Motor City Revue at The Fiddler's Elbow (Review)

For a night of raw and riotous live soul music, Motor City Revue will not disappoint.

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Live soul music is increasingly becoming a rarity in London. Often, it tends to be confined to the more exclusive, cabaret-style venue. Enter Motor City Revue. This 9/10 piece band have been delighting London’s soul music enthusiasts for 8 years. They can usually be found rotating between the Camden, Shoreditch, and Brixton Blues Kitchens, as well as doing the wedding circuit and performing at restaurants such as the Boisdale in Canary Wharf.

Last night marked a return to one of their main residences: The Fiddler’s Elbow in Camden, North London. In this retro, and pleasantly unpretentious venue, the band took to the stage to perform a series of Motown, Stax, and ‘northern soul’ hits amongst other soulful classics – much to the audience’s delight.

The setlist is what one would expect from a group of self-described ‘soul-philes’. The usual suspects – including The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Smokey Robinson – all made an appearance. While this writer could quibble about the inclusion of certain overplayed numbers – ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ in particular – these are what audiences expect and want. Yet there are various unexpected numbers that will not be found on your average soul music playlist. These include Laura Lee’s ‘Crumbs Off The Table’, and a rousing version of the Ike & Tina Turner rendition of The Beatles’ ‘Come Together’.

Fronting the band is Leonora (or Leo) Williams. A mental health advocate by day and lead vocalist by night, Williams’ performance is incandescent throughout. Her effortlessly sexy and energetic performing is matched by the stamina of her vocals. She sustains her high-octane belting and piercing tone for both sets without a hint of exhaustion.

It is Leo’s vocals coupled with the band’s musicianship which make Motor City Revue so successful in what they do. Supporting Leo on backing vocals, and taking the lead on a couple of songs, is Daniel Neale. His smooth and warm tones complement Leo’s more direct attack. Yohanna Weber provides the punchy trombone, while Jason Reeve is relentless on drums. Gian-Piero Porta on guitar, Rye Eden on bass, Rich Watts on trumpet, and Dom Pusey on tenor saxophone complete the band’s current line-up. The end result is a rich, multi-layered sound with a wonderful synergy that makes the audience border on rabid in their enthusiasm.

Refreshingly, their delivery is far from imitative. They alter the syncopation of ‘Crumbs Off The Table’, add brilliant dramatic pauses to Sam & Dave’s ‘Hold On, I’m Comin’’, and add extra zest and bounce to Gloria Jones’ ‘Tainted Love’. There is an ‘added value’ to their set which elevates them well above pale ‘tribute band’ status.

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You can check out their website, Facebook, and Instagram here for upcoming gigs.

They are performing again at The Fiddler’s Elbow on the following dates: