Blog Post
KRIS BARRAS BAND + DAN BYRNE The Booking Hall, Dover Friday 28th June 2024
Reviewed by Laura DQ • 1 July 2024
Photos by Matt H Band Photography
With The Booking Hall in Dover under threat of closure for the second time in recent years, Kris Barras and his eponymously titled band are here for a one-off performance in support of the venue. Having played a triumphant, sold-out show within these same walls just last year, it’s encouraging to see the crowd at capacity again, testament to the Kris Barras Band’s growing reputation as one of the best live acts in the UK.
It’s left to Dan Byrne to get us warmed up, and though it’s brave of the former Revival Black frontman to come armed only with an acoustic guitar, his startling voice ensures a very positive reception. A cut above the average singer-songwriter, his recent singles ‘Hard to Breathe’ and ‘Death of Me’ have received some heavy play on Planet Rock and sound incredible in their stripped back form. Apparently Byrne’s fourth acoustic set of the year, he tells us this has been the best and you wonder if he might even mean it. ‘Control’ sees the audience getting involved with some enthusiastic call and response, and a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Simple Man’ becomes a mass singalong. Almost as many seem to know the words to ‘Hemispheres’, a song from Byrne’s time in Revival Black that sounds like a future classic. Likeable and engaging, Byrne is clearly grateful for the support and surprisingly humble for a man whose voice erupts with such passion and intensity that he deserves to be recognised as a real force in modern rock.
The volume, and the heat intensify somewhat as the Kris Barras Band take the stage. Opening with ‘Who Needs Enemies’, the band sound punchy, muscular and energised. Which is perhaps an appropriate description for Barras, a man who left a career in fighting to pursue a love of music. This foursome are an entirely different beast to the Kris Barras Band of old, the blues influence all but gone, replaced with the thundering riffs that dominate ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘These Voices’. Arguably the better for it, there’s a sense that this band has now properly settled into its identity.
It’s a set that draws predominantly from latest album ‘Halo Effect’ and predecessor ‘Death Valley Paradise’, which means an abundance of big riffs and catchy choruses; a thrilling masterclass in accessible hard rock with moments of real ferocity. The breakdown that concludes ‘With You’ a perfect example of this. An emotional ‘Watching Over Me’ is the only throwback, a song that you suspect will remain in the set for years to come because of what it means to Barras. It is a wonderful showcase of his guitar mastery and a touching tribute to his father who he lost all too soon.
Just a couple of songs in Barras exclaims, “f**k me, even my guitar’s sweaty”, before accepting much later that he’s got to take off his drenched vest, to the delight of many ladies in the room. The sweat doesn’t seem to be at any detriment to his performance, which presents him as more of a frontman than ever before, temporarily dispensing with his guitar for ‘Savages’ and ‘Hourglass’ to stalk the stage. It’s a role that suits him well, and with capable guitarist Josiah J. Manning backing him up, Barras is free to whip the hall into a frenzy. Stepping away from the guitar also draws more attention to his vocals, which are at times overlooked despite a smoothness lacked by many of his contemporaries.
The rhythm section is utterly formidable tonight, giving the likes of ‘Ignite (Light it Up)’ and ‘Dead Horses’ some real wallop. Bassist Fraser Kerslake is impossibly energetic, barely staying in one place for more than a few seconds; quite a feat given the ridiculous temperature of the room. Drummer Billy Hammett hits just as hard, the culmination of ‘Fall to Fly’ resulting in a cymbal being knocked to the floor.
With ‘My Parade’, the Kris Barras Band has seemingly written their ultimate closing anthem, Barras jumping off of the stage to split the hall down the middle and put two sides of the room against each other. But of course, this audience wants more, and we shout the quartet back to the stage for a euphoric ‘Hail Mary’.
Whilst Kris might remember this as one of the hottest and more uncomfortable shows he's performed, those of us who were there will surely remember it as one of his best. Believe the hype, the Kris Barras Band is on the rise.
SETLIST
Dan Byrne
Hard to Breathe/Control/Simple Man/Easier/Hemispheres/Death of Me
Kris Barras Band
Who Needs Enemies/Unbreakable/Dead Horses/Savages/These Voices/Hourglass/Secrets/Devil You Know/With You/Watching Over Me/Fall to Fly/Ignite (Light It Up)/My Parade/Hail Mary
