After the great success of the first three events, (featuring Duck Thieves, Project Overload, HEK, The Upsiders, Ace & the Oddity, Loophole, Luminae, Ben Monkhouse, Shanghai Hostage, Concrete Fun House, The Caroline Bomb & The New Obsession), Hot Music Live Presents are delighted to continue working in partnership with The Tin Music and Arts to raise funds for them.

The sixth in a series of concerts by artists who have featured, or who will do so, on HMLP compilation albums will be on Friday 18th July 2025 and features The Session, Trust Club, HomeBread and Stereotypical.

Many thanks to them all for sharing their time & talents.

Tickets are available via this link:

https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/hot-music-live-presents-the-the-tin-at-the-coal-tickets/14371533

Hot Music Live Presents are delighted to continue working in partnership with The Tin Music and Arts in Coventry to help raise funds for them. 

The fifth in a series of concerts by artists who have featured on HMLP compilation albums, or will do so, will be on Friday 20th June 2025 and features Monastery, Gutter Puppy, Permanent Daylight and Louis B Scheuer.

Many thanks to all of these artists for sharing their time & their many talents. 

Tickets are available via this link:

https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/hot-music-live-presents-monastery-the-tin-at-the-coal-tickets/14371523

Hot Music Live Presents are delighted to continue working in partnership with The Tin Music and Arts to raise funds for them.

The fourth in a series of concerts by artists who have featured, (or who will do so), on HMLP compilation albums, will be on Friday 23rd May 2025 and features Monday Nights, What About Eric?, Creaking Twitch & Robert James Grey. Many thanks to all the artists for sharing their time & talents. 

Tickets can be bought via this link: 

https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/hot-music-live-presents-monday-the-tin-at-the-coal-tickets/14371513

Having addressed the current unease around independent venues' sustainability in my last review, now onto the equivalent need to support record stores: specifically through the attention focusing medium of Record Store Day 2025.

Just Dropped In in FarGo Coventry is also a frequent live venue ("two birds with one stone") and yesterday after the initial rush of purchasers had died down (though it's worth saying that I was delighted to pick up my own RSD 2025 target even at 1700), there were live performances by Project Overload plus Sleap E ("lo fi punk from Bologna, Italy") and Plum Jr ("shoegaze inspired indie punk from Bristol"): that this review focuses on the first only in no way reflects any lack of esteem towards the latter two, simply my own circumstances.

When they announced the gig, my comment on social media was the following:

"If any single artist epitomised the brand new wave of young exciting and wholly original music currently emerging in Coventry & Warwickshire, it could well be Project Overload. Certainly the word is spreading far beyond the county borders."

Since I stand by that & rejoice in their continuing growth, it seems reasonable to reproduce it here.

It wasn't just RSD but singer Emily's birthday so a double reason for celebration & it was interesting to see the significant audience overlap with the previous night at The Tin: a chance to say hello again to people I'd only said good night to hours before. People with much taste for the best original music.

Part of the band's strength is their continual growth: not just their developing stage presence but the range of their music. Yes, the janglepop is still bright as ever with its sharp elbows, but across the set (and they now have too many new songs to fit into it) there are slow burners which demonstrate their ability to let space into the dynamic & of the new songs (in true Project Overload style the titles have yet to be decided) one sounds like a really great potential single & the closer is potentially their "Heart of Glass": a disco orientated groove which shows yet another facet to what they can do. It's appropriately about dancing.

If you want harder performance indicators than my qualitative praise for a band so obviously heading somewhere, then I noted how busy their merch stall was (and if you missed my praise of their new merch in February: it's classy stuff at excellent value prices. I'd have bought a T shirt myself had I not already got mine & was wearing it).

Watch out too for their second album later this year!

Last evening's "Hot Music Live Presents" fundraiser at and for The Tin Music & Arts certainly rose magnificently once more to the challenge of meeting the considerable heights of the previous two.

This time, Shanghai Hostage, Concrete Fun House, The Caroline Bomb & The New Obsession delivered what people were predicting to be a high octane night from the moment they saw the lineup.

To be honest, the standard of all aspects was such that my own reviewing capabilities were stretched: as you'll see, I needed help finding anything like the right words.

The plight of independent music venues is becoming clearer all the time but what last night demonstrated was both the fierce loyalty of very diverse audiences to places where people of all ages & needs can enjoy the best grassroots original music and the quality of artist nurtured within them. The fight to support them must go on.

