Warren Haynes Band Kick Off European Tour with Sit-in from Ted Morcaldi in London
Warren Haynes, photo by John Patrick Gatta
Yesterday, July 1, the Warren Haynes Band touched down in London to kick off their European Tour. For their first summer staging on the other side of the pond, the storied Southern rock quartet helmed by the Allman Brothers Band torch-bearer took the stage at Islington Assembly Hall and cycled through a litany of setlist staples, featuring a sit-in from some local talent.
Haynes and his tried and true trio of Gov’t Mule bassist Kevin Scott, longtime drummer Terence Higgins, keyboardist Matt Slocum and saxophonist Greg Osby tore into Tuesday’s show with the trusty opener of Gov’t Mule’s “Tear Me Down,” then delivered standouts from the frontman’s 2024 album Million Voices Whisper like “Go Down Swinging” and “This Life as We Know It.” The band switched gears at the mid-set for the powerful funk of Tower of Power’s “What Is Hip?,” then veered off into its typical pairing of Van Morrison’s His Band and Street Choir classic “I’ve Been Working,” foregoing their typical return to the reinvigorated funk-fusion cut in favor of an extended take on “Banks of the Deep End.” After locking in for stirring slow-burn renditions of “These Changes” and “Real, Real Love,” the group wrapped its first set with an explosive run through the late-era Allman Brothers Band favorite “Instrumental Illness.”
After a brief intermission, Haynes and his ensemble bolted back onto the stage with the soulful blues stomp of “Man in Motion,” drawn from the bandleader’s 2018 album of the same name. With some blistering guitar heroics, Haynes led the group into “Terrified” before switching to a more contemplative and closely communicative mode for John Coltrane’s iconic “Blue Train,” which has spring-boarded some eye-opening and mind-expanding jams since its debut last year. The band returned to its Southern rock roots with a spin on the Allmans’ “Dreams,” then bolstered their full stage presence even more by welcoming a guest spot from UK-based guitarist Ted Morcaldi on Little Milton’s soul essential “That’s What Love Will Make You Do.”
Warren and his band let their many sonic influences fly as they rounded towards the end of the show with a freewheeling “Thorazine Shuffle,” which featured extended outings into John Scofield’s “Hottentot” and Tito Puente’s “Oye Cómo Va.” The band finally concluded the main portion of its performance with “Invisible,” then stepped into the spotlight once more for a radiant encore of “Soulshine.”
The Warren Haynes Band will return to the stage tomorrow, June 3, for a performance at Bonn, Germany’s Kunstrasen. The group will continue with eight further stops on their European tour through July 13. Find tickets and more information on Haynes’ full 2025 live itinerary here.
