Steve Winwood has made his long awaited return to the concert stage. His performance, the first in over three years, was as a special guest of the Staks Band, on July 10, 2022, at the final Cornbury Music Festival in Oxfordshire, England. The 74-year-old music legend joined the band’s set to play several songs including such favorites as “Higher Love,” “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” as a tribute to Gary Brooker who died earlier this year, and “Gimme Some Lovin’.” According to the reliable website, Setlist.fm, Winwood’s last known performance was on Feb. 28, 2019, in Dublin, Ireland.
Winwood was supposed to be the supporting act on Steely Dan’s tour, which was originally planned for 2020 and then 2021. It’s finally taking place this year, after being postponed twice by the pandemic. However, on Feb. 1, Winwood withdrew from the tour with a brief announcement on his various social media platforms. “Due to unforeseen circumstances,” it read, “Steve will not be appearing with Steely Dan on the upcoming Spring/Summer 2022 tour.” The note added, “Please stay tuned for new show announcements.” As of July 14, however, none have been forthcoming.
On May 20, however, the Cornbury festival shared the welcome news that Winwood would be playing at their last event.
On July 9, the day before the performance, the classic rock legend posted a rehearsal clip. Though the Staks Band haven’t updated their social media pages since 2020, they describe themselves as “a high-energy Soul/R&B band featuring musicians who have collectively performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in the industry. The regular line-up is often augmented by well-known guest artists.”
You know, like Steve Winwood.
According to a fan who attended the outdoor performance in the sweltering summer heat, Winwood didn’t join the band’s set until around halfway through. The fan says he played three songs: “Higher Love,” “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” and “Gimme Some Lovin’.” “I think that was it, unless emotion has clouded my memory, she joked.” Winwood was joined by his son, Cal, who plays congas.
Watch Winwood and the Staks Band perform “Higher Love”
Related: Our Album Rewind of Winwood’s most successful solo release, Arc Of a Diver
Another fan posted a tantalizingly brief 10-second clip from the performance.
Winwood had recorded “A Whiter Shade of Pale” with Carlos Santana for the latter’s 2021 studio album, Blessings and Miracles. At the Cornbury Festival, he dedicated his performance of the song to Gary Brooker who died earlier this year.
Related: Winwood performed “Higher Love” at the Coronation concert of King Charles III
