Kris Barras Band - Torquay Review

Over the past few years, since live music resumed following the pandemic, the Torquay-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kris Barras has become a fixture of my live music calendar. Whilst I had heard of him beforehand, due to him living fairly locally to me, it was in 2021 that I actually started paying proper attention to Barras - when I saw him opening for Black Stone Cherry in Exeter. Whilst I had already been to a few shows in 2021 before that Black Stone Cherry one, the novelty of live music being back was still providing an extra level of excitement - and Barras proved to be the right kind of support act to capitalise on that feeling. At the time, Barras was reinventing himself. Starting out as more of a blues-based rocker, a sound which characterised his first three albums, the 2021 tour was on the eve of his fourth album Death Valley Paradise (which I reviewed here) being released earlier the following year - which saw Barras moving into heavier, more modern-sounding hard rock waters. Since that Black Stone Cherry tour and the release of Death Valley Paradise, Barras has risen through the ranks somewhat - and has become a fixture of the UK live music circuit. He is no longer just a local name, then, and local-boy-done-good stories are always pleasing ones. He has been very busy ever since, too, and I have seen him live at least once every year from 2021 to now. Lengthy UK tours have become pretty common for Barras, and he has since also released two more albums - with his latest, Monsters We Made (which I reviewed here), only a couple of months old. He also released an EP last year (which I reviewed here) as a member of the band Hollow Souls - a vehicle through which Barras could return to his bluesier roots. With his solo albums and tours continuing to sell well, and with Hollow Souls in place as alternative creative outlet, all seemed rosy in Barras' world - but, sadly, he has now called time on his music career. About a month before his most recent tour, which came to a close last night in Torquay, he announced that it would be his last - and that he was stepping away from music for the foreseeable future. The main reason given seemed to be wanting to shift towards a more secure financial future for his family - which would suggest that, even though he seemed to be doing well, the numbers were just not adding up in a positive way. This just goes to show how precarious music careers can be, even for acts that seem to be doing fairly well, and it should be a concern for all live music lovers. I would not be surprised if the serious damage that he did to his voice when falling ill on tour earlier this year with Smith/Kotzen played a part in his decision, too. He mentioned that he had considered calling it a day then a few months ago, but kept going as he had Monsters We Made waiting to be released. Thoughts of hanging it all up have clearly been circulating for a while, then, but it still came as a bit of a surprise when he made the announcement a month or so ago. I already had tickets for the tour's final night in Torquay, but that show became a bit more special overnight. Barras has always included the South West in his tours, hence why I have been able to see him so often, but calling time on his career in his hometown of Torquay certainly has a poetic ring to it - and The Foundry in Torquay has seen many a Barras show over the years. It was with a mixture of excitement and sadness that I travelled to Torquay after work yesterday, then, getting to the venue just after it opened following dinner in the local Wetherspoons.

I do not think that the show was actually sold out, or at least it was not announced as such, which was a bit surprising given that his Torquay shows usually do - but perhaps that was giving some context to his decision. Despite this, though, The Foundry was busy - and it had already filled up nicely by the time the evening's sole support act 10 Years took to the stage at around 8pm. The Tennessee-based five piece played almost in darkness the whole time, with only subtle lighting giving them a slightly murky appearance, whilst their sound was an interesting mix of late 1990s/early 2000s alternative rock/metal riffing, an atmospheric, almost progressive, soundscape backing, and the strong, melodic vocals of frontman Jesse Hasek. When the band took to the stage and the first riff kicked in, I thought that they were going to be a heavier post-grunge/nu-metal band, but overall they were much more atmospheric and melodic than that. Whilst there were certainly shades of both, particularly the former, Hasek's more restrained and heartfelt vocals removed a lot of the big posturing often associated with those genres - instead allowing for something more restrained and atmospheric. Whilst the band's songs often seemed quite simple on the face of it, with memorable riffs and some pretty big choruses, there was actually a lot going on in the background at times - with interesting synth arrangements, as well as guitar melodies and layering that was a bit different from the norm. I had not heard of the band before, but they seem to have found success in their career - having been around since 1999. Last.fm shows them as having quite good scrobbling numbers, whilst their Wikipedia page is quite extensive - which you would not expect for a band with limited success. As such, they are a likely a bigger band globally than Barras - but Hasek said on stage that they had rarely been over the UK previously, which would perhaps suggest that their profile over here is not that big. Despite this, though, there seemed to be plenty in attendance who were fans of 10 Years - and there was a pretty good atmosphere in the room throughout their 45 or so minutes on stage. Whilst I had largely enjoyed some of the early numbers in the set, it was perhaps their atmospheric take on Nirvana's Heart Shaped Box that drew me in. I am not much of a Nirvana fan, but 10 Years did something quite interesting with the song arrangement-wise - and it helped the elements of their sound click into place. Some of the later songs in the set felt a bit more anthemic, too, and I did not feel like the band's set dragged - which is usually a good sign. As such, I quite enjoyed what 10 Years had to offer, even if their sound is not 100% aligned with what I generally listen to. I will certainly check them out further, though, going forward.

