to numerous music festivals at which I’m sure The Crooked Brothers are always welcome with their impressive range of musical influences that resulted in one hell of a live show at Green Note London.