Welcome to my UK fansite dedicated to one of the world’s greatest blues rock guitarists. Still recording and touring, Robin’s band features Davey Pattison [vocals], Pete Thompson [drums] and Glenn Letsch [bass]. For more information click here. Robintrowerlive.co.uk is proud of its association with these other Trower websites:

Steve’s Place Guestbook here      Steve’s Place What’s New here      tp.com      tp.com community page

News Page Archive 2008-2005

 May 2008 UK Tour Reviews

Brighton No Time for farewells      Exeter Totally sold      Bilston Blistering Bilston
Glasgow Dedicated to Jimmy      London Let me hear you say YEAH!      Manchester Pride comes before a fall
Sheffield Balls of steel      Southampton From Portswood to poignancy
Stratford-Upon-Avon The play’s the thing      Birkenhead Fab Four in Birkenhead
Fleetwood Fulfillingness’ Fleetwood Finale      For more reviews visit Steve Shail’s site here!

 Reviews and pictures from the fans including ...

John Waters 1  Mark Smith  Ronnie Kerrigan 1  John Waters 2  Karen and John Wilson 1  Brian Smith   Matthew Goldsbrough 1   John Hall  Ronnie Kerrigan 2   Karen and John Wilson 2   Andy Parsonage
Tony Cuomo   Ray Martin   David Blue Jay  Matthew Goldsbrough 2
Ronnie Kerrigan 3   Matthew Goldsbrough 3   Andy   Steven Meek   Steve Davidson

Share your UK tour photos and comments by  emailing them here. Especially fans in Wales and Scotland!

Wanted! Your photos and reviews from UK shows!

So that was the tour that was. Robin’s fourth sojourn across the UK in as many years. Can you believe it?

If you were lucky enough to see one of the shows this time round [or managed to see the band on one of the shows from their last three trips] please do get in touch!

A few words about the Aynsley Lister Band
Aynsley, Jo and Richard certainly won many fans over back in May 2008. The band proved to be a sensational support act for Robin throughout the comprehensive 18-show tour. Check out my Lister page for more words and pictures here! A BIG thank you to John Waters too for his excellent shots of the ALB as featured here! Some excellent shots from the lens of Matthew Goldsbrough at Holmfirth and Birkenhead! Check out the band’s forthcoming shows info by visiting the official Lister website here!.

Andy Parsonage’s Academy pictures

More shots from the Manchester show here. Cheers Andy!

‘Classic’ review for Brook show

Check out the ‘Summer 2008’ issue of ‘Classic Rock’ magazine [on news stands now] for an excellent review of The Brook show. CR journo and long-standing Trower man Pete Makowski’s review includes the following ... “Bridge of Sighs has expanded to feature a breathtaking heavy jazz/funk interlude and beautiful fluid, sinuous solo worth the price of the admission alone. Vocalist Davey Pattison does more than enough to accommodate the loss of Jimmy Dewar.”

Andy Parsonage’s Picturehouse  photo’s

Some great shots just in from the band’s show in West Yorkshire. The Picturehouse is in Holmfirth, the town made famous as the setting for BBC TV’s long standing sit-com ‘Last of the Summer Wine’. Yet it was blues infused lead guitar flowing from the rafters on this magic night in May 2008 that inspired our Andy. Take a look!

More lens magic from Matthew

Yet more simply stunning images from Derbyshire’s finest, Matthew Goldsbrough! This time from the gig at the Pacific Road Arts Centre in Birkenhead. Thank you Matthew [surely now up there with the incomparable Mr Neil Calandra in the ‘Champions League of Robin Trower Live photographers’!. Enjoy them here!.

Fan photos and review from Stratford-Upon-Avon

Karen and John Wilson move on from the band’s blistering show at The Robin 2 in Bilston to catch the show at Cox’s Yard, Stratford-Upon-Avon. It proved to be a fiery night and, without doubt, one of the best shows of the entire UK tour.

Their thoughts and images from the tiny packed venue here!

Mark Smith visits The Brook and is rejuvenated!

Mark’s tale untold here is typical of many of those people I met along the way on this 2008 tour. Fans who simply loved Robin’s music back in the 1970s but who found it almost impossible to keep tabs on him in the 1980s and 1990s - a period when Robin was probably one of the best kept secrets in his own country. That was, until the Internet! Welcome home indeed! Thanks Mark. Words and pictures here!

Ronnie and John Kerrigan witness sensational Southampton show

I must say it was great to see the Brtothers Kerrigan again. This time at the Brook. It was a great show as you will see by reading Ronnie’e review.

Great to see John Waters, Martin Hughes, John Hammond, Sean, Jackie, Jim and Sam Pierce there too!

More words and pictures review from The Astoria 2, London

Argubably the best night of the tour? See what you think by reading the excellent account of proceedings from Ronnie Kerrigan here.

Rescue Rooms review and pictures from Nottingham

Here’s a show I wanted to get to but, in the end, had to pull out due to other commitments. Very disappointed. Thankfully, Ronnie Kerrigan was there and here is his report on the action.

I was gutted becuase it sounds like I missed an absolute sizzler of a show. Cheers Ronnie!