I was struck indeed by the diversity in so many respects of the crowd last night: the age span between the younger attendees and the more mature was clearly in excess of fifty years. And they gave back. Just as I reported last time, the wild enthusiasm throughout was infectious & palpably drove all bands onto their finest performances.

I guess The New Obsession might be the least known name for now: another band coming out of the Live On Stage project which The Tin and Coventry Music collaborate on, this was their second Tin gig of the week but their first in front of a more general audience rather than just their own age group. This really spurred them on & there is no doubt that this young band (none has yet celebrated their sixteenth birthday) relished showing new people, especially ones with much experience of live music, their performance skills & growing body of highly original material. And to demonstrate their range of skills, once their set was over, their drummer, Preston, did a great job working the stage lighting for the other bands.

I struggled to find any words for the breath taking performance of The Caroline Bomb, so I ran that past Joe of Concrete Fun House (a novelist in another part of his life) who offered me "flabbergasted" as a term which described both him & band mate Tom when they first saw them. It fits. So that word makes its debut in my articles as do the band in live format (their "Dead Eyed Nation" appears on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Thirteen'). Otherwise there is nothing I know to adequately reflect the power & idiosyncrasy of what they do. Like all these acts, genres are of no use in relation to describing what they sound like: the songs stop & start repeatedly & head off into exciting new directions all the time. Punk energy is part of it, but not the whole answer. You need to see them yourself to find out what all the fuss is about.

Concrete Fun House are another group who've swiftly gained a reputation as a live act: their debut single & album should add to that soon. Their Spring Tour brought them to Coventry last night & takes them down to the Beehive in London on April 26^th (alongside fellow Coventrians HEK and other bands from across the country): the word is spreading fast.

I put it to the band that they seemed to have moved up yet another gear in terms of what they are doing (the confidence of so many successful gigs is taking hold) but apparently other people had beaten me to it with the same observation. That's validation for you. Again, punk fury & adrenaline are pointers to what you get, but there is more including a great deal of wit & humanity: again, if you've yet to see them, you ought to get them high on your "to do" list.

Headliners Shanghai Hostage need the least introduction: long darlings of the local live scene & with plenty of singles already released, nevertheless this was my first time of seeing them with (relatively) new guitarist Ben. And they had new songs to share to boot.

Described by Michelle from Duck Thieves as "funkalious", I'd not quibble with that all, only to suggest that perhaps they are just getting more funky the more they play? Concluding a pretty wild night by whipping the already frenzied audience to new heights, all I would say is that their gigs tend to end with dancing nuns: this time it was really more like moshing nuns. A sight you had to be there to appreciate in all its glory.

A big hand too to all the team at The Tin: the acts certainly catch the attention but the calm, hard work of those working is too easily overlooked. It was a wild night & a busy one for them. There was even an existential threat to the event before it began which was overcome with patience and ingenuity & the knock-one effects to timings was not even apparent to anyone in the audience. The sound was powerful & raucous yet perfectly curated by sound engineer Phil Morley.

The next one in this series is on Friday 23^rd May & features Monday Nights, What About Eric?, Creaking Twitch & Robert James Grey: tickets are available via this link:

https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/hot-music-live-presents-monday-the-tin-at-the-coal-tickets/14371513

Swiss born French blues rock guitarist & singer (30) Félix Rabin stormed Temperance Café's sold-out audience on his 10th tour, and his 3rd time at Temperance. He was joined on stage by Swiss Fantin Moreno (drums & vocals) and Italians David Caraccio (bass) and Francesco Nicola Gagna (guitar & vocals). Ten years ago, he was the opening act for Wishbone Ash and from this he got a lot of great publicity which helped him at the start of his music career.

As it states in his bio "Marked by the influence of the likes of Gary Clark Jr. or John Mayer, Félix Rabin is deeply rooted in pop-rock tinted-blues, getting funky at times, in a long-standing tradition having its musical origins in the excesses of the musical icons of the sixties and seventies, but now with the airs of a "good boy", an introvert loner, with an incandescent frenzy in his soul."

The intimate venue at Temperance Café was packed and waiting with anticipation from a set from Félix and his band with French and Italians in the crowd along with David an enthusiastic 90-year-old in the front row! Temperance owner Adrian Gains was again on sound and lighting.

The band kicked off with the great blues rock song ‘Moving On' with haunting vocals, solid rhythm section and second guitar on effects backing. Great vocals & harmonies from Félix and Francesco, and wild guitar break from Félix. This was followed by ‘Say (You Won't Leave Me) with its funky start with strong vocals, multiple voices and great bass/drum rhythm section.

