Tower Of Power

Tower of Power brings its Oakland-born blend of funk, soul and R&B to The London Palladium, London, on 21 May 2026. Formed in the late 1960s around saxophonist Emilio Castillo, the band forged a sound where tightly written horn lines sit on a syncopated rhythm section and weighty bass. Early albums like East Bay Grease, Bump City, Tower of Power and Back to Oakland set the template: brass-driven hooks, clipped guitar, and vocals that swing from slow-burning soul to brisk, dance-floor tempos.

On stage, the horn section is the engine, stacking riffs and stabs with a crisp precision that leaves space for groove. Across decades and changing singers, that core has stayed intact enough to shape the band’s identity while the lineup evolves. Beyond their own records, the Tower of Power horns have long doubled as an in-demand unit for major rock and soul artists, a studio and touring presence that sharpened their ensemble feel. Recent releases Soul Side of Town and Step Up keep the catalogue moving forward, feeding a live set that connects classic cuts to newer material without losing the East Bay bite.