The Lost Notes return to Birmingham Symphony Hall – a favourite venue of theirs – to work more of their joyful magic. And, this time, the show is being recorded for posterity. A Lost Notes live album? Now THAT will something very special indeed…

ON HOME TURF

We’ve been known to wax lyrical over Birmingham Americana hotshots, The Lost Notes. The band’s 2024 album, Good Luck Shoes, is an enduring favourite of ours and they have, on more than one occasion, turned in a live performance that has sent us into raptures. Indeed, it’s on the live stage that The Lost Notes truly excel and, particularly – may I suggest – when that stage is the one in the Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space in Birmingham’s swish Symphony Hall.

The Lost Notes’ relationship with The Symphony Hall is a long one – and a fruitful one. It’s a relationship that dates right back to the band’s earliest days, when they would be regular performers – in this very same space – at the Nashville Sounds in the Round sessions, hosted by their friends, Gasoline & Matches. Nowadays, the Lost Notes are the guv’nors here. So – where could be a better place for a landmark show like tonight’s? Because, The Lost Notes’ show at Birminham Symphony Hall on 4th February, 2026, will be remembered as exactly that: A Landmark Show.

CAPTURED FOR POSTERITY

Here’s why.

I’ve mentioned previously that a Lost Notes live show is something marvelous to behold. There’s an empathy between the band’s members that’s almost telepathic. Their music – and particularly their glorious three-part vocal harmonies – is precise and the pleasure they derive from performing it is plain to see. The sheer joy of their performance spreads through their audience like a forest fire and every show is guaranteed to end with the audience standing, swaying, clapping and singing along. In fact, it’s the kind of show that really has to be preserved on a live album recording. And – you’ve guessed it… Tonight’s show was recorded and will provider the material for the first Lost Notes live album – to be released later this year. Be in no doubt – it’s going to something very, very special.

THE ROSELLYS

But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. There was plenty of music to enjoyed before the Lost Notes even made it to the stage. Alt-country troubadours, The Rosellys had come over from Herefordshire to open the show with a raucous 6-song set that served to fine-tune the already expectant mood in the room and set the scene for the treats to come. It was a pared-down version of the band that had made the trip. Husband/wife duo Rebecca and Simon Rosellys were here but the rest of their (usually) five-piece outfit didn’t make it this time. Not that it mattered too much; Simon and Rebecca made a sound that filled the hall from floor to rafters.

Rousing acoustic guitars provided the intro to the aptly-titled Rock & Roll and, from the outset, it was plain that Rebecca and Simon were reveling in performing to the sell-out, double-stacked audience. A bluesy break halfway through the song mislead us all for half a mo, but the lively pace was quickly resumed – and the audience loved it. “We have 25 minutes,” said Simon, “So we’re gonna get on with it.” And so they did. Voices and guitars meshed tastefully together for Don’t Pull Away, before Rebecca donned her (new) banjo for a storming Don’t Cry My Lover, a song with a truly authentic Southern feel. Rebecca’s voice was strident and oh-so-assured, whilst Simon was punching his guitar almost as much as he was picking it!

SQUEEZING IN THE SONGS

Rebecca stuck with her banjo, whilst Simon picked up his fiddle for the bluegrass Ain’t Gotta Go Home, before a quick calculation convinced the duo that, yes, they had enough minutes left of their allotted slot to squeeze in a final pair of songs – and we were all so pleased that they could. Innocent is one of The Rosellys’ older songs and they’ve got it honed to perfection. It’s a ballad, awash with those deliciously effective harmonies that the pair seem to specialise in, and Simon’s keening fiddle matched the mood of the evening so very well. And – as Simon assured us – “It’s a true story!”

Simon’s jokey rebuke to Rebecca as she attempted to squeeze in a brief merch-marketing spiel (“Stop gassing on – we’ve only got three minutes left!”) raised a giggle, before The Rosellys concluded their brief-but-hugely-enjoyable set with the galloping Queensland Sky. The audience didn’t need any prompting to clap along, and we even kept pace as the song accelerated towards its grand prix finish. There were a few cries for more, but there was a lot to fit in this evening. Perhaps next time? I’ll be watching out for The Rosellys – that’s for sure.

