Line-up

Headliner
Tower of Power Last time in London: 6 years ago

Venue

London Palladium

Argyll St, W1F 7TF, London, UK

lwtheatres.co.uk/theatres/the-london-palladium/

Capacity: 2,286

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Additional details

Doors open: 19:30

Concert in your area for Jazz and Funk & Soul.

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Tower of Power biography

Forming in 1968 and originating in Oakland, California, USA, Tower of Power are a rhythm and blues band best known for their brass section, who have become some of the most successful and most prolific collaborators in R& B history.

Tower of Power might be responsible for some of the most fantastic sounds in soul, R&B and rock music, while never quite getting the recognition they deserve for that. They were formed out of a chance meeting between Emilio Castillo and Stephen “Doc” Kupka, the future tenor and baritone saxophonists of the band, respectively.

The band were originally put together under the name The Motowns. However, after Castillo realized he would never get his band headlining San Francisco’s iconic Fillmore Auditorium with that name, they soon switched it to Tower Of Power. A name literally picked from a list of weird band names because he thought it described them the best.

With the new name in place and a solid line up found, the band were finally on their way. They signed to Billy Graham’s San Francisco Records in 1970 and released their debut record “East Bay Grease” soon afterwards. However it wasn’t until 1972 and a new lead vocalist in the form of Rick Stevens, that the band started getting honest to goodness hits in the form of “So Very Hard To Go” and “What Is Hip?”.

However, what made Tower of Power stand out was their horn section, and they went on to work with the likes of Aerosmith, Heart, Grateful Dead and John Lee Hooker in their own right while the band were still at the top of their game. The band still tour to this day and have still got it in spades. They’re an indispensable part of music’s history, and every true music fan would do well to see them as soon as possible.

Live reviews

Tower of Power is arguably one of the biggest names in soul, funk and R&B. They have one of the most defining horn sections; four to the floor drum beats and syncopated bass lines. Definitely pioneers of a very memorable sound. This audience cannot wait for what they perform tonight, myself included. I cannot wait to have a boogie with my notepad and pencil. The singles that they have produced are second to none with such a fantastic vibe accompanying them; every song fills a dance floor.
The disco troupe open with “So Very Hard to Go” which reached number 17 in 1973. This of course is no surprise with the huge audience reaction, which they receive throughout the whole set. Lenny Williams is such a good front man, keeping everyone happy throughout, making sure everyone is on their feet, singing along throughout the set. I have to quickly just give a mention to their horn section, which to hear live is quite simply a force to be reckoned with. They have featured on so many pop records working with artists such as The Monkees, Grateful Dead, Huey Lewis and the News, Toto and Aerosmith. To be in the presence of them is just incredible.

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