This was followed by a couple of slower paced songs with ‘Angels' with its passionate vocals from Félix, heavy beat and great guitars and ‘Little Hurricane' with the organ effects on guitar and Francesco on acoustic guitar. They then went into ‘I Will Be Gone' with its funky guitar work.

Before the break, the first songs from the just released EP ‘Blue Days' were played with ‘What You Need' with its slower tempo and echoey guitars and ‘As She Comes' with Francesco on acoustic guitar and eerie guitar from Félix on a slow-paced song and strong plaintive vocals.

The second half kicked off with the upbeat song ‘A Good Day' with its heavy beat and was followed by the mellow melodic beat of ‘Find Me' (from the new EP) with its echoey guitars and laid-back sound.

Félix then played live for the second time a very new song ‘To Come Alive' as Félix said ‘I have been playing my own songs for 10 years, but have only released EPs, so my goal this year is to release my first full album'. The song has great slide guitar work from Félix and a mellow sound with echoey guitars and expressive harmonies from Félix and Francesco.

Next up was ‘Down our Roads' from the first album of the same name with its groovy tune, plaintive vocals and funky guitar.

Then the original trio (Félix, David & Fantin) got excited to play ‘Crossroads' with its quick funky blues beat, during which Félix went walkabout in the audience.

With the full band now on stage they finished with a couple of songs from the ‘Pogboy' EP with ‘Death' with its mellow slow start, with Francesco on acoustic guitar, with breathless vocals and an echoey guitar break. The set was completed with an extended version of ‘Gone' with souring guitar work from Felix and Francesco backed by David & Fantin's rhythm section.

After wild applause the band were persuaded to play an encore and gave the audience their version of Bruce Springsteen's ‘Dancing in the Dark' with a rockier version with great vocals from Félix.

 Monday 12th May, Royal Spa Centre, Newbold Terrace, Leamington Spa, CV32 4HN.  Doors: 19:30. Tickets: £32.00. Box Office: 01926 334418.  boxoffice@warwickdc.gov.uk

The members of the band for this tour are: Maddy Prior (founding member).  Liam Genockey, Julian Littman, Roger Carey, Andrew "Spud" Sinclair and the latest and most glamorous addition, Athena Octavia – part of indie folk band Iris & Steel and an acclaimed classical violinist.  With this amazing line-up, the band have remained "relevant" and have moved with the times, even being compared to a heavier sound in places reminiscent of Black Sabbath.

Steeleye Span has been one of the most influential names in British roots music. Pioneers of folk-rock, Steeleye Span changed the face of folk music forever, taking it out of small clubs and into the world of gold discs and international tours. Members have come and gone over the years, but Steeleye has always remained at the forefront of the genre they helped to define, and, 56 years later the band has become an institution in British music.

Birmingham Blues Rock band Big Wolf Band kept on crowds excited with their revised line-up. The line-up was Jonathan Earp (guitar & vocals), Justin Johnson (guitar & vocals) & Tim Jones (drums) who were joined with new keyboard player Arran Shanghavi and depping bass player Mike Hatton. The band's founding bassist Mick Jeynes is taking a short break to deal with family issues.

The interplay between Jonathan and Aaron excited the audience with Aaron's bubbling personality and great range of keyboard playing bringing a new level to the band. Mike brought with him his jazz background to give an updated bass line including a bass solo on ‘Six Strings Loaded'

The band are about to start the second leg of a European tour going to Belgium at CC de Steiger in Menen, after playing at several venues in the Czech Republic as well as at Spirit of 66 in Verviers in March.

The band's latest album Rebel's Journey, released in 2024, is up for best album at the UK Blues Awards at the Stables MK on 16th April 2025.

The set kicked off with some of their classic raunchy blues rock songs ‘Living on Borrowed Time', with great keys from Aaron, ‘Valley of the Fallen Kings' which is a hard rocking number with great vocals from Jonathan and ‘Got Me Reeling' with its great bluesy vocals from Jonathan.

Then Jonathan explained that the new live album, recorded late last year at Joe Joe Jims in Birmingham had its master ready but it needed permission from Joe Bonamassa's management so the song ‘Oh Beautiful' could be included.

Next the band played more songs from the latest album including ‘Lay It on the Line' with its great guitar and keyboards breaks and ‘Darker Side of You' about mental health issues.

