Kris Barras Band, Marc Pontin Group & Blackballed, The Patriot, Crumlin
On a pretty damp Friday night it was up to the venue that is becoming a favourite here at MoM Towers as I hit The Patriot in Crumlin which was packed to the gunnels from the off as punters and members of The Patriot's MC filled the room for the majority of the night. The venue itself is bigger than Fuel (the last place I'd seen KBB) and has more room to move around, it's also a damn sight cheaper! (Valleys pricing see?). As well as having a cracking, loud as hell, sound system which elevates with live gigs and it's probably essential with so many beautiful, beastly bikes outside.
With the room mostly full, Manchester trio Blackballed (8) hit the stage and hit the ground running, the hatted three piece groove machine started with what I like to describe as Steampunk stoner blues that's part latter day Zep mixed with Clutch. It's a great punchy sound that carried them through a set peppered with dark humour and big riffs. The brothers Gill plough away on guitars and drums aided and abetted by Tom Wibberley on bass. They warmed up the room admirably with the crowd really getting into their set as it progressed. I've seen Blackballed before supporting Federal Charm in Clwb Ifor Bach a few years ago, here though they had something to prove imbued with a fire that was reciprocated by the crowd in attendance. In a deafening flash it was all over and the applause like the Guiness filled The Patriot with a sense of warmth. Personally I'm not going to leave it as long to see them as I had before this show, they are very good live act.
Next up were the Mark Pontin Group (7) who again were a trio this time from Swansea, made up of Mark Pontin - guitar/vocals, Callum Morgan Jones-bass/vocals and James Garvey-drums/vocals, this was a bit traditional fayre as their music brings to mind that of Rory Gallagher, it's soulful blues played from the heart Pontin's vocals carrying a note of sadness all good blues players need as the songs are punctuated with screaming Stratocaster solos and nuanced playing influenced by folk and jazz. It was a good choice to have Pontin on second as he differed enough from Blackballed to keep the night fresh ready for the main event that was to follow.
That main event was cage-fighter turned blues rock hero Kris Barras (8) who since my last viewing in Cardiff's Fuel Rock Club is now the singer/guitarist for the blues rock supergroup Supersonic Blues Machine so with his star fast on the rise it was time to see how this had affected his stage show in smaller venues. There's certainly a new level of confidence as he took to the stage, strapped on his guitar and kicked off with Heart On Your Sleeve, the stomping Kick Me Down and the rollicking Stitch Me Up, the pace was high the crowd were in full voice from the first minute with Kris (who continued the hat wearing of Blackballed) peeled off tasty riffs and solos with ease while his vocals have moved up to another level entirely, although that may have been the clarity of the venue's sound.
The set was well paced with a storming cover of Fortunate Son coming near enough the middle to keep everyone on their toes, just before Propane and the Planet Rock favourite Hail Mary. If to support my point earlier the Kris Barras Band have that good mix of blues and hard rock, it's the sound that has made Joe Bonamassa a world beater and looks likely to do the same for Barras, especially with his knack for writing catchy, radio-friendly songs with soul to them that leaks into every note from his guitar and lyric from his mouth, just listen to Watching Over Me. Backing him up are the majorly talented Elliott Blackler - bass, Will Beavis - drums and Josiah J Manning - keys, the first two giving a rock hard under current as Manning matching Barras' pound for pound on the instrumental jam moments that crept into She's More Than Enough and Lovers And Losers.
Slick, soulful and with a right hook of hard rock the Kris Barras Band made sure that everyone in The Patriot was in the right frame of mind for a Friday night, a huge ovation followed the set with many queuing up to meet Kris who humbly stayed at the merch stand for a while after the show giving autographs and having pictures taken with the baying mob, who had between them emptied three kegs of Guinness according to landlady of The Patriot! With a promise of more tours next year catch him while he's playing smaller venues as arenas are beckoning.
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