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Kris Barras Band/Ethyrfield/Adam Sweet
Exeter Phoenix
Wednesday 9th March 2022
Review and Photos – Rob Wilkins
Usually, I get to see a band play once, or maybe twice a year. Often that involves quite long journeys as the far South West isn’t exactly a Mecca for touring rock bands! Somehow though, tonight is the fourth time I have managed to see the Kris Barras Band play since the summer and three of those have been less than an hour away from home. That has allowed me to watch a band evolve and grow, from a post-Covid stiffness at Steelhouse, through their Black Stone Cherry support slot and Kris-Mas show, to the start of this UK tour and two nights in an almost hometown venue.
Before the gig, there was a last-minute change of support due to sickness in the Florence Black camp, but the evening opened with a brief and very enjoyable blues set from local artist Adam Sweet. Playing with a sweet tone and a lot of expression the crowd quickly warmed to his tunes, particularly set closer “Working on it”. Not someone I have seen before but definitely an artist I would look out for if they were playing nearby.
Ethyrfield on the other hand are another band whose progress I have followed for a while. From slightly uncertain youngsters with huge potential to the crushing power and songwriting ability they now have in abundance. It is almost slightly scary to see three such young musicians deliver such a composed and complex set. Layers upon layers of melody and rhythm follow unpredictable and interesting paths as they constantly evolve and develop. Their stagecraft is becoming more engaging too. That shyness of youth being thrown off and mature confidence shining through. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Ben Cornish’ guitar solo where instead of throwing as many notes and tricks at the crowd, he stands in the limelight and stuns with something far more beautiful and considered. Subtle harmonies mixed with technical virtuosity leave you stood quietly in admiration.
But of course, we are all here for Mr. B and his band. Following “Thunderstruck” each of the guys take to the stage one by one, drummer Billy, rhythm guitarist Josiah, and bassist Kelpie each add a layer to the huge wall of sound before the vested and tattooed man himself takes to the stage.
Wow!
Just WOW!
Earlier I referred to having seen the band four times in just over a year. The evolution in terms of stage energy tonight was immense! Kelpie leaping, twirling, almost sprinting around the stage. Josiah performing rather than playing, Kris commanding, Billy battering hell out of his kit. When you see a band start with what has always been one of their set closers and a fan favourite you know they are confident that they are about to provide something special. The guitar acrobatics that used to feature are long gone but “Hail Mary” doesn’t need them at all as the band’s energy is off the scale. “Dead Horses” showcases the sound as it has developed with Josiah’s move from keys to guitar. Heavier and more accessible to a wider rock audience than the previous blues feel.
“Rock n Roll Running Through My Veins” has the crowd bouncing and singing along before “Light It Up” raises the energy levels even higher. I have come along with a group of local musicians and every one of them is nodding in appreciation. The solos in particular make several make that odd wincing face that signifies “oopphhh – that is a bit special”. “Devil You Know” continues to show just how high quality the new album is (and soon after it charts national Top 40) before Kris delivers an utterly stunning guitar tone for “Wake Me Up When It’s Over”. I simply stood there letting it wash over me like warm syrup. Every single note crafted from another world where the stress and worry of the world we live in today didn’t matter. “Vegas Son” is the last track of the first session before the band leaves the stage to Josiah and Kris for an acoustic interlude showcased at the Kris-Mas show.
The first track, “Propane” is a belter but it is the cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s (or for me, Shinedown’s) “Simple Man that has me hollering along and those muso friends blown away. The song was one of the tracks that Kris played during lockdown when he did a series of home studio sessions and he talks about how those first few weeks were quite fun, but then how hard life became for everyone. Josiah gets a shout-out as Kris informs the crowd that this “clever f%^&er” is playing guitar, then with a shoe’d foot playing a stompbox whist with a stockinged foot playing pedals and singing all at the same time. Apparently the one time Kris tried to take on the stompbox the song was played in about a quarter of the usual time!
Playing with people’s emotions and writing a setlist that takes them up and down is an art, and following an acoustic “Simple Man” with a couple of livelier tracks (“Not Fading” – complete with insane guitar/bass battle between Kris and Kelpie – and “Who Needs Enemies”) and then taking it back down again with the unbelievably emotional “Watching Over Me” is genius. As well as talking about how his father bought him his first guitar aged 9, Barras dedicates the song to all those who have lost someone and asks everyone to hold a phone light above. It isn’t often you spend half a track looking backward but it is eerie and beautiful, with tiny phone lights illuminating a sea of faces each lost in their own memories of family and friends no longer with us.
The guitar intro to “What You Get” is another absolutely stunning piece of musicianship before the set closes with the “We Will Rock You” drumbeat from Billy and the far too catchy and anthemic “My Parade”. A brief hiatus follows before the band returns to the rapturous crowd to play out with “Lovers or Losers”. I have always loved the music this band can write and play, but tonight they added a level of showmanship that made this, without doubt, the best set I have ever seen them play by some considerable margin. A few pints in the pub with those musician friends later and we were all agreed – a bit special!