Following we had Justin step up to lead vocals on ‘Rolling with Thunder' before the first half finished with songs about women with ‘If I Ever Loved Another Woman' with its soaring guitar to a slower tempo and passionate vocals and then ‘Hot Blooded Woman' which was off the band's first album A Rebel's Story with a tweaked ending.

Then after a break the band, now with a fan to cool them down!, with ‘Heaven's Got the Blues' with its great harmonies from Justin & Jonathan to a raunchy tune and ‘Done Wrong By You' with its keyboard break and then great interplay between Jonathan and Arran.

The next few songs were more funky with ‘Super Animal' with its guitar break to start and then short section with a unison stop before kicking properly into the funky beat. Then as Jonathan said the band went off script with a The Meters song 'Sissy Strut' with its heavy drumming and great keyboard sound before a guitar break from Jonathan.

To finish we had ‘Standing in the Rain' with its slower tempo but with passion with great vocals and guitar work, ‘Black Dog Blues' which is a heavy blues rock number with funky keys and raunchy guitars and Deep Purple style keyboard interlude from Aaron before finishing with great interplay between Aaron and Jonathan. Then the last song was ‘Empire & a Prayer' with its great vocals to this great blues song.

After great applause the band came back for an encore with ‘Goin' Down' with its keyboard break wizardry and rock finish.

This gig at Temperance was Chloe Josephine's first since she left Brave Rival at the end of 2024, and as she commented this was a rebirth and start to the new musical chapter in her life. In this she is supported by her husband Jon Parkins on guitar.

Here is my Full Image Gallery of Chloe Jon & Thomas performing.

She didn't disappoint and put on a spectacular show showing her more sensitive and emotive side of her but with brilliant vocals with brilliant range and dexterity.

She had released a solo album in 2023 called ‘Colours' but most of this material was written in 2019 before COVID delayed its release. She hopes to release an EP/album later this year with the lots of the new material.

So, the show included a couple of numbers from the ‘Colours' album but the rest was mostly newly written material in the blues and soul style, along with a couple of covers.

Before Chloe came on stage, to a room filled with Brave Rival and other interested supporters, Thomas Heppell took to the stage.

Thomas's profile has been raising during the last couple of years and he (and his band) gave a very raw and enthusiastic performance at the UK Blues Challenge in late 2024.

He has a great blues voice to go with his bluesy slide guitar playing and he thrilled the crowds with songs such as ‘Don't Get My Blues' with its slower pace and ‘Hey Victoria' which is a story about a girl that did not replicate his feelings back.

He gave the audience a song played live for the first time with ‘What the World Wants' with its soulful and passionate vocals. As ever the showman Thomas got the crowd involved with ‘John the Revelator' and finished with a BB King song ‘Every Day I got the Blues' which showed his great vocal dexterity.

After a short break, Chloe & Jon took to the intimate stage where Chloe told the audience she was vulnerable and a bit nervous but ready for this new chapter.

The first song ‘Keyboard Warrior' was inspired by friends who struggled with online dating and inappropriate messages, which demonstrated her passionate and powerful vocal style superbly backed by her husband Jon on guitar. Jon, as he said, is not a professional musician and this gig was the longest he had ever been on a stage, but he didn't disappoint supporting Chloe's vocals.

As Chloe told the audience 2025 was the year she was going to look after herself more, after over 125 nights away in 2024 with Brave Rival. The next song ‘Recognise' was about having healthier boundaries with a nod to the Brave Rival song ‘Stars Upon My Scars', the song had passionate vocals and echoey guitar from Jon.

One of the great things about Chloe is her stage presence and facial gestures and vocal range, which was demonstrated well on the Joan Armatrading song 'The Weakness In Me' with Thomas Heppell joining on second guitar.

As Chloe then commented ‘I have finished the heartache section and we're now onto the soppy songs, as I am a very romantic person and tree hugger!'

Then we had the first of the songs from the ‘Colours' album with ‘Mind Up' with its great blues/soul vocals and was about the time she was single and going out with several people, and as part of that, met and fell in love with Jon. This included being brave and travelling all by herself to Melbourne, Australia and New York, USA where Jon was away on business over a six-month period.

After getting back together and moving in together in the UK, they wrote ‘Temporary' which is a slow and passionate song showing the passion between them, showing Chloe's vocal dexterity with Jon on acoustic guitar.

