King King - Exeter Review

When it comes to modern British blues rock, there are few better acts on the circuit currently than Scotland's King King. Whilst there is a strong blues bent to the current UK rock scene, King King come from a firmer blues background - with a soaring, classy sound which has been long-honed by its members, both in King King and in various other blues acts before the band was founded. Their blues-based sound feels much more authentic than many of the meat and potatoes, leaden bluesy hard rockers which make up a significant portion of the current UK rock scene - with songwriting and virtuosity both pillars of the band's sound. I first came across the band back in 2016 when I saw them opening for Thunder in London. I was not really struck by them at the time - but seeing them again twice in 2018, once at Steelhouse Festival and once opening for Europe, turned my head further. By the time the band's last album Maverick (which I reviewed here) was released in 2020, then, I was a big fan - and I saw the band once each in 2021, 2022, and 2023 as a result. I did not get to see them again last year, but when another big UK tour was announced for 2025 tickets were soon acquired for the Exeter date. The 2021 and 2023 shows were also in Exeter, at the Phoenix, so it is a venue that the band are well versed in by this point - and each time they rock up in Devon their fans turn out in force. King King's Exeter shows are always well-attended, then, and this is likely why the band keep coming back. By the time the tour rolled around, though, there was perhaps a slight cloud hanging over it - as it was meant to be a run of dates to promote the band's sixth studio album Light Up the Sky. The album was supposed to drop in September, but it has been delayed until some point next year. As Alan Nimmo (vocals/guitar) candidly said on stage during the night, the album is just not ready yet. He gave the impression that some of the songwriting had not even been finished - so it may be a while yet before Light Up the Sky sees the light of day. This is a shame, both for the fans and for the band, as it meant that this lengthy tour, which includes some decent-sized venues, cannot capitalise on the buzz of a new release. I suppose that just means that the band will need to do it all again when the new album is indeed ready - and another night in Exeter with this excellent band is certainly no bad thing. New album or not, though, a King King show is always a good night out. They excel in terms of catalogue depth, despite only having five albums so far, and live stagecraft - and each time I see the band they seem to get a bit better. It was with excitement, then, that I headed up to Exeter last night, and I rocked up to the Phoenix not long before the evening's sole support act took to the stage - following a bite to eat and a couple of drinks at the local Wetherspoons.

Before King King's excellent set, though, the growing crowd was treated to a set from country/blues singer-songwriter Laura Evans. Starting out her career as an actress, having been on The Basil Brush Show for many years, Evans turned her talents to music a few years ago - and has began to make a bit of a name for herself as a UK-based modern country act, with more than a hint of the blues. Joined only by Joe Hazel (guitar/percussion), Evans' set was stripped down - but it allowed her diverse vocal talents to shine. Whilst there was a strong country/blues favour to her material, alongside a couple of covers from Chris Stapleton and Bonnie Raitt, there was also plenty of modern pop to be found - especially in the lyrics and the way that the vocal melodies were constructed. Neither modern country nor pop are much my thing - but I found myself largely enjoying Evans' set even if it did get a bit samey after a while. She certainly has a powerful voice, and came across as very likeable during her time talking with the crowd - who gave her some good-natured grief for being both originally from Wales and now from Plymouth. Being backed by only one musician, though, it was hard for the songs to feel fully fleshed out. Hazel is certainly a strong guitarist, and his stripped back blues approach worked well, but the songs were likely ones with bigger arrangements than were being presented. I generally tire of acoustic acts and stripped back performances for similar reasons - as I find it hard to connect with songs which are being presented in perhaps a less interesting way than they generally would be. Acoustic or stripped back versions can work well if a song is known - but they are rarely a good introduction to a song. I do understand why support acts, especially in smaller venues, are limited to such, though. That being said, Evans' 30 or so minutes on stage did not outstay its welcome. Her voice certainly did a lot of heavy lifting, and some occasional soloing from Hazel was welcome. She also managed to bring quite a few in the crowd along for the ride - as one of her later songs conjured up a bit of a sing-a-long. Overall, then, Evans' set was enjoyable for what it was - even if what she does is not really for me.

Given that there was not much gear to clear away following Evans' set, it did not feel like too long before AC/DC's Highway to Hell was blasting out over the PA and King King took to the stage. A warm Exeter welcome greeted the band - and they soon launched into a 13-song set which included a handful of favourites, a few oldies which had not been played live for a while, and a couple of new numbers. Alan remains the band's focal point, leading the band vocally and from a guitar perspective - but I felt that his brother Stevie Nimmo (guitar/vocals) featured a bit more as a lead guitar player throughout the set this time - with Stevie's more straight ahead blues style complimenting Alan's more varied approach. Both the riffy opener More Than I Can Take and the uplifting Let Love In, played surprisingly early in the set, featured some strong guitar playing from Stevie - even though Alan still dominated. From the off, too, the sound was great. The vocals were audible, the lead guitars cut through the mix, whilst the lashings of Hammond organ from Jonny Dyke (keyboards/vocals) grounded the band's sound nicely. A lot of crowd favourites were played, with the shuffling and slightly funky Waking Up being an early highlight thanks to its big chorus - but perhaps the first real highlight was the new track Strong. Whilst Light Up the Sky may not yet be ready, a couple of the tracks which will feature on it were played - with the former being a lengthy, dense ballad with some of the best soloing of the night. The haunting chorus felt like one which will stay in the set for years to come - whilst the lengthy instrumental mid-section saw both Alan and Stevie soloing. It was the sort of epic ballad that King King do so well - and it felt like a darker version of A Long History of Love, which itself was wheeled out not long after. These two big, emotional ballads felt like the centre pieces of the set - whilst shorter, more anthemic pieces such as the golden oldie Lose Control and the other new number Cried Out for Love added some riffs and instant melodies to the evening. The latter was that strong mix of early Bad Company and 1970s David Coverdale which King King dip into from time to time - with the powerful rocker sure to become another real live favourite. I like it when the band let their hair down a bit - and it saw new drummer Jon Lodge rocking out a bit more behind his kit. Following this new cut, it was time for a couple of other rarely-played oldies to be brought back into the limelight. Alan mentioned that seeing a video of the band playing Hurricane at the aforementioned London show with Thunder persuaded him to bring it out of the vaults, and the rocker impressed the crowd, before the slowest moment of the night was reserved for the plaintive ballad Lay With Me. The last portion of the main set was reserved for favourites, though, with Alan's song about his brother You Stopped the Rain prompting quite a big sing-a-long with the Exeter crowd - before the distinctive electric piano intro of Rush Hour introduced the sprawling, atmospheric piece. It was left to I Will Not Fall to round out the main set - and, as always, the song was stretched out to include a plenty of soloing, including a lengthy blues effort from Stevie. It left the crowd wanting more - and the cheers brought the band back out for one more, with the powerful ballad Find Your Way Home impressing to round the night out. Big vocal harmonies and plenty of Hammond warmth brought the song to life - and it worked well as a set-closer despite it being a slower piece. The setlist was:

More Than I Can Take

Let Love In

Waking Up

Strong

Lose Control

A Long History of Love

Cried Out for Love

Hurricane

Lay With Me

You Stopped the Rain

Rush Hour

I Will Not Fall

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Find Your Way Home

King King shows are always extremely enjoyable and last night in Exeter was no different. It was great to hear a number of different tracks live, despite plenty of favourites still being thrown in, and the two new songs were excellent. I am hoping that the new album, whenever it comes, will live up to the vibe of these two songs - and I am sure that when it does drop the band will be back around again to ensure that everyone gets to hear the new material.