The R&B Orchestra

The R&B Orchestra play Tramshed on Saturday 1 May 2027, from 7pm to 10pm. It's a full evening's set, running for around three hours, and the whole thing is built around a live orchestra taking on the R&B of the last few decades.

The set pulls from two different eras: the heartfelt ballads of the 1990s and the club classics of the 2000s and beyond. An ensemble of musicians and vocalists works through the soulful sounds of artists like Alicia Keys, Usher, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, TLC and Ne-Yo. Hearing those songs played by an orchestra rather than from a record changes the feel of them, and the mix of ballads and club tracks means the night moves between the slower, more melodic side of R&B and the songs that worked on the dancefloor.

It's a long show, so you'll get a fair amount of ground covered across those years. The R&B Orchestra describes it as reimagining the golden era of R&B through a live orchestra, and the list of artists they draw on — Keys, Usher, Brandy, Blige, TLC and Ne-Yo — gives you a good sense of the territory they're working in. It's the kind of set that leans on the big names of the 90s and 2000s, with the orchestral arrangements doing the heavy lifting.

Practical details: it's at Tramshed Cardiff, Clare Road, Cardiff CF11 6QP, on Saturday 1 May, from 7pm to 10pm. The performance runs for around three hours and is recommended for ages 14 and over, with under-16s to be accompanied by an adult.