Chloe then read out a poem she wrote called ‘Artist and a Mother' which is about her daughter, and both suffering from COVID, before touring again with Brave Rival after only 8 weeks after childbirth. This led into ‘Motherhood' and the journey through mothering a child and coping with life. A slow song with lovely echoey vocals and melodic guitar.

The next section had two older songs with the first about an old friend battling cancer and another friend who lost her husband sadly from what turned out to be COVID. ‘Breathe Like Me' is a slow, soulful plaintive, passionate song with electric guitar backing the vocals perfectly. This was followed by another sad song 'See Me Now' about a friends Dad who struggled with mental health and alcoholism, with the song lyrics powerfully sung by Chloe.

With reference to the second Brave Rival album ‘Fight or Flight' the next song ‘In the Cards' was about the tarot cards brilliantly created by Alice Armstrong on the album's cover and about how Chloe was portrayed as Flight. The song had blues/soulful vocals with echoey guitar from Jon.

For the final few songs, Thomas Heppell joined again and on the first song ‘Getting Friendly' both guitarists with slide on an upbeat song which Chloe sang with passion. Next was what Chloe called a mental song with ‘Different Set of Bones' with the two guitars complimenting her bluesy/soulful voice.
We finished with the sassy song ‘I wear What I want To' with great audience participation, which had a standing ovation before the encore of ‘Feels Like Forever'.

At Temperance in Leamington Spa the trio version of Big Wolf Band - Jonathan Earp (guitar & vocals), Mick Jeynes (bass) and Justin Johnson (drums & BV) took to the stage one final time in 2024, before a deserved rest.

The previous full band gig on Friday 13th December at the Emsworth Blues Club, had a very painful start as lead singer and guitarist Jonathan had his strap brake and in catching the guitar cut a finger badly so blood was pouring onto the maple neck of his guitar. After getting bandaged up and cleaning the guitar the gig was a resounding success. (Jonathan suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a connective tissue disorder which makes this accident more serious).

Adrian Gaines (owner of Temperance) had nagged Jonathan to play as a trio and after playing as part of Temperance's blues club this is the first full gig for the trio at the venue.

The set had some earlier songs as well as different arrangements of Big Wolf Band songs for the trio. As Jonathan said at the start, it would have a lot more guitar and was hard work for all the band which is why brought up a sweat. Bass man Mick might more up the front than normal and Justin exchanged his normal rhythm guitar for the drum sticks!

The first half contained several band favourites including ‘Walk in my Shoes' and ‘Rolling with Thunder' (but with Jonathan on vocals rather than Justin) and finished with Rory Gallagher's ‘Cradle Rock'

After a break the band returned with more classic Big Wolf Band songs including ‘Heaven's Got the Blues' and ‘Just Can't Find You' which was a rare live performance of a slower more melodic song with quiet drums and bass, with expert guitar picking from Jonathan.

‘Crazy Love' was another song performed rarely (off the new album) which was done to a quickish tempo (but not too fast) as it has a lot of lyrics to fit in!

For an encore the band performed ‘Going Down' with great guitar work from Jonathan and powerful vocals.

After a break the band will be back on the road in late January at the Rock & Blues 2025 festival in Worksop.

Warwickshire band Amber Liadan headlined the CV Folk night in the Studio at the Albany Theatre, Coventry, supported by local acts Nowhere Club & Alys Rain, hosted by Pete Willow.

Folk and acoustic singer and composer, Amber Liadan is based now in Warwickshire, but her musical journey has taken her via Dublin, Cape Town, Indonesia and London. She brought her unique blend of passion and artistry with her band Phil Moffett (lead guitar/harmonies), Carol Whitworth (bass/harmonies) and Dave Male (drums & synth) to the stage.

First up we had the acoustic duo of Adam & Lewis with their take on the working-class man with songs including ‘Hello Andy' and ‘Paranoid' with their pleased multi harmonies and guitar work.

Following we had Alys Rain who are a very multi-instrumental group with a lovely voice from Izzy Hadlum & guitar/mandolin and backed by Louie on flute and percussion and Shruti box (an accordion like instrument). Their songs included ‘Jenny Greentooth' a folklore tale with great vocals and percussion.

After a bar break and stage re-set Amber Liadan and her band took to the stage for her first full gig since her marriage to Phil in South Africa.

Their set started with an ethereal style with the synth starting off the song ‘Warrior' with the band joining the stage one by one before the lovely plaintive vocals from Amber backed by Carol.

After a couple of slow mellow folk numbers ‘Leaves & ‘Teach Me' the band played a new song ‘Long Night Out' with its story of heartache with Phil on electric guitar and featuring Amber's soaring vocals.

