Artist: Brave Rival
Venue: Manchester Academy 3
Date: 15th September 2023
I love discovering new bands, but Brave Rival exceeded all expectations in Manchester and I firmly believe that bigger venues will be part of the band’s near future.
Facebook brought Brave Rival to my attention around twelve months ago. I was so impressed by the song-clips being previewed that I immediately ordered ‘Life’s Machine’, the band’s debut full-length release, from their web store. I have been keeping track of the live listings in the hope something would be scheduled in the north west, so was delighted when a Manchester show was finally announced. For several reasons I have become less enamoured with the Academy venues in recent times, but decided to put my disdain to one side for a night. I was so glad I did.
When Chloe Josephine (vocals), Lindsey Bonnick (vocals), Ed Clarke (guitar), Billy Dedman (bass) and Donna Peters (drums) made a somewhat low-key entrance to the stage it was good to see a healthy sized crowd in the room. Having only one album in their catalogue means that song selection was probably less of a headache, so it was good to see/hear the songs I have now become familiar with in a live setting. All I can say is… the studio output simply does not do Brave Rival Justice. That is not to say the songs are not good (they certainly are); they just had more intensity and a greater dynamic when performed live. The energy levels were also well maintained throughout the whole set and everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves.
The vocals of Lindsey and Chloe were phenomenal. The range and power of both brought to mind a Janis Joplin/Ann Wilson hybrid and they complimented each other perfectly. Billy and Donna were a rock-solid base and Ed weaved some old-school histrionics into the solos at everyone opportunity, without being overly self-indulgent. The likes of ‘Run And Hide’, ‘Heart Attack’, ‘Bad Choices’ and ‘Guilty Love’ are high-impact anyway, but in-your-face they were just so much better. The cover of Etta James’ ‘Damn Your Eyes’ saw Ed take the spotlight for an extended and passionate solo, whilst Lindsey and Chloe wailed to great effect. Two new songs, ‘Stars Upon My Scars’ and ‘Fairytale’, to be included on album number two, fitted into the set seamlessly and if the rest of the material takes shape in the same way next year then it should be a 2024 highlight. Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’ was another great cover choice, with the whole band clearly relishing their first visit to Manchester. When ‘What’s Your Name Again?’ brought things to a close the reception the band received emphasised just how well the show had gone.
I love discovering new bands, but Brave Rival exceeded all expectations in Manchester and I firmly believe that bigger venues will be part of the band’s near future.
Review & Photos: Dave Bott
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