We are back again at the fabulous La Belle Angele in Edinburgh to catch Kris Barras’s new side project, Hollow Souls. But first up, we have the amazing Troy Redfern, who is continuing his stripped-down shows, this time with Paul Annis on drums and percussion (whereas I saw him with Nicky Waters last time).
We get three songs from the new album, Retribution, starting with the aptly named “Shakin'”. It’s a real in-your-face pounder of a song which may stem from his recent outings as a two-piece, but it’s fabulous nonetheless, with Paul really killing those drums and, as usual, some lovely slide guitar thrown in from Troy. We have one outing from the fabulous Invocation album in the form of “Native”, a tremendous percussion-led song with Paul keeping a steady, hypnotic rhythm on the drums alongside some tasty slide guitar from Troy. Fabulous stuff.
A favourite of mine is next, as “John The Revelator” swaggers into the room. Paul is almost dancing as he lays down the backbeat to Troy’s slide-driven groove on the guitar, complementing his smooth vocals. You can just picture this in a speakeasy in New Orleans; quality stuff. A double hit finishes off a short but amazing set, with two tracks from 2021’s The Fire Cosmic: starting with another groove-laden monster, “Waiting For Your Love”, and ending with the rocking “Sanctify”. Paul beats those drums for all they are worth, and Troy keeps pace on the guitar—just tremendous stuff.
This was another tremendous set from Troy, who never disappoints, from his sublime slide guitar playing to his laid-back, blues-infused voice. He is a top bloke as well. We can’t forget Paul Annis on drums and percussion tonight, who looked like he was having a great time laying down that essential backbeat for Troy to follow. If you like some tasty blues with just the most epic slide guitar, then get out there and support this man, as he is tremendous. I’ve seen him numerous times, both with the full band and as the duo, and he is always great to watch and listen to. If he passes by your area, go and see him, as you will not be disappointed.
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The main event now: Kris Barras and his new side project, Hollow Souls. The band strolls onto the stage to roars of approval. The cymbals crash as Phoebe launches that awesome voice. There is a real swagger in the first track off the debut EP and some killer guitar licks from Kris, with some fabulous drums from Chris. It’s a real foot-stomper of an opening salvo and a taste of what’s to come tonight.
There is that familiarity of the drum rolls as the band launches into a version of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll”. And what a version it is! Phoebe’s powerful vocals soar, Kris and Josiah lay down those guitar licks (with some tasty soloing from Kris), and the rhythm section of Paddy on bass and Chris on drums really nails it. Phoebe even manages to get the crowd to sing along—a fabulous version of the Zep classic.
We get all the songs off the debut EP tonight, including my favourite, “Shotgun”, sung by Kris. This is a real tasty groover of a song with some great backing vocals from Phoebe. We also get the foot-stomping “I Need The Fire”, with Phoebe’s soaring vocals, some absolutely wailing guitar from Kris, and some killer keyboards from Chris. The last track on the EP, “Chasing Ghosts”, is one that Kris did not want to sing initially, as it is a very personal song to him. But his vocals just make it a real goosebumps-inducing song; you feel every note. With Phoebe matching the tone in the chorus, it just seeps into your soul. This is simply one of the most stunning songs I’ve ever heard, with some amazing guitar and keyboard work that is just in keeping with the whole vibe.
The tasty blues vibe of “Tearing Me Apart” leads us into a bouncing groove of a version of “Rock Me Baby”, with Phoebe doing her own thing while those drums keep it all in time, punctuated by some tasty guitar licks from Kris. A real guitar and keyboard-groove-laden song follows with “Propane”. It has soulful vocals and a bluesy feel. Kris is a fantastic singer; he must be loving being able to share the vocal duties on a few songs with Phoebe. Quality stuff tonight.
A real sing-along, groove-laden song comes next with “My Parade”, which has a great chorus section that Kris gets the crowd to sing. Great stuff. Some great vocals lead us into “Hail Mary”, the last track of the main set, with its funky guitar licks and drum beats. The keyboards weave a layer on top, along with some amazing intertwined vocals. A fabulous end to the main set.
The band wanders off for the obligatory encore and is shortly back on for a version of Moloch’s “Going Down”. We get it all on this bouncing, groove-laden song: guitar licks, keyboards, Kris’s vocals, and they are even joined on stage by Troy Redfern, who lays down a few licks of his own.
I thoroughly enjoyed tonight. Troy Redfern is always fabulous, and what a find for Kris in Phoebe—what a voice, and she has great stage presence as well. I also must admit to never hearing any of Kris’s songs before tonight, but I won’t make that mistake again. What a voice he has, and boy can he shred that guitar. The Hollow Souls project is just stunning; the whole band is just great. I look forward to seeing what comes next for them. Go out and catch them live when you can, as I doubt it will be small stages for long.
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Photos by Gary Cooper Photography
