Returning to the UK this month is the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, as part of the Trouble Is…25 World Tour, wherein they will be performing the iconic, platinum selling Trouble Is… album in full along with live favourites.
The tour will begin on 18th April at the Parr Hall, Warrington and call through Queens Hall, Edinburgh on 19th April, Tyne Theatre, Newcastle on 20th April, Picturedrome, Holmfirth on 21st April, De La War Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea on 22nd April and finishing at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 23rd April.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s landmark 1997 release Trouble Is… contains plenty of technical dazzle and old-soul touches, but what truly set the album apart was the mature songwriting that it featured from Shepherd, an indication that he was shaking off the tedious “teenage sensation” tag that had followed him previously. ‘Blue On Black’, the album’s rootsy fan favourite, hit No. 1 on the mainstream rock chart, set a new record for its 104-week tenure, and still blares from stateside radios today.
Shepherd revisited the record breaking hit on The Trouble Is…25 a top-to-bottom reinterpretation of his seminal album, released last December via Provogue/Mascot Label Group. The album also includes a bonus track of an unreleased version of ‘Ballad of a Thin Man’ and is accompanied by a live DVD filmed at The Strand Theatre in Shepherd’s hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana, shot at the launch of his year-long celebration of the 25th anniversary for the album.
“One of the coolest things about rerecording Trouble Is… has been finding out – or verifying – how timeless this album really is,” said Shepherd. “I’m so proud of what we accomplished, and also the fact I was just 18 years old when I did it. I mean, I had an experience with this album that most musicians can only dream about. Trouble Is… sold millions of copies. There’s validation in all of that for me.”
“During the Trouble Is… anniversary tour,” said Shepherd, “everybody was commenting on how this album could be released today and still be just as relevant as it was 25 years ago. Making this album in 1997 was just a really monumental achievement. The new recording was a serious trip down memory lane for me. And I’m still so proud of these songs.”
Tracks featured on the The Trouble Is…25 album are: ‘Slow Ride’, ‘True Lies’, ‘Blue On Black’, ‘Everything Is Broken’, ‘I Don’t Live Today’, ‘(Long) Gone’, ‘Somehow, Somewhere, Someway’, ‘I Found Love (When I Found You)’, ‘King’s Highway’, ‘Nothing To Do With Love’, ‘Chase the Rainbow’, ‘Trouble Is…’ and ‘Ballad of A Thin Man’. The record is available on Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group here.
Tickets for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band’s April tour are available here.
