Artists: Beth Blade, Kim Jennett
Venue: Blackpool, Cleveleys Backstage
Date: 17th October 2024
"She may be diminutive in stature, but she has a voice of such power and never missed a note, even though she was constantly on the move."
Despite her tender years, Kim Jennett seems to have been around for ages. I caught her for the first time at the Rock & Blues Custom show, in maybe 2017 or 2018. I have seen her since performing her own solo acoustic shows, and also singing for Myke Gray (Jagged Edge/Skin). She has recently spent some time on the road supporting Geoff Tate with her own band and went down a storm at the show I caught in Manchester. To promote the new ‘Queen Of Hell’ four track EP a launch show was set up at the Waterloo venue in Blackpool. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond her control, the venue had to be changed with just a couple of days notice, to the Waterloo sister bar, Backstage Cleveleys.
It was my first visit to the Backstage bar, and first impressions were excellent. It was also great to see a healthy turnout, with the show still an hour away. As Beth Blade warmed up the crowd with her own acoustic set, I could see Jennett sat outside in her van. When the time arrived for her to take to the stage it was clear that expectations were already high. The weeks spent on the road opening for Geoff Tate have clearly benefitted Jennett and her three bandmates, as they performed like a well-oiled machine. I was informed that she was not 100%, but it was impossible to tell as the energy levels were off the scale. Trying to take photos through the crowd and over people’s heads was made even more difficult due to the fact Jennett was never still. She may be diminutive in stature, but she has a voice of such power and never missed a note, even though she was constantly on the move. She is a very personable front-person and genuinely down to earth, which just makes her even more attractive. ‘Bloody Killing Floor’, ‘Dead To Me’ and the recent single, ‘Hell Is Wherever You Are’, were all taken from the EP, and had so much more impact in a live environment. The show may have only been forty-minutes long, but there were no complaints, and things came to a close with a rampaging run through Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’.
If she can pick up some more high-profile support slots. and also expand on her existing musical canon, then the future looks bright. Glad to have been there almost from the start and will be there as things progress even further.
Reviews and Photos: Dave Bott
Gallery. All photos © Dave Bott (used with kind permission)
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