The Friday afternoon Bank Holiday weekend traffic heading towards the West Midlands isn’t too bad. From the wonderful City of Milton Keynes to Banbury and then onto the motorway network, we are Kidderminster-bound. Robin-fanatic and UK Trower tribute bandleader, Mike Smith is throwing a party to celebrate [almost] 50 years on the planet.

What’s more ‘Trower Power’ are just one of three bands on the bill. All three bands are up there on the list of the country’s leading tribute acts.  Mike’s band are on first, hotly pursued by ‘Dizzy Lizzy’ and ‘Are You Experienced?’

Trower Power are the UK’s only tribute to Robin Trower, James Dewar and Bill Lordan. The four-piece band features guitar teacher Mike as Robin Trower. Kerry Smith on bass. Simon Bennet as Bill Lordan. New recruit, Bob Greening completes the line-up on vocals having recently replaced original singer, Rich Spalding, who has gone off to college.

The venue for the show is Kiddy’s splendid edge-of-town, Chainwire Club. Mike walks on to the stage to introduce the evening to the assembled guests, several hundred people, mostly seated or standing by the bar.
      In his opening remarks, the birthday boy speaks about the power of Trower and how he first came to Robin’s music. Some 35 years on and at a time when the whole country seems to be in the grip of tribute mania, he explains putting ‘Trower Power’ together has been an entirely logical enterprise. The fact is Mike, Kerry, Simon and Bob are turning many new fans onto the real thing - the music of The Robin Trower Band.

The set kicks off with ‘Day of the Eagle’. The sound is good with the guitar well up in the mix. A great start. Bob is a natural frontman. His voice is well suited to the band’s sound. He takes on the job of introducing the music and the band like a true pro. The second cut is ‘Bridge of Sighs’ with a powerful, rocked up outro section where Mike really lets rip on his white maple-necked Strat.
      ‘Shame the Devil’ has an ‘RT’08’ feel to it. It’s one of my all-time favourite Trower tracks from our hero’s best ever album ‘For Earth Below’, IMHO. It’s smashing to hear it being played ‘live’ with such passion.
      The highlights of tonight’s set are ‘Too Rolling Stoned’ and ‘Daydream’. Mike’s solos in the middle and outro to ‘Rolling Stoned’ are simply blistering. Kerry is on top top form too. On ‘Daydream’, Mike has those prolonged feedback notes absolutely spot-on. The band dedicate ‘I Can’t Wait Much Longer’ to the late, great James Dewar. Awesome. Simon Bennet takes Bill Lordan’s ‘Alethea’ drum solo on from where it ends on the ‘Live’ album to make it very much his own. Brilliant!
      This is an accomplished performance from a band well into its stride and sounding every bit the part. Ambassadors for the Robin Trower Band in the UK, there is so much more to come from this fabulous quartet. Let’s rock!

‘Trower Power’ live at The Chainwire Club, Kidderminster, 28 August 2009

Set List:
Day of the Eagle
Bridge of Sighs
Gonna be more Suspicious
Lady Love
Shame the Devil
Too Rolling Stoned
Daydream
The Fool and Me
Victims of the Fury
I Can’t Wait Much Longer
Rock me Baby
Alethea
A Little Bit of Sympathy

Now read my review of the band’s January 2009 Worcester show here or Mike’s introductory feature on the band here.

For details of the band’s forthcoming shows visit their MySpace site here!