The Gig Cartel - Artist profiles: Tom Robinson Band

The first Tom Robinson Band emerged amid the turmoil of late 70s Britain - in a time of punk rock, political unrest and economic gloom. TRB became known for the hit single 2-4- 6-8 Motorway, their vocal support of Rock Against Racism and for the anthem Sing If You're Glad To Be Gay, which made the Top Twenty despite a ban by BBC Radio 1.
The original TRB consisted of Robinson on bass and vocals, drummer Dolphin Taylor, keyboardist Mark Ambler and their incendiary guitarist Danny Kustow - who died early in
2019 at the age of 63. They made just two albums - Power In The Darkness and TRB TWO and ended - like the Seventies - just as Margaret Thatcher swept to power. The current Tom Robinson Band will play a 23 date tour in October/November 2024
showcasing those first two albums, in tribute to the original band members. The setlist has been chosen by fans via an online poll, and will include some album tracks from the era that have never previously been performed live.
Alongside Robinson on bass, the band features Faithless drummer Andy Treacey, guitarist Adam Phillips from the Richard Ashcroft Band, keyboard virtuoso Jim Simmons and Northern soul singer Lee Forsyth Griffiths on acoustic guitar.
"45 years on," says Tom "some of the original TRB lyrics - about division, injustice and uncertainty - still feel depressingly relevant in a world of Trump, Farage & Suella Braverman.
I also owe a huge amount to the musicianship of Mark, Dolphin, and Danny back in the day.
We're hoping to do that early band - and the songs - full justice this Autumn."

BIOGRAPHY
The Tom Robinson Band (TRB) first became known in 1977 as vocal supporters of Rock Against Racism. A year later they performed for 80,000 people at their Carnival Against
The Nazis in Victoria Park, London alongside Steel Pulse, The Clash and X-Ray Spex. The band featured Robinson on bass and vocals, with drummer Dolphin Taylor, keyboardist Mark Ambler and the trademark incendiary guitar playing of Danny Kustow.
TRB's Top 5 debut 2-4-6-8 Motorway became one of the era's landmark singles and was followed by their Rising Free EP featuring Robinson's LGBT anthem Sing If You're Glad
To Be Gay. The EP reached #18 in the UK singles chart, despite Radio 1 banning the song.
Their album Power In The Darkness went Top 5, resulted in the singles Up Against The Wall and Too Good To Be True, and was certified gold in the UK and Japan in 1978. The followup TRB TWO was produced by Todd Rundgren on which the lead single Bully For You was co-written by Robinson with Peter Gabriel.
The original TRB lasted only two years before breaking up, fighting (as Robinson puts it) "like cats in a sack".
Tom later co-wrote songs with both Peter Gabriel and Elton John and had further solo hits in 1983 with War Baby and Atmospherics: Listen To The Radio. His 15th studio album Only The Now (2015) included guest appearances by Billy Bragg, Nadine Shah,
John Grant, Ian McKellen, TV Smith, Lisa Knapp and Martin Carthy.
Tom's current band toured the entire Power In The Darkness LP in 2018 to mark its 40th
anniverary ending with a sold-out show at Shepherds Bush Empire
As a radio broadcaster Tom hosts two shows a week on BBC Radio 6 Music. He also served for 10 years on the Ivor Novello Awards committee and was awarded a fellowship of LIPA in recognition of his support for new music with BBC Introducing.