From her time based in Ireland Amber wrote the next song ‘No Doubt' with its lovely multi harmonies and a story about battling your doubts and believing in yourself.

Then the band kicked it up with ‘Losing Interest' with its waltz timing but with a heavier sound and great passionate vocals. This was followed by the song ‘Caravan' with its dancier quicker beat.

The band then played their new single ‘Saturday Night', with its brilliant online video, with Amber strutting her stuff around the stage, with great vocals for a very upbeat song.

After applause from the audience Amber played two songs for an encore firstly with a new song ‘Mary Jane' with its great backing beat, multi-harmonies and enthusiastic drumming from Dave, backed by Carol on Bass. The final song was the more mellow ‘Tomorrow' with its evocative vocals, great guitars & rhythm section.

The September 2024 Blues night at Temperance in Leamington Spa was taken over (for 1 month only!) by the Upton Blues Festival Director of Music (and Leamington Spa resident) Stephen ‘Stein' Steinhaus and his band formally called Upton Blues Festival Under the Bridge All Stars. They were joined by Steve Ferbrache (The Achievers) and Holly Hewitt & Pete Gardner from Holly & The Hounds.

After Stein's typical American (Chicago) intro to the evening he introduced Steve Ferbrache. Steve is well known for performing with 5-piece band from Stroud The Achievers, but this evening was the first date on a pre-tour gig for his solo project.

As Steve introduced himself, he explained that these were songs written 25 years earlier, but never released before now. He was waiting for the time and courage to sing them. It was also the first time he will have toured without The Achievers.

His style was more folk, but with a bit of blues thrown in on songs such as ‘Home' with its great acoustic guitar and evocative lyrics. The next song ‘Walking with the Captain' was from a time when Steve was very down and thinking of ending it, but music meant he didn't. The song had great passionate vocals.

The next song ‘Laura' went back to time when he was 19 and still based in North Wales and after avoiding some issues and the army he was taken to the local folk club and he then fell in love with roots and acoustic music. The song was about his first love who loved horses, but he is now happily married to a different Laura!

He followed this with an acoustic version of an The Achievers song ‘No One Remembers' which he wrote the lyrics to with Robert Holmes writing the guitar line.

He finished with ‘The Star of the Hill' which was about saving lives in the seas off Quilty, Ireland and how it helped him recover from an illness relating to working with vulnerable children in the US. The song had some great lyrics which Steve sang very passionately. He finished with ‘Greatest Days' about waking up at a party and it was all over, and he felt well again.

After this very personal set from Steve, which received great applause, next up was Holly Hewitt (vocals) and Pete Garner (guitar) from group Holly & The Hounds and they gave a great set with lots of passionate and soulful vocals and great guitar picking.

This kicked off with ‘Evil Gal Blues' with its bluesy vocals and bluesy guitar picking and followed with a Louis Jordan song ‘Early in the Mourning' with its lovely soulful vocals.

The set also included songs from blues greats such as Bonny Raitt, Memphis Minnie and Earl Jones.

They also covered Canadian Linda Ortega's song ‘Voodoo Mamma' with its great bluesy New Orleans style vocals and strong blues guitar, and a song from the deep south & its railways ‘It Won't Be Long' with its great blues guitar start. They finished to wild applause with ‘Love Me Like a Man'.

After a break the band formally known as Upton Blues Festival Under the Bridge All Stars took to the stage.

Their line-up was Stephen ‘Stein' Steinhaus (vocals), Jay Riley (sax), Jason Page (guitar) Matt Ball (keys), Joelle Barker (drums), Valerie Vet (vocals), and Nick Lyndon (Double bass).

They first started with a couple of instrumental numbers allowing Jay Riley on tenor sax and Jason Page on guitar to show their skills. With Stein now joining them on vocals they kicked into a great rendition of ‘Stormy Monday' before Jason took the vocals on ‘Further On Up the Road' Stein invited Holly Hewitt up to sing the vocals on ‘Got My Mojo Working'. Val Vet joined in with a couple of numbers with her great soulful voice with Holly joining her with backing vocals on ‘Tennessee Whisky' with a great keyboard break from Matt.

Then with Stein on shaker percussion Val sang passionately on ‘Forget You'. The evening ended with a jam with Pete & Holly joining on ‘Red House Over Yonder' with solos from Joelle on drums and Matt on keyboards to great applause at the end.