Artists: Brave Rival
Venue: Liverpool, Arts Club Loft
Date: 13th October 2024
"Immense on every level and a band that deserves to be huge."
Brave Rival first came to my attention in 2022, and I was so impressed with what I heard that I promptly ordered the ‘Life’s Machine’ album directly from the band. They are based in Portsmouth (UK), and are made up of Chloe Josephine (vocals), Lindsey Bonnick (vocals), Donna Peters (drums), Ed Clarke (guitar) and Billy Dedman (bass). Their musical style is hard to pigeon-hole, but in the main is something of a Hard Rock/Blues hybrid. I caught them live for the first time in 2023, in Manchester, and to say I was blown away with what I saw/heard would be an understatement. The recent (2024) ‘Fight Or Flight’ release (to these ears anyway) is a step up in both song-writing and performance (no mean feat), so it was a complete no-brainer when a show was added in Liverpool.
It was my second gig in four days at the Arts Club Loft venue, so I had a good idea of the layout, and what to expect in terms of sound and lighting. The sound was great on my previous visit, but the lighting was a little tricky from a photography point of view. The band took to the stage at 8.45pm and wasted no time launching into ‘Blame The Voices’, which was quickly followed by ‘Seventeen’ and ‘Bad Choices’; all taken from ‘Fight….’. It’s safe to say that the songs had greater power than their studio counterparts, and I firmly believe that it is in the live arena where the band excel. The plan was to play all the songs from ‘Fight….’ alongside some choice cuts from ‘Life’s Machine’ and one or two other older songs. It was a relaxed atmosphere in The Loft, but the songs managed to raise the temperature levels and fortunately the sound was spot on.
Both Chloe and Lindsey had such power in their voices, with a range and delivery that raised goosebumps at times. They worked so well together, vocally complimenting each other and also in their own right. Billy and Donna have such unassuming roles in Brave Rival, but they locked in tight, providing the bedrock for the music. The cover of Chris Stapleton’s ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ was a nice inclusion and allowed for some incredible vocals, whilst ‘All I Can Think About’ was dedicated to Matt Long from Catfish, who passed away recently. Ed Clarke let rip when needed, and the extended ending to the emotionally addictive ‘Heavy’ allowed for some mesmerising solo histrionics. Everything came together perfectly, and the set as a whole, had great balance. ‘Sink Or Swim’ brought things to a close in style, and then it was nice to take some time to chat with the band and thank them personally, as well as pick up the exquisitely designed vinyl version of the new album.
Regardless of style or genre, it was all about music of every incarnation tonight, and impossible not to be drawn in to the spellbinding performance. Immense on every level and a band that deserves to be huge.
Reviews and Photos: Dave Bott
Gallery. All photos © Dave Bott (used with kind permission)
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