Robin's Blog- Wednesday, 28 May 2008
"The Brook - My favourite gig of UK Tour. Sound of band really gelled on that stage - excellent crowd - big fun." [Robin Trower]

Ronnie Kerrigan says “this concert and performance will stay in my mind for many years. Robin played like only a virtuoso can, accompanied by an excellent band that generated warmth and intensity. Most of the "Trower Class of '76" were lucky to be in attendance and witnessed a marvellous show of musicianship.”

Trower interview confirms live collaboration with Jack Bruce
The latest issue of ‘Classic Rock’ magazine [July 2008 # - on news stands now] contains an excellent half-page interview with CR journalist, Phil Henderson.

When asked ‘how much of ‘Seven Moons’ will be played on the May 2008 UK Tour?’, our hero replies “Nothing. I’ll save that for when I go out wih Jack. He doesn’t want to do a lot of live work now, but we’re looking at doing some dates together later in the year.”

Martin dives into The Brook to catch the last ticket!
Congratulations to Catford’s finest, Mr Martin Hughes on netting the last available ticket for this week’s show at The Brook.

Folks, if you are heading down to Southampton for the show and fancy a pre-show drink with some fellow Trower fans, head for The Mitre which is on the crossroads of Highfield Lane and Portswood Road here, a short five to ten-minute walk from The Brook. If the weather’s good, we’ll be out the back..

Manchester review and photos

Once again, some stunning images from the lens of Matthew Goldsbrough in what were far from ideal conditions for taking good photographs. Check out these greats shots by clicking here!

My own review of the show is now online over at ‘Steve’s Place’!

London Astoria show review
I’m delighted to receive my first full-length reviews from fellow fans of this excellent show [the best so far].

The first one is  from Kent man and Spurs fan, Tony Cuomo here. Cheers Tone!

The second is from John Waters, together with some of his photos from the show here! Thanks John!

Fan photos from Norwich

Many thanks to Brian Smith for his shots from the gig at Norwich’s Waterfront on 18 May 2008. Check them out here!

Phoenix now in black and white

Many thanks to Andy who has sent through some stunning black and white images from the recent show at the Phoenix in Exeter. These photographs are now online here! [Please note the online versions of these photos were improved and republished on 27 May 2008.]

Glasgow fan photos now online

Some great shots, just in, from Ray Martin of Friday night’s magical show underneath the arches at Glasgow Central Station. Click here.

My review of the show, previously published on Steve Shail’s world fansite, is also avaliable online here too as are my reviews from the Brighton, Exeter and Bilston shows.

Newcastle fan photos now online

Thanks to John Hall for sending in some great shots of the show at the Academy in Newcastle! The photos are now online here!

Goldsbrough on Holmfirth
Once again, it is a great honour to receive some outstanding photographs from Derbyshire’s finest, Matthew Goldsbrough. His lens work from the band’s shows has been an absolute joy these last three years, capturing the vibe in his own inimitable way.

Hot off the press, enjoy his adventures in a Yorkshire landscape at the Holmfirth show. Visiting his online slide show here!

More fan photos now online

Thanks to John Waters [Brighton] and Karen and John Wilson [Bilston] for their recent contributions. John has also kindly sent me a whole set of pictures of Aynsley Lister and his band. Coming soon, promise!

Paint it blue for soul

Waiting for the flight home from Glasgow, I discovered some fabulous photos of the band’s performance at the Blues Garage on 3 May 2008 via Wikipedia. See for yourself by following this link!
 

Fan Photos Now Online
A BIG thank you to Steve Davidson, David Blue Jay and Steven Meek for sending through their pictures.

David’s shots are from the Brighton gig, Steve Davidson’s from the Exeter show and Steven Meek’s from the show afloat, on board the Thekla in Bristol. That’s three out of four shows! If you have photos from Bliston, Nottingham or Newcastle, why not share them with fellow fans via this site. Just email them here!

Welcome Home Welcome!
I was lucky enough to catch the first three shows on this latest UK tour and can tell you Pete, Glenn, Davey and Robin are on top top form.

If you are going to any of the forthcoming shows, you are in for a real treat. It is absolutely fantastic to see these four great musicians back in action on home soil.

Full details here soon. In the meantime, catch the reviews on Steve Shail’s world fan site for Brighton, Exeter and Bilston.

New EMI ‘Best of Robin Trower’ CD on Sale!
Available now from Alan on the tour merchandising stall at the UK shows [and elsewhere], this latest 17-track compilation includes a rare B-side track ‘Take a Fast Train’, never previously released on CD.

All the tracks have been digitally remastered including three tracks from last year’s ‘Bridge of Sighs’ re-issue. To see details of that release visit Steve Shail’s world fan site here.

You will find information on Robin’s last three UK tours (all within the last three years) by visiting these pages on my site: Spring 2005 : Autumn 2005 ; Spring 2006.

Other pages on this Trower site: The Songs ; The Albums (vintage press reviews) ; What the fans say ; Fans’ photo gallery.

If you have any info or comments please get in touch by e-mail.

This site, first realised in March 2005, is a howardtowers production published by Alan Howard in the UK.