Around half an hour later, during which the crowd was subjected to a rather tedious nu-metal playlist, although I am sure plenty enjoyed it more than I did, the lights went down and Barras and his band took to the stage - launching into Who Needs Enemies. Band regular Josiah Manning (guitar/vocals) had missed the tour due to recently becoming a father, meaning that ex-Inglorious guitarist Danny Dela Cruz had taken his place - but with Manning also being a Devon local he made the drive up from Plymouth for this final show, meaning that the band operated as a five-piece, with both him and Dela Cruz providing guitar backing to Barras' own excellent guitar playing. Barras' regular rhythm section of Frazer Kerslake (bass guitar/vocals) and Billy Hammett (drums) rounded out the band - and for the next 80 or so minutes the five on stage delivered a strong set of many of Barras' best recent tunes, with the odd look back to the past. I had wondered if the Torquay show, being the final one, would be a bit more 'special', with maybe a longer setlist and guests, but with the exception of Manning back the show seemed the same as the others on the tour. It seemed a rather unsentimental affair, and Barras seemed very much in business-as-usual mode - crashing through the modern hard rock of both Unbreakable and Dead Horses early on. Despite his vocal injury earlier this year, he still sounded strong vocally - and his guitar playing was fiery, with plenty of solos coming thick and fast. Four songs from Monsters We Made featured in the set, too, with the more melodic Unspoken and its title track the first two to make an appearance. For me, the album is not as strong as the other more recent efforts - but it was nevertheless good to hear some of the material live. The title track in particular was a powerful moment, and it led nicely into the gang vocal chorus of Savages - which was the first big crowd participation moment of the night. Barras shed his guitar for this number, getting up-close with the crowd instead - with Dela Cruz stepping forward to take the main solo. A melodic bass intro from Kerslake, on his huge six-string bass, heralded the arrival of the more atmospheric and cinematic These Voices, whilst Devil You Know upped the heaviness - and saw Barras again prowling the stage sans his guitar, with Manning taking over the solo duties. Despite the relative lack of sentiment, there were a couple of more reflective moments. Before launching into the blues ballad Watching Over Me, dedicated as always to his late father, Barras spoken about his early days gigging Torquay and reflecting on how far he had come. His soloing during the ballad was as poignant as ever, whilst a heavier blues vibe was continued throughout Ignite (Light It Up). A melodic solo showcase was then afforded to Dela Cruz, which reminded everyone what a great player he is, before a couple more new cuts in Beautiful Lie and Riot of One hit the crowd. The latter was especially powerful, and it seems a shame that the rocker is not going to get a chance to become a setlist staple - as its gang vocal-led chorus deserves it. The other moment of sentiment came from Manning, who delivered a brief speech in tribute to Barras' career before the main set's final number My Parade. The song has long been Barras' show-closer, and it was as powerful as ever - with crowd participation before the band took a brief step away from the stage. They were called back for one more, of course, and it left to Hail Mary, arguably Barras' signature tune through the years, to close out just over a decade in music. The setlist was:

Who Needs Enemies

Unbreakable

Dead Horses

Unspoken

Monsters We Made

Savages

These Voices

Devil You Know

Watching Over Me

Ignite (Light It Up)

Guitar Solo

Beautiful Lie

Riot of One

My Parade

-

Hail Mary

Whilst I never truly believe musicians when they say that they are retiring from music, especially ones as young as Barras, if, as of last night, Barras truly is done as a musician then he will have a career to look back on and be proud of. His body of work speaks for itself, and his tours have become fixtures on the UK scene - so will be greatly missed. I am sure that whatever he turns to next he will succeed at - and, perhaps, after a few years away from all things music, he may feel a certain itch again and be persuaded to pick up a guitar once more. We can only hope.