Robin Trower’s recent set at The Birchmere, the first of two evenings at the venue, may have been the loudest show I’ve ever taken in in that room. Though he may be pushing 80, the British guitar god still turns up the volume with high-octane blues rock. This set of shows came after Trower was forced to cancel a tour last year due to medical issues that required major surgery with extensive recovery.
Trower’s career began in the ’60s, and he came to prominence as the lead guitarist of the psychedelic band Procol Harum. After playing on their first five albums, Trower left (amicably) in the early ’70s to launch his solo career. In the process, he ditched his Les Paul and took up the Stratocaster, influenced by seeing Jimi Hendrix.
While his 1973 solo debut, Twice Removed From Yesterday, went largely unnoticed, he scored a hit with his follow up the next year, Bridge of Sighs, which went to No. 7 on the USA charts and was certified gold. The title cut remains a signature song — he played it at The Birchmere on March 4 — and was even covered, perhaps unexpectedly, by the Mountain Goats; John Darnielle says he is “obsessed” with Trower.
Watch Robin Trower perform “Bridge of Sighs” live on tour in 1975 via YouTube:
Robin’s success continued through the mid-’70s with five more gold records. Though his popularity would never again reach these heights — he was headlining arenas — he remains an icon of rock guitar, influencing future virtuosos like Eddie Van Halen, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He’s collaborated with bassist Jack Bruce (of Cream, the power trio that included Eric Clapton); two of those songs made it into the set: “Distant Places in the Heart” and “It’s Too Late.”
While it’s his name on the bill, and his name on the records, and while he does write the songs, Trower eschews singing, much like fellow guitar legend Derek Trucks. Over the decades, he has worked with various singers to give life to his lyrics, as he has again on this tour. Robin also proved himself to be a man of few words; besides thanking the audience, he let his Strat do the talking for him.
And Trower’s guitar spoke volumes. Kicking things off with “The Razor’s Edge,” he blazed through a set that included “Too Rolling Stoned,” “Wither on the Vine,” “Somebody Calling,” “One Go Round,” “Day of the Eagle.” “Rise Up Like The Sun,” “Daydream,” and the title cut of his recent LP No More Worlds To Conquer. He finished the set with “Little Bit of Sympathy,” and, for his encore, played “Birdsong.”
While the songs themselves are more than solid, it’s Robin’s dazzling guitar work that makes him and his shows special. It’s not hard to see why he’s beloved not just by guitar geeks but is a favorite of singer-songwriters like John Darnielle.
James Todd Miller photographed the show for Parklife! While he was there for Robin’s first night at The Birchmere, his camera suffered a failure and he lost those photos. And so, James returned the next night to photograph Robin again.
Here are some photos of Robin Trower performing at The Birchmere on March 5, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller.
I had the great pleasure of being at the show. Excellent review and photos.