Ten Years After - 229 The Venue, London – January 21st 2026

Ten Years After

229 The Venue, London – January 21st 2026

Review by Robert Corich

There are some January nights when stepping outside feels like a particularly bad idea. Cold, wet, dark, and with half the population seemingly sneezing their way through the evening, what better tonic could there be than a healthy dose of blues-rock?

Tonight it was Ten Years After at 229 The Venue in London, and with a new lineup bringing a fresh energy to proceedings, this proved to be just the medicine required for the sneezing troops.

First up was John Verity, who delivered a competent if rather acoustic predictable set. Verity is an accomplished guitarist and vocalist, but I couldn’t help thinking there is considerably more to be mined from his earlier solo catalogue. It would be great to see him return with a full electric band and dig deeper into those early years — now that could be something worth turning the volume up for.

Then came Ten Years After.

There is always a danger when a band carries a name so firmly associated with a golden era that expectations become shackles. Ten Years After will forever be linked with Alvin Lee, Woodstock and that extraordinary fusion of blues, rock and sheer velocity.

But this isn’t a museum piece.

With original member Ric Lee behind the kit, the current lineup of Samuel C. Lees, Craig Fletcher and Dave Burgoyne brought plenty of energy and muscle to the proceedings. The new lineup works — and works very well.

That said, there was one notable absence that couldn’t help but be felt. Chick Churchill was missed. I had the pleasure of seeing him with Ten Years After a few years back and he was wonderful, so his keyboards were inevitably one of those little reminders of the band’s remarkable history.

Opening with “I’m Coming On”, the band immediately established that this was going to be proper old-school blues-rock. “One of These Days,” “Hear Me Calling” and the inevitable “I’d Love to Change the World” followed, with “Silverspoon Lady,” “Portable People,” “Don’t Want You Woman,” “Losing the Dogs” and “Love Like a Man” providing plenty for the long-term faithful.

I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of “The Hobbit”, while “Good Morning, School Girl” took us right back to the band’s blues roots.

And then, inevitably, “I’m Going Home.”

Some songs simply have to be played.

It may not have been Woodstock — and it wasn’t supposed to be — but the arrival of that familiar song still produced that little surge of anticipation. Decades on, it remains one of those performances that defines an era.

“Choo Choo Mama” brought the official proceedings to a suitably good-time conclusion.

But the night wasn’t quite over.

The real highlight came afterwards, with several old hacks sitting around swapping stories from a lifetime in and around rock music. Then Ric Lee joined us for a drink — and proceeded to tell a few stories of his own which rather spectacularly eclipsed all the others!

A few photos followed, the stories continued, and suddenly the evening had become much more than simply another gig.

On a cold, wet January night, Ten Years After provided the perfect tonic. The new lineup has plenty to offer, Ric Lee remains a formidable presence behind the kit, and while there will always be comparisons with the past, this is a band looking forward rather than simply living in its history.

And perhaps that’s the best way to sum up Ten Years After today: the history is still there, but the journey isn’t over yet.