Artists: Erja Lyytinen / Tim Lee Cavanagh

Venue: The Greystones, Sheffield

Date: 13 October 2026

Opening proceedings was local musician Tim Lee Cavanagh, better known as TC from Blues Rock outfit TC & The Voodoo Shakers, who stripped things right back for a thoroughly entertaining thirty-minute acoustic set. Performing songs from his band’s catalogue in a raw, unplugged setting, Cavanagh immediately grabbed the audience’s attention with opener ‘She’s The Devil’, his deep, gravelly vocals proving ideally suited to the earthy Blues, Rhythm ‘n’ Groove sound. ‘Don’t Want To Be Like You’, inspired by his schooldays, continued the momentum, but it was the between-song banter that really helped forge a connection with the crowd. Introducing ‘Lover’s Tattoo’, a song inspired by the name of the woman he loves tattooed across his chest, Cavanagh was interrupted by a shout from the audience asking, "What’s her name?"

Without hesitation he replied, "It’s Liz... well, actually Elisabeth, but it hurt too much!"

The punchline brought the house down and perfectly summed up the relaxed, good-humoured atmosphere he created throughout the set. In one of those bizarre coincidences that only seem to happen at gigs, my friend Mark recognised Liz as the sister of his brother-in-law, making an already memorable moment even more surreal. Small world indeed.

The catchy ‘Cover Me In Blue’ continued the tattoo theme before ‘The Devil Ain’t Gonna Take My Soul’ reinforced the quality of the songwriting on display. Closing with ‘Never Kick A Snake’, inspired by an episode of The A-Team, Cavanagh signed off in style. It may not quite have been an A-rated performance, but it was certainly a solid B+ and a highly enjoyable way to start the evening.

Setlist: She’s The Devil / Don’t Want To Be Like You / Lover’s Tattoo / Cover Me In Blue / The Devil Ain’t Gonna Take My Soul / Never Kick A Snake

Taking to the stage shortly before 9.00 PM alongside drummer Jesse Lehto and bassist/backing vocalist Heikki Saarenkunnas, Erja Lyytinen wasted little time in demonstrating why she remains one of the most respected guitarists on the contemporary Blues Rock scene. Dressed in a black mini-skirt, fishnets, knee-length boots, and a black lacey top, the Finnish slide guitar virtuoso led her trio into a powerful opening with ‘Ball & Chain’.

For a venue the size of The Greystones, the sound was impressively full-bodied, filling the intimate room where tables and chairs had been laid out for a crowd of around fifty to sixty fans. The momentum continued with the excellent title track from her latest studio album, ‘Smell The Roses’, one of eight songs featured from that record during the evening. The album’s material translated superbly to the stage, as evidenced by the recently released live document ‘50th Birthday Live 2026’, reviewed by my good self in Fireworks Issue #116.

‘Going To Hell’ delivered a muscular Hard Rock groove, driven by an infectious riff and further showcasing Lyytinen’s seemingly limitless soloing ability. ‘Hard As Stone’ paved the way for one of the evening’s standout moments, ‘Dragonfly’, whose ear-worm chorus and breathtaking lead work earned an enthusiastic reception from the audience.

The chemistry within the trio was evident throughout. A brief drum showcase from Lehto introduced ‘One Thing I Won’t Change’, featuring shared vocal duties with Saarenkunnas, while the moody ‘Abyss’ provided another opportunity for Lyytinen to underline her reputation as one of the finest guitar players currently operating in Blues Rock.

Although her between-song banter was minimal, Lyytinen did reveal that the band were in the midst of an exhausting schedule of twenty-five shows in four weeks. Judging by the energy on display, neither she nor her bandmates appeared remotely affected by the workload.

‘Bird’ offered a more traditional Blues flavour, complete with an exquisite slide guitar performance, before the heavier ‘Wings To Fly’ steered proceedings back towards Hard Rock territory. Saarenkunnas then stepped into the spotlight with a bass solo that introduced ‘You Talk Dirty’, accompanied by enthusiastic audience participation. A little speaker feedback slightly detracted from ‘Stoney Creek’, although it was a minor blemish on an otherwise exemplary performance. Any such issues were quickly forgotten when Lyytinen introduced the epic ‘Wedding Day’, joking that it would last "a couple of hours". In reality, its twelve-minute running time allowed the guitarist ample opportunity to leave the stage and weave her way through the audience, delivering jaw-dropping solos from between the tables before expertly navigating her way back to the platform. The song became one of the evening’s defining moments. Declaring Black Sabbath to be one of her favourite bands, Lyytinen launched into the unmistakable riff from ‘Iron Man’, seamlessly blending it into her own composition and later teasing the audience further with snippets of Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke On The Water’.

Following a rapturous response, the trio briefly exited before returning for a well-deserved encore. ‘The Ring’, a song that has grown significantly in stature through its live performances, proved the perfect finale. After thanking the audience in several languages, Lyytinen, Lehto and Saarenkunnas received a standing ovation from a thoroughly entertained Greystones’ crowd. In a year already filled with outstanding live performances, this was another reminder that few artists combine technical brilliance, stagecraft and genuine warmth quite as effortlessly as Erja Lyytinen.

Setlist: Ball & Chain / Smell The Roses / Going To Hell / Hard As Stone / Dragonfly / One Thing I Won’t Change / Abyss / Bird / Wings To Fly / You Talk Dirty / Stoney Creek / Wedding Day

Encore: The Ring

Review: Mark Donnelly