It makes sense that Samantha Fish is performing in a venue called Queen’s Hall. When the Queen of the Blues is in town, there is only one place to perform: a regal venue fit for royalty. Tonight, everyone stands (or, sits, depending on the joints) in the presence of Samantha Fish of House Fish, rightful heir to the Throne, the Queen of the Blues, Protector of the Six Strings, Mother of Cigar-box Guitars, the Kansas City Bombshell, Road Warrior, the Breaker of Hearts, the Kicker of Ass. Fit all that on a tour shirt and watch the money roll in.

Samantha Fish stands out from most players who have made their name plowing The Blues field because she offers variety within her music. She cooks up different songs and styles for different emotions, and it’s very seldom cookie-cutter “Woke up this morning and my baby had left me” trad Blues. To reinforce that thought she reprises the opening song from her shit-kicking 2023 tour with Jesse Dayton as the set opener for her romp through the UK and Europe: MC5’s legendary ‘Kick Out the Jams’. A fitting choice given the impending arrival of the last-ever MC5 album ‘Heavy Lifting’.

Fish is such a strong visual performer that it’s almost impossible to focus on anything but her. However, drummer Jamie Douglass is doing his damnest to rectify that. It must have been arm week at the gym before leaving for this tour because he is pummeling his kit into submission as he kicks out the jams. With venue acoustics as good as they are tonight, every hit, every kick, reverberates around this former church. Such a strong set opener, great fun, and one happy punter on the barrier (complete with white sparkly gloves) is jumping for joy throughout. Jumping up and down…at a Blues gig? As previously mentioned; Samantha Fish is as varied a performer as it gets.

Swiftly moving on without a pause, this incredible band (completed by Mickey Finn on keyboards, and Ron Johnson on bass) tears into ‘Wild Heart’ with Douglass providing the metronome-like beat for the others to build upon, and Fish goading some participation out of the crowd. The title track to studio album number three from Fish celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2025 and still sounds as thrilling and pulsating as it did almost ten years ago – that short solo from Samantha, oof! And with a short burst of vocalising it’s straight into the hip-shaking ‘Better Be Lonely’ with Samantha conjuring up some gorgeous tones out of her guitar as she teases, “I won’t bend all the rules for you…” while Ron Johnson alongside her brings the groove.

Essentially, the setlist can be split into two halves: the vast majority of the first half is mainly made up of original material, while the latter half is cover-heavy. Of the original material, the sultry ‘Kill or Be Kind’ is always a buzz to witness in the flesh and showcases the more soulful side of Fish’s playing (Finn’s Hammond work is crucial to this one), and the seamless way it bleeds into a powerful version of ‘Watch It Die’ is alone worthy of the price of admission. The arrival of ‘Bulletproof’ can mean only one thing: the arrival of the cigar box guitar, and loud cheers from the crowd when it does appear. Jaws drop as Fish conjures up something magical as she alternates between her traditional mic and her old-time fuzz-filled mic. Gearheads are drooling over the guitar and like the vast majority of Blues gigs; the more studious amongst the audience are watching Fish’s hands very closely.

The choice of covers for the evening is inspirational, with Charley Patton’s ‘Jim Lee Blues, Part 1’ performed solo and acoustic giving Samantha’s vocals a chance to take centre stage; Ted Taylor’s ‘Somebody’s Always Trying’ is stretched out into a near ten-minute jam that has the guitar-work go from hellacious fretwork to gentle blues-doodling, and had the gig ended on the sublime cover (and current single) of ‘I Put a Spell on You’ then there wouldn’t have been many complaints. But there is still time for a steamy main set-closing ‘Black Wind Howlin’’, and a romp through R.L. Burnside’s ‘Goin’ Down South’ with Zac from opening act The Zac Schulze Band joining in on the fun and adding some of his guitar play into the mix as both he and Fish go toe-to-toe trading licks.

Always on the road, it takes skill to keep the crowds coming back for more year after year, and by constantly mixing things up, Samantha Fish keeps it fresh for the crowds that seem to be getting larger with each tour. Her easygoing, approachable demeanor is a winner, but, boy, can she play guitar.

Playing more of a muscular brand of Blues rock than traditional Blues, opening act The Zac Schulze Gang makes a helluva racket as they put the power in power trio.

Led by the titular Zac Schulze, the Kent-based trio aren’t hanging around and announce their arrival with a blistering romp through Rory Gallagher’s ‘Laundromat’, which even with a few pesky technical issues with Zac’s guitar threatens to take the roof off. Gallagher is an obvious influence on Schulze’s playing and the set ends as it started with a Gallagher cover; this time it’s ‘Messing with the Kid’, and mixed with a few bars of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well’ it forms a stunning conclusion. With only one EP under their belts, original material is light on the ground but when it does come in the guise of belters such as ‘Woman’ then it means that further exploration is mandatory.

Review – Dave

All images – Dave Jamieson

Samantha Fish Tour Dates:

EUROPE – BULLETPROOF TOUR

Oct 20 – Cologne, DE, Kantine
Oct 21 – Hamburg, DE, Fabrik
Oct 22 – Berlin, DE, Hole .44

RUF RECORDS 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Nov 7 – Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
Nov 8 – Warren, OH, Robins Theatre
Nov 9 – Cincinnati, OH, Ludlow Garage
Nov 10 – St Charles, IL, Arcada Theatre
Nov 11 – Columbus, OH, Bluestone
Nov 15 – Virginia Beach, VA, Elevation 27
Nov 16 – Hopewell, VA, Beacon Theatre
Nov 20 – Washington D.C. Warner Theatre
Nov 21 – Glenside, PA, Keswick
Nov 22 – Jim Thorpe, PA, Penn’s Peak
Nov 23 – New York, NY, Sony Hall
Nov 24 – Beverly, MA, Cabot Theatre