Kris Barras Band - Exeter Review

'Local boy done good' stories are always heart-warming. They can be a bit cliché, but it is always good to see a local person make waves nationally, and even internationally, in their field - and that is how many in Devon feel about Kris Barras (vocals/guitar). Sadly, I cannot say that I have been following his career since the beginning - but since 2021 I have been championing his work after finally taking the plunge, and in the few years since I started paying attention his star has risen further. Whilst I had heard his name a few times before I came into contact with him proper, given his reputation as a blues player I had decided not to check him out. I am just not the biggest fan of the blues, so when I saw him live for the first time opening for Black Stone Cherry in 2021 I was surprised at how hard-hitting his set was. In truth, 2021 found Barras on the cusp of a bit of a change - with his next album channelling some much more modern hard rock influences as he left some of his bluesier roots behind. The blues will always be a part of Barras' DNA, and he still throws in such moments on his more recent albums, but his later work is generally more to my taste - and he is an artist that has improved with age in my opinion. In recent years, then, I have seen him and his band live quite a few times. Given his Devon roots, he generally plays at least one Devon show as part of every tour. I have seen him in Exeter, Tavistock, and even in his hometown of Torquay previously - with that aforementioned Torquay show taking place back in April to launch the touring cycle for latest album Halo Effect (which I reviewed here). The show even acted as a listening party for Halo Effect, with the album being played over the venue's PA before the sole support act kicked off, and it is an album which I have listened to quite a lot over the year. Whether it makes my Albums of the Year list remains to be seen, but it is a very enjoyable album of modern, anthemic hard rock - with a few ballads and bluesier moments thrown in. With the album reaching number 5 in the Official UK Album Chart, too, 2024 has certainly been a successful year for Barras. He has been pretty busy on the road, too, touring in both the UK and in mainland Europe, and has continued to receive strong reviews wherever he goes. Given the success of Halo Effect, then, just one run of UK shows this year was not going to be enough - so following the April tour concluding, Barras announced another run of shows for the winter. The last show of the tour, and the year as a whole, was scheduled to be in Exeter - so I picked up a ticket immediately. Barras' local shows are not to be missed and, unsurprisingly, it sold out. He is one of the best Devon rock exports currently, but he always remembers his roots when it comes to touring - and it was great to be able to see him live twice this year fairly locally.

The venue of choice, as it was back in 2022, was the Phoenix - and I got to the venue just as the night's opening act The Nocturnal Affair were starting their set. The Las Vegas-based five-piece turned out to be quite decent, and forged a metallic gothic rock sound with occasional heavier moments to create a generally pretty captivating vibe which the crowd seemed to enjoy. Frontman Brendan Shane had a great voice and easily managed to build a rapport with the crowd - and he even threw in a few bursts of harsh vocals into some of the songs. The band did not feel all that metallic overall, though, and their music was much more rock-based overall I thought - despite a few crunchy riffs and busy, shredded solos. The overall melancholy of the band's gothic sound likely tempered the heaviness and there was a strong synth backing throughout many of their songs - with Shane adding some piano lines here and there when needed, too. Probably the song which stood out to me the most during the set was the early anthem A Thousand Ways to Die - which was likely the hookiest of the night. In truth, none of the songs really disappointed - but that one felt the most anthemic and memorable. It was a shame, then, that none of the other songs stood out in quite the same way. The band's sound is certainly enjoyable, but I would have liked a few more anthemic moments in the set - despite the rest of the songs generally still being enjoyable. The Nocturnal Affair's sound contains a lot of tropes which I tend to like, though, so they seem like a band that I should check out further. Gothic music sometimes takes a few listens for the atmosphere and melancholy to hit home - and based on their strong showing last night I think The Nocturnal Affair merit further investigation.

