Put it down to age if you like, but these days I get confused when I hear the term R & B. Its present purveyors have names like Cutty BME and 112 featuring Foxy Brown... What sort of names are those? What is more they talk all over the music!!
Back in the Seventies there was Brummy, Gaffa, Stuart (now 'Norm'), and me. We were in our first band together (named after a dangerous chemical, the identity of which shall remain a secret in this article, (a) Because it's quite embarrassing now and (b) I'm blowed if I can remember how to spell it) and, although I say so myself, we were cool... as you could be in platform shoes, flared jeans adorned tin star studs and tank tops... and of course my NHS specs were way ahead of their time! Puppies The music scene, if I remember rightly, was dominated in the charts by the likes of Donny Osmond and David Cassidy with their pretty boy haircuts and soppy songs about puppies and love. But this wasn't for us, well apart from one of the group who actually bought a Donny single (about puppies... and for that matter... love!). No, then we had hair beyond our shoulders (apart from the aforementioned Donny fan, whose mum reluctantly let him wear it long but used to put it in curlers so it was tidy) and we weren't prepared to accept anything less than a raunchy guitar, stomping drums, bass and vocals; or a double progressive rock concept album lasting hours. Eventually our tastes refined and we searched out the best and once found we generally stuck with it. That's where Robin Trower comes in. In spite of having made a few albums with 60s hippy combo Procol Harum we'd never heard of him. It was Stuart and Gaffa (both guitarists themselves) who saw him on a poster, thought he looked like he knew what he was doing and bought tickets. They returned from the concert raving about Mr Trower's guitar virtuosity or, in other words: arse kicking rhythm and Blues (r&b). Memories Last Friday (April 15) memories of those days filled the slightly balding heads of the crowd that packed the Guildhall to greet Robin Trower and his band after what, for some, had been a thirty year drought of live performances by the man. We were joined in the bar, by Norm's missus, Joy who, as you will learn, has a way with a phrase, plus Nick and Gordon. They got into Robin Trower a few years before the rest of us - Nick bought RT's first LP, "which had a blue cover", in London and Gordon first discovered him at the Reading Festival and was then given the album Bridge of Sighs by a girlfriend who eventually fled to Birmingham to become a lesbian... ah such memories. So, reminiscences exchanged and drinks in hand, it was time to head for the main hall. Support band Sneaker were doing battle with a very loud buzz and a mediocre set, but, gained some redemption with a gutsy version of Fleetwood Mac's Oh Yeah just before the interval. That's when many an audience member began to regret letting their gym membership lapse in the eighties as they searched desperately for somewhere to sit in the all standing auditorium. However when Robin Trower took to the stage most rose to their feet once more, as the man launched into an impressively faithful rendition of Too Rolling Stoned from the album Bridge of Sighs, spoiled only slightly for me by a harsh or toppy guitar sound which was hard on the ears. Eventually the mix settled down and looking around there were broad smiles on many a face as the experienced and disciplined band (Dave Bronze, bass; Dave Pattison, vocals; Pete Thompson, drums) supported their leader through numbers including Sweet Angel and Rise Up Like The Sun. Next came the first of the evening's highlights for me, the song Daydream. Riffs Now only owning the one Robin Trower album myself and this track not being on it, I cannot tell you where in RT's discography it features. However if I had to describe Robin Trower's playing style to anyone who knows less about the bloke than me I would say he ekes the cleanest sounding, harmonic, most laid back chords from his Fender Stratocaster coupled with crisp well defined riffs which provide the hooks. However Joy, whom I mentioned earlier does a nifty line in phraseology, poetically described RT's repertoire as consisting of: "The most heart achingly beautiful chords".
What is more he never uses more than he needs, often letting one chord carry the tune across many bars, a rare quality these days.
Daydream demonstrated this, with Dave Pattison singing about birds in the sky, the wonder of the day and being spellbound as Trower punctuated his words with powerfully haunting chords and licks. The set was a mixture of the old and the new, including titles from the latest CD Living Out Of Time and, I have to say, although unfamiliar to my ear there was not one tune which I considered to be less than pleasant listening. But it's the ones which took me back to my teenage years which were my own particular highlights. In fact it was not only I who applauded when the first notes of Day Of The Eagle rang out (Bridge Of Sighs: track 1, side 1) an infectious and powerful tune, ideal for driving to -it's even got a slower bit at the end which is great musical accompaniment when looking for a parking space! The applause was repeated when, following a few guitar acrobatics, designed, I assume, to disguise the identity of the following tune, RT broke into the first arpeggio chord of Bridge Of Sighs, which didn't disappoint. Finishing the set with Little Bit Of Sympathy (again from Bridge Of Sighs) the band went off while the crowd dutifully cheered for 'more!' Encore Now this used to be all very well when I was a teenager but for an older audience, which has been standing for over two hours, it's bloody hard work. So the shouts for the obligatory encore were at best sporadic. Not because the band hadn't played a blinder but we were knackered! Anyway, it was a good evening and at sixty Robin Trower is still on top of his instrument. It's reassuring to be able to watch high-class live performances from musicians with their roots in the sixties, especially when contemporaries have long since abandoned R & B to camp it up in big powdered wigs and sparkly specs or tight pants and tartan to woo the teenybopper market. Robin Trower may not have enjoyed the same celebrity as the likes of Elton and Rod but can draw on the respect of many, including Brummy, Gaffa, Norm, Joy, Gordon and Nick, having kept the faith and the true meaning of R&B. Review by Andy Barnard If you have a gig you would like to promote or you are in a band and would like your CD reviewed then get in touch at gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk | 
