Live Review : The Damn Truth + Losing Light @ The Tivoli, Buckley on January 29th 2026

I asked AI to define “retro” for me. This is what it said: “It signifies a nostalgic, old-fashioned aesthetic, often seen in clothing, music, and home decor. Unlike true antique or vintage, ‘retro’ items are frequently modern, contemporary reproductions”. It could have saved a huge amount of word salad by just saying retro is what went down on Thursday night at the Tivoli.

Canada’s The Damn Truth are the epitome of 70’s rock, but wrapped in a modern, rather tasty coating. Their look and sound is straight out of Woodstock but their attitude (including a rather naughty message to the current president of the USA taped to the back of the bass and flashed occasionally throughout the evening) is pure 2026. Love and peace and jangly guitars abound, much to the delight of the crowd.

First though we have local(ish) lads Losing Light to warm us up. They too start in a pretty retro fashion, with a slow, doomy, Sabbath-influenced riffmonster of a song called ‘Rise Up’. It’s very trad, very old-school, with deep thrumming bass, clean soaring vocals and lots of widdly guitar bits. They take the deep blues sound of mid-70’s heavy rock and run with it, much to the delight of the rather older contingent of the crowd. You can almost see them remembering purple flared trousers and the smell of patchouli and weed as the set rolls on. It’s not all doom and gloom though, and further into the set the tempo picks up nicely and toes begin to tap as heads begin to nod along. By the time they belt out a very competent version of fellow Welshmen Florence Black’s ‘Sun & Moon’ the crowd is positively bobbing, and final original song ‘One Night Killer’ sees them leave the stage to applause that while not rapturous is certainly enthusiastic enough.

So who are The Damn Truth then? A four-piece outfit from Montreal, Canada who fuse retro style with modern rock, that’s who. As usual the lights dim and the sound of Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’ swirls into the room, followed by the band who move to the music like they were born to it. Indeed they were, as singer Lee-la manages to channel all the great 70’s female vocalists whilst wearing a mini-dress that makes her look like Daphne out of Scooby Doo. Despite their rock edge, this band is firmly rooted in the style of the 70’s and opening track ‘Be Somebody’ sets the tone for the whole evening with jangly guitars and powerful vocals. You want the power of a Janis? Lee-la can do that. You want the attitude and snarl of a Suzi? Lee-la has your back, fam. You prefer the ethereal dreams of a Stevie or a Kate? Yep, that’s in there too.

The band are currently touring their just-released self-titled fourth album, which has been produced by the legendary Bob Rock, and although tonight is the first date in the current UK/EU schedule they are already loving it. There are plenty of influences creeping it to the music as well as the vocals. Here there is a nod towards Led Zeppelin, there a wave at the blues rock of Free, everywhere a tapestry of the way things were back in the beginning of the heavy rock vibe. The style varies wildly; perennial stompy favourite ‘This Is Who We Are Now’ rubs shoulders seamlessly with the emotional overload of power ballad ‘If I Don’t Make It Home’ and both leave the crowd gasping. Some are gasping for breath after dancing to the catchy beat, others are gasping back tears from the sheer pathos of the lyrics and power of the delivery. There are acapella bits, there are solos, there is humour and patter but mostly there is love. Love pours out from the stage to envelop the crowd, and love bounces right back to the band and gives them the impetus to keep going. Guitarist Tom goes for a stroll out on the floor, noodling with the best of them whilst grinning like a loon and lapping up the attention. Lee-la dances to her own groove whilst the rhythm section of bassist PY and drummer Dave keep the sound ticking along nicely.

The 14-song 2-encore set covers all four of their albums and even chucks in a U2 cover for the first encore. ‘Love Is Blindness’ is not one of their more well-known ditties but The Damn Truth take it and shake it up, making it entirely their own. The raucous rabble that is ‘Devilish Folk’ finishes the night off in fine style, and they leave the stage only to pop up almost immediately at the merch stand and spend the next 40 minutes chatting, signing and just being with their people. None of your paid VIP lines here, this band takes pleasure in greeting every single crowd member like an old friend and drawing them in like family. Peace, love and rock n roll, what better way is there to spend a Thursday night?

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
The Damn Truth + Losing Light