Sadly, though, I cannot say the same about Scotland's North Atlas who followed. Whilst it is accurate to say that I have never seen a band quite like North Atlas before, their caustic and industrial sound did little for me - and when this electronic sound was fused with a strange, almost folk metal, aesthetic, the whole package just seemed rather confused. The singer was dressed all in white, in what at first I thought was a tracksuit but it was not, whereas the rest of the band were all in various states of rugged dress with Norse-esque warpaint. The mix of styles was very strange - and they even adorned the stage with some Pagan-esque folk horror statues. The music, though, did not really give off a folky vibe at all. There was one very percussive number early one which had strains of a Viking-esque war cry underneath all of the leaden riffing and percussion, but generally the band's overall sound was pretty modern and electronic driven - with both the guitarist and bassist often abandoning their main instruments to fiddle around with synths. As such, I am really not sure what to make of North Atlas. It is always good to see a band doing some genuinely different, and I doubt there is another North Atlas out there, and they certainly put on a memorable performance - but not necessarily for the right reasons. Aesthetics only go so far, but I cannot remember what any of their songs sounded like 24 or so hours on. I can picture the band and their stage set, but I cannot hum any of their songs - which would suggest that their music made very little impression. It did not seem all that melodic, and the band seemed like one which preferred to create a caustic and noisy vibe than craft strong and memorable songs. That being said, there seemed to be a few down at the front who seemed pretty into what North Atlas were doing - but most around me towards the back just seemed a bit bemused by the whole thing. I imagine that North Atlas are used to being divisive, and perhaps even revel in it, but it is fair to say that their set was not really for me - and I imagine I was not alone in feeling that way.

Thankfully, though, Barras and his band were soon on-hand to set things straight - and for the next 90 minutes they delivered a strong 14-song set of modern rock. With seven cuts from the new album played, and only three of the songs featured not from the last two albums, the setlist was very forward-looking - with many of his best modern anthems roaring out of the speakers. The riffy Hourglass got the set off to a fine start, with Barras appearing at first without his guitar to prowl the stage before one was brought to him just in time for the solo, whilst the anthemic Dead Horses, a personal favourite, completed a great opening one-two punch. I did wonder, though, if Barras was perhaps suffering from illness a little. His voice sounded a little rougher than usual, particularly early in the set, but he still sounded great - and perhaps his guitar playing was better than ever. There are plenty of bugs going around, and touring is famously an unhealthy pastime, but he battled through whatever the issues were - with his tight band sounding as good as ever. Savages was the first big crowd sing-a-long of the night, thanks to its big chorus, whilst Josiah Manning (guitar/keyboards/vocals) delivered a shredded guitar solo of his own. The energy barely let up at all throughout the first half of the set. Hard-hitting rockers like Unbreakable and Who Needs Enemies sat nicely alongside slightly more cinematic pieces such as the melodic These Voices - before a powerful version of With You brought this early onslaught to a close. Barras and the band have made a bit of a change to the live set this year and have started to reintroduce some keyboards back into their sound - after abandoning them during their heavier transition. Manning has added his piano playing to the set with him and Barras then playing a couple of songs in a stripped back manner. New cut Landslide was the first piano-led track played, which Manning capped off with a lengthy, classically-inspired solo, before Barras came back armed with a guitar - launching into a bluesy solo which transitioned nicely into Watching Over Me, the first older cut played. The ballad always feels like the centrepiece of any Barras show, and the piano-led version worked really well again - with plenty of room for Barras' soloing before the rest of the band joined in towards the end to add weight. The rest of the set was heavy again, though, following this little break - with the anthemic Fall to Fly and the metallic Apocalypse the last new songs played before a lengthy rendition of Ignite (Light It Up) was a vehicle for soloing. There was a lot of back and forth between Barras and Manning, but the spotlight was also turned over to Frazer Kerslake (bass guitar/vocals) and Billy Hammett (drums) for some rhythmic playing. This then led nicely into a main set-closing version of My Parade, which ended with Barras in the crowd conducting a big sing-a-long. The cheers were huge as the band left the stage - but there was time for one more. Hail Mary will likely be the song which Barras is remembered for, and it remains his anthem despite all of the sound shifts in recent years. The song always goes down well live, too, and it worked well as a powerful encore - with the whole crowd singing along one last time before the night came to a close. The setlist was:

Hourglass

Dead Horses

Savages

Unbreakable

Who Needs Enemies

These Voices

With You

Landslide

Watching Over Me

Fall to Fly

Apocalypse

Ignite (Light It Up)

My Parade

-

Hail Mary

Barras and his band never disappoint live and I have really enjoyed seeing them a number of times over the past few years. He is showing no signs of slowing down, either, and with each album he seems to go from strength to strength. He is a genuinely big name in the UK scene currently and I can only see that growing further thanks to his songwriting ability and affable personality. I am sure that it will not be too long before he returns to Devon - and I will be there when he does.

