Marty O'Reilly & the Old Soul Orchestra

Marty O’Reilly brings his raw, roots-steeped folk and blues to The Live Room, Caroline Street, Shipley BD18 3JZ, United Kingdom, on 9 July 2026. With a gravel-warm voice and a guitar style that shifts from hushed fingerpicking to gritty pulse, he writes songs that feel lived-in and present.

Drawing from the backbone of Americana, he nods to Woody Guthrie’s plainspoken folk, Howlin’ Wolf’s bite, Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s gospel charge and the narrative grit of Tom Waits. The result is a lean, soulful sound built around space, rhythm and story.

On stage, O’Reilly moves between tender, slow-burning pieces and surges of electric energy. Whether alone or with the Old Soul Orchestra, he keeps the room close, letting the dynamics do the heavy lifting—quiet enough to lean in, loud enough to stir the floorboards.

His songs trace loneliness, connection, love and loss with unvarnished clarity. Years of road work, self-funded records and a steady commitment to craft have shaped a set that favors truth over polish. He’s shared bills with Shakey Graves, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Sarah Jarosz and Alice O’Donovan, but the point stays the same: music that speaks plainly and reaches people in real time.