INTRODUCING: THE LOST NOTES

It was to Chris Proctor, Head of Programme at B:Music (proprietors of The Symphony Hall and the neighboring Town Hall) that the pleasurable task of introducing the evening’s stars fell, and he made a good job it. His brief biog and build-up ensured the The Lost Notes received a rousing and sincere welcome to the stage (“that’ll sound great on the live album,” we all thought…). Indeed, the welcome almost moved Ben to tears – “Don’t – he’ll cry before we’ve even started,” said Lucy.

The signature three-part vocal harmonies were on show right from the very start, in opening song Holding On. The song’s slow-paced, tender verses seemed to melt the audience, and the lighting-fast chorus had us clapping along and we knew: THIS is gonna be good… The band slid straight into Whiskey For Breakfast, the evening’s first taste of the Good Luck Shoes album (performed in almost its entirety during the course of the show). Ben delivered a vocal that was full of passion and his howling harmonica reflected the anguish in the song’s lyrics. For the “You said that I shouldn’t” crescendo, Ben almost sliced the room in two and, if there was anyone present who didn’t previously understand what The Lost Notes are capable of, they certainly understand that now.

BOSSA NOVA GROOVE

All At Sea is a song that has grown up with The Lost Notes. It dates right back to the days when the band were perfecting their craft at The Tower of Song open mic events and it’s been polished so well that it’s as smooth as Carnation milk. The lush vocal harmonies were underpinned by strummed guitars and a feeling of pure contentment descended upon us all. “The doors are locked now, so you can’t get out,” joked Ben, before he went on to recount the band’s painful-but-now-resolved love triangle story in his intro to the splendid Let It Rain.

Any differences that the story may have riven between and Oil have clearly been forgotten and their voices molded together into a single entity, whilst Lucy sprinkled her own special magic over it all. And the love between those on stage was passed across to the audience, as we swayed and sang to the song’s a capella “la-la-la” refrain.

Don’t Try It On Me, the opening track to the Good Luck Shoes album (“A song about keeping away from tricky people,” said Ben) has become a huge Lost Notes favourite over the 15-or-so months since it was released. The Latin-flavoured Done With the Waiting (a song from the band’s 2020 album, Lowlifes and High Times) has long been established as such. The band were joined by pianist Piera Onacho for this one and Lucy took centre-stage as Oli played the song’s tasty flamenco guitar intro. And, tonight, Done With the Waiting was extra-special. Piera’s cucumber-cool piano steered the bossa nova groove, Oli’s guitar solo was awesome and Lucy really, really nailed the vocal.

A CHOIR WITH NO NAME

It’s become a habit, whenever The Lost Notes play this venue, for Oli to invite audience members to waltz along to A Fool Once Told Me and, as they did at the band’s last performance here in February 2025, those who could waltz, duly obliged. Drummer Max Tomlinson brushed his drums and bassist Pete Churchill switched to accordion, whilst those of us that weren’t waltzing, closed our eyes and experienced a few moments of sheer bliss. Oli stuck with lead vocals for the country-tinged Head Over Heels and, once again, his guitar picking was exceptional. And, when the vocal harmonies kicked in for the chorus, the effect was cinematic.

Ben moved over to piano for Heartache. Pete and Max supplied the song’s jazzy rhythm as Ben and Oli took turns to deliver excellent solos. But Lucy is the star of this one and her bluesy vocal was spine-chilling. Bassist Pete Churchill is also the director of the Birmingham branch of The Choir With No Name – guests here at last year’s show. A few of the choir members were back again to add their gospel magic to a rousing rendition of Slow Down, another Good Luck Shoes gem. I counted eight choir members tonight; there’ll be sixty of them when they perform in Birmingham’s Bullring on 11th July this year. I think I might just pop along…

I DON’T CARE IF I DIE…

And, to end Part One of this momentous show, what better choice than Wildman, the track that brings Good Luck Shoes to its blistering close? Lucy played her ukulele and Ben’s trumpet cameo raised a special cheer. It’s a song that always seems so full of joy and Lucy’s grin was almost splitting her face in two as the band soared into the “I don’t care if I die” refrain. How could they follow that?

PART TWO…

Pretty effectively, as it happens

Chris Proctor’s introduction to the second part of the show raised a cheer that was, if anything, even more vibrant than the one that welcomed The Lost Notes to the stage for the first set and, with Run River Run, the band had the perfect song to get Part Two underway with a bang. The interval refreshments had clearly worked their magic and the audience were clapping and stomping along like never before. Simon Rosellys joined the lineup to add a few blasts of fiddle. His part was apparently unrehearsed but it sure worked a treat.

The charming Pieces Of A Star was a definite highlight of The Lost Notes Symphony Hall show in 2025 and, tonight, the magic worked once again. It’s another song from the Lowlifes and High Times album and it’s as mellow as a gooey slice of chocolate cake. The vocal harmonies are amongst the band’s very best (and that’s REALLY saying something!) and the shattering harmonies are underpinned by Oli’s picked guitar and Pete’s gritty, bowed, bass.

And the band stuck with the Lowlifes and High Times album as Max knocked out a shuffling Bo Diddley rhythm and Piera returned to the piano stool for the jazzy I Got Time. Another breathtaking Lucy vocal soared over the backing harmonies and Max’s drum solo switched between bringing the roof down and ushering the mice back into their nest. And, yet again, the fun that was being enjoyed on that stage was infectious.

OLD SONGS/ NEW SONGS

Dedicated to “All the self-confessed sinners in the room,” God Loves a Sinner was performed with as much passion as always, before Ben announced the first of three new songs that had been prepared especially for the occasion (sort of…) “We only played one piano song last year but, because we can play the beautiful Symphony Hall piano when we’re here, we’ve written three new ones,” said Ben.

We Don’t Need Another Love Song is, without doubt, destined to be another Lost Notes classic. Ben and Lucy traded lines in the verses and Lucy’s vocals made the room shimmer. Lucy led the arm-waving audience through the song’s anthemic coda, before Ben asked: “Is that a keeper?” You can bet your bagpipes it is; We Don’t Need Another Love Song is a show-stopper.

Any run-of-the-mill band would struggle to follow a song like We Don’t Need Another Love Song. But we’re talking about The Lost Notes here and, for sure, they’ve got a lot more songs where that one came from. Mine Is The Heart is, quite possibly, my favourite song of theirs. Lucy’s Karen Carpenter-esque vocal never fails to thrill me and, as I looked around the room as she sang, it was clear to me that I’m not alone on that score. And I’m not sure whether I’d ever noticed Ben’s and Oli’s twin harmony guitar parts before but, now I have, I’ll never miss them again!

SING, CLAP AND SWAY

Piera returned for Hey Maloney, the second of the piano-focused newies, a wonderful shuffling jazz number. Ben went through the motions of teaching the audience the singalong bits and, it seems, we got it. “It’s a shoo-in for the live album,” hinted Ben. And, speaking of singing along, the audience leapt upon the opportunity for more vocal exercise at it raised the roof by just practicing the chorus to No Place Like Home. And, when they sang it for real, it was almost churchlike.

The witching hour was approaching, but there was still a little fuel left in the tank. All of the evening’s guests – plus a clutch of Mills juniors and associates – were invited back to the stage for the glorious Take My Hand. The Symphony Hall assemblage was transported to a small Baptist chapel in the wilds of Alabama and they took to the transfer with delight as they, once more, clapped, swayed and sang along. Simon and Piera both played stunning solos but it was Pete who, perhaps, stole the limelight with a sublime bass solo that won him a special ovation.

WHAT A FINISH!

People had travelled from far and wide to attend tonight’s show and, as the times for the last trains to Manchester, the south coast and all points everywhere approached, the audience numbers started to dwindle, but the sense of love, pleasure and well-being remained. Ben and Lucy led the whole room in clapping ecstatically along to Run Free. Acoustic guitars, bass and gentle drums can make an awesome when they’re providing the drive for vocals like these and the whole room lost any sense of decorum it rallied for the final “la-la-la” chorus.

It wasn’t quite the end. The Lost Notes found a final reserve of energy to return for a blast through Green Grass, the opening track of their 2017 debut album, Run Free Right Now. Everyone was on their feet, stomping, clapping and banging tables with whatever was at hand – a special ending to a very special evening. Now, the wait for that live album begins….

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. A Lost Notes show is an event that isn’t to be missed, and the good news is that there’ll be one somewhere near YOU very soon. The band will be performing around the country, throughout the year and the best advice that I can possibly offer is: Get it while it’s hot! Full details of the shows are given below.

AN EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED

Watch The Lost Notes perform Don’t Try It On Me – one of the many highlights of their live repertoire – below:

The Lost Notes: Official Website

The Rosellys: Facebook

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