Walter Trout + Leoni Jane Kennedy – 15th October 2026

Live from The Cheese And Grain, Frome

© Andy Balcam, Balcshootsbands

I think probably the best way to explain the impact Leoni Jane Kennedy is having this evening is that she is standing alone on stage, with just her voice and an acoustic guitar, playing to a room full of gnarly old blues rockers and you can hear a pin drop. The whole audience is transfixed as Leoni lays bare her soul.  It’s remarkable stuff.

Her half-hour set is taken largely from her mini album Synthetic. Closer, Sloe and Jesse are all sung beautifully with Kennedy also showing off some deft guitar chops.

Resplendent in her flowing white “70’s Rush” stage outfit Kennedy extends the Rush theme further with a striking take on their deep cut Tears, representing New World Woman, her full album of acoustic reworkings of Rush tunes.

Highlight of the set is closing number Ammunition. Written whilst working on her masters degree in songwriting the song explores her lack of relationship with her father and leaves the crowd initially dumbstruck before erupting in thunderous applause.

No such subtlety from Walter Trout! He emerges into the evening with his white Delaney Strat on ‘stun’ and never really lets up.

Initially hitting the stage as a 4 piece with John Avila on bass, Roland Bakker on keys and wild man Kev Hickman on tubs the band tear through their opening numbers with Trout in fine voice and still shredding after all these years.

Say Goodbye To The Blues is a heartfelt tribute and thank you to his mentor John Mayall, whilst Artificial from his excellent 2025 album Sign Of The Times, rails against all things AI.

By now augmented by son Jon Trout on extra guitar Trout senior powers through I’ve Had Enough – his collaboration with Dee Snider from 2024’s Broken album which he wrote as a middle finger to the “pure blues community” that thinks he plays “too many notes, too loud”.

For me the set peaks when Trout brings out “the best harmonica player on the planet” Will Wilde to join him. Looking far too young and buff to be a bluesman Wilde wails on that harp like a demon and lifts Trout to new heights as he responds on that Strat.

Trout tests the patience of the packed house by granting solo spots to each band member. Hickman’s drum solo is entertaining but I think most of the faithful would have preferred a couple more songs. Still, maybe Trout needs the rest these days. At one point he does say “I’m 75. When I’m rocking out with these guys though I feel like 25! … but when the song ends … 95!”

Whatever – it’s a blues rock masterclass and, with a new album on the way next year, the band will hopefully be back on these shores before too long.