The Almighty - Wolverhampton Review

As I write this blog entry, it is now December. I have two gigs left to look forward to in 2024, one tonight and one just before Christmas, and 2025 is already shaping up to be another pretty busy year - with tickets for Sabaton, Arch Enemy, and Saxon picked up over the past couple of days following being paid. The gig train keeps on rolling, but I am actually looking forward to a few quiet weekends at home now before my last trip away of the year to catch Mostly Autumn in Bilston on the Sunday before Christmas. December can sometimes be a busy gig month, but the past couple of Decembers have been fairly quiet for me. It kicks off in style later with the Kris Barras Band in Exeter - but generally it is going to be quite a quiet month. Given how busy both October and November were, though, this is no bad thing - and November came to an end with a fantastic night in Wolverhampton with the recently-reformed The Almighty. Following a strong showing from Robert Jon & The Wreck in London the night before, I headed up to Wolverhampton on Friday ready for another excellent night at KK's Steel Mill. I had a bit of a wander around town before checking into the hotel, picking up a couple of LPs at the city's only record shop, and then I enjoyed a quiet couple of hours in the hotel before heading down to the venue. Since KK's Steel Mill opened a few years ago and the Civil Hall complex finally re-opened last year after a lengthy refurbishment project, Wolverhampton has become one of my favourite live music destinations. It became a real wasteland for a few years whilst the Civic Hall was closed - but with that larger space now open again and KK's Steel Mill on the scene the city is a real hotbed of gigs again. KK's Steel Mill has fast become one of my favourite venues in the country - and Friday's trip there was my third of the year following excellent showings from both Mr. Big and Kamelot. As mentioned before, the reason for this latest trip to Wolverhampton was to catch The Almighty live again. I saw the band live for the first time last year in London, and it ended up being one of 2023's best gigs. I had expected to enjoy the show, but I enjoyed it far more than I ever thought I would. I only got into the band after they had previously broken up - as my first exposure to Ricky Warwick (vocals/guitar) was when he joined Thin Lizzy. Since then I have seen him many times live with Thin Lizzy and spin-off group Black Star Riders - as well as as a solo artist. He is a great singer and songwriter, but last year's Almighty show in London was the best of the lot. Despite the band only originally reuniting for three shows last year, by the time London show rolled around it was clear that more was to come. Warwick hinted at such during the show -  and shortly after the short tour, two more similar short tours were announced for 2024 and 2025. I have a ticket for Nottingham next year, too, and I bought my Wolverhampton ticket at the same time - high off the excellent London show. It is clear that the band want to keep things fairly casual and not return in a full-time capacity - but the four musicians are clearly enjoying being together again, having headlined Steelhouse Festival earlier this year and Japanese shows are on the horizon.

Whether the band would be as good second time around remained to be seen, but first the large Steel Mill crowd were treated to around 45 minutes or so from NWOBHM legends Girlschool. I had only seen the band live once previously, and that was a rather forgettable performance opening for Saxon a couple of years ago on a bill where they were also overshadowed by Uriah Heep and Diamond Head. As such, I was keen to check them out again. I remember that their set two years ago was plagued with sound issues, and there were monitor issues also, but sadly this Wolverhampton set was not much better. I do not think that there were monitor issues this time, but the overall sound was quite mushy and very drum-heavy. Given the band's legendary status within the NWOBHM movement, too, I have never really warmed that much to Girlschool. I have spun 1980's Demolition a few times over the years but I have never really looked beyond that debut album - and I tend to find the band's material very one-paced and lacking in any sort of variety. In fairness, that could be said about quite a lot of NWOBHM bands, but given that Girlschool tend to sit towards the top of the NWOBHM tree I always seem to expect more from them. They gave it their all, and Kim McAuliffe (vocals/guitar) still has a powerful voice, but they came over as quite lightweight - even with stand-in drummer Larry Patterson, currently of Alcatrazz, really hitting the drums hard. There are still some good songs in the band's catalogue, though, with the opening duo of Demolition Boys and C'mon Let's Go setting the set on the right path initially. I also thought that newer cut It Is What It Is was pretty enjoyable, though, and it is good to see that a band of Girlschool's vintage is still creative - as so many are not. After a while, though, as I mentioned last time I saw them, all the songs started to roll into one. Girlschool are good at what they do but what they do wears thin after a while - with very simplistic punky riffs and rock 'n' roll leads being all they really have to give. The poor sound did not help, which is rare for the Steel Mill, but given that I have seen the band twice now and both times they have had poor sound when other bands on the same bills did not I do have to wonder if they are the common denominator in this situation. Nevertheless, though, the band did not outstay their welcome - and the atmosphere did pick up as they moved through their set. Their customary cover of Motörhead's Bomber went down well, with plenty around me singing along, whilst their signature tune Emergency brought their 45 minutes on stage to a high-energy close.

Following 30 or so minutes, the lights in the venue went down - and drummer Stump Monroe took to the stage to launch into the drum intro to the fast-paced Crucify. The Almighty are not a fancy band, so the drum barrage was a perfect way to start the show - with the punky, thrash-adjacent song getting the next couple of hours off to a great start. Whilst the band have a number of live favourites which they are always likely to play, especially given the part-time nature of their reunion, the setlist was pleasingly different from last year's shows - which helped to keep things interesting whilst ensuring that a number of key anthems were still hit. Warwick was in fine form as usual, his voice soaring above the band - whilst the cutting lead playing of Tantrum (guitar/vocals) added some classic rock flair to the band's tough sound. Fan-favourites and deeper cuts sat side-by-side throughout, with the Thin Lizzy-esque Destroyed hitting the spot early on - before a rare trip to 1996 and the Just Add Life album saw the punky Do You Understand wheeled out. Whilst some in attendance had also likely seen the band live last year, I imagine that for many this was their first Almighty show for many years - so the atmosphere was electric from the off. Overall, the vibe was very similar to last year's London show - with everyone singing along. The huge chorus of the mid-paced groover Wrench echoed around the venue as the band chugged through it - whilst the Alice in Chains-esque riff of personal favourite Addiction was another early highlight. Given the band's long layoff, too, it is amazing how tight they have been at these recent reunion shows. Tantrum had not been in the band since 1991 and the rest of the guys had not played together since 2009 - but these shows have seen the original line-up feel tighter and more powerful than ever. Warwick spoke briefly of the band's early days, before wheeling out the first song they wrote together, Gift Horse, but generally he let the music do the talking - with the slower burn of Little Lost Sometimes and the folk punk of the shout-along Jonestown Mind showcasing the variety of the band's songwriting ability. As was the case last year, the atmosphere never dipped at all. Each song was greeted by the crowd as warmly as the last - and whenever Warwick wanted the crowd to sing they did. The rest of the band were animated, too, with bassist Floyd London in particular being active - at one point getting down into the gap between the crowd and the stage to rock out with those down at the front. Apart from a couple of slower tracks, including the depressing Bandaged Knees, the band just kept rocking. Metallic anthems such as Power and Takin' Hold were highlights of the later portion of the set - before a number of real fan-favourites were wheeled out to bring the main set to a close. Old single Devil's Toy had everyone singing along towards the end - but the biggest crowd interaction moment came with main set closer Wild & Wonderful, during which Warwick had the large KK's crowd sounding as if they were filling an arena. It was a great end to a 19-song run, but there was still time for a two-song encore - with one last slower track and a final anthem. Jesus Loves You...But I Don't always shines live, and the final heavier section was shouted back at the band perfectly - before old single Free 'n' Easy brought the curtain down on another fantastic evening of live music. The setlist was:

Crucify

Destroyed

Do You Understand

Wrench

Ultraviolent

Addiction

Gift Horse

Praying to the Red Light

Little Lost Sometimes

Crank and Deceit

Way Beyond Belief

Jonestown Mind

Power

Takin' Hold

Bandaged Knees

The Unreal Thing

Devil's Toy

Over the Edge

Wild & Wonderful

-

Jesus Loves You...But I Don't

Free 'n' Easy

I did wonder whether the novelty would have worn off somewhat seeing The Almighty twice within the space of a year - but it really had not. The band were just as good this time as they were last year, and the confines of KK's Steel Mill perhaps only enhanced my enjoyment of the show given how great the venue is. There are few bands like The Almighty in reality, and their no-nonsense hard rock and metal is music for any occasion. I am glad that they are back, even if their reunion is a sporadic and laid back one - and I am already looking forward to Rock City next year.