Kris Barras’ Hollow Souls with support from Troy Redfern – Gloucester Guildhall.

As the Kris Barras Band (KBB) moves into the realms of heavier rock, Kris returns to his more bluesy roots with his ‘side’ project, the Hollow Souls. With Kris on guitar, we had Phoebe Jane on vocals. Well known to Kris, Phoebe Jane appears on several of the KBB releases, so we could expect some powerful vocals from her. Kris said that he wanted to step back from vocals with this band but he did still manage to sneak in a couple of songs.

Completing the band tonight was Josiah Manning, Joe Harris and Leighton Allen.

To warm up the audience Troy Redfern hit the stage, with drummer Paul Annis alongside, to play some of his high energy blues-rock and the once-dubbed ‘King of Slide Guitar’ took us through songs from his new album, Retribution (due to be released on November 27^th), as well as a few older ones. The King of Slide Guitar did that job exceedingly