On Friday evening, California-based quartet Vintage Trouble made a welcome return to Leeds as part of their first run of UK shows since 2019.
The soulful outfit kickstarted their current tour with a high-profile appearance at Glastonbury Festival earlier this summer before touring across Europe.
Vintage Trouble are no strangers to the Leeds area, having frequented the West Yorkshire city several times prior. Vintage Trouble have had many memorable nights in the region, including a couple of dates at the sadly missed Leeds Cockpit, as well as performing alongside pop icon Paloma Faith at the First Direct Arena.
Having toured the US and Europe alongside The Who in the early days of their career, it seemed only fitting that Vintage Trouble’s return to the north would be adjacent to the very room where Roger Daltrey and company famously recorded their concert album Live at Leeds back in the 60s.
A strong crowd was in attendance as the four-piece took to the stage with a ferocious rendition of Run Like The River. The roaring guitars and fist-pumping rhythms of the opening number fired up the audience at the top of the set.
Vintage Trouble’s memorable performance on Later with Jools Holland in 2011 won the band a whole raft of fans. Early in the set, a high-octane rendition of Blues Hand Me Down, certainly struck a chord with the band’s followers, the Troublemakers.
Lead singer Ty Taylor is an entertainer through and through. Frequently Ty ventured into the audience, whether dancing with fans, pumping up the crowd or swinging off his microphone stand. The daredevil singer showed no fear and captivated the audience throughout.
Vintage Trouble are presently touring in support of their new studio album Heavy Hymnal. Several tracks from the record featured during the course of the band’s 90-minute set including the likes of Holla!, Not The One and the rather uplifting Shinin’. The beauty of the band’s latest material is that it really comes to life in the live environment.
The band was joined onstage by Dean Fairhurst from support band Standin’ Man during a wonderful duet on The Love That Once Lingered. Whilst a poetic airing of Repeating History featured in the latter stages of the show.
A heartfelt performance of Nobody Told Me was enough to stir the emotions of many in the room. Whilst the band paid homage to Sinead O’Connor with a brief rendition of Nothing Compares To You.
One of the many highlights of the set was Vintage Trouble’s funky take on Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground. Whilst an instrumental performance of the classic Total Strangers featuring lead guitarist Nalle Colt, bass player Rick Barrio Dill and drummer Richard Danielson certainly pleased the band’s old-school fans in attendance.
It may have taken Vintage Trouble eight years to return to Leeds, but it was certainly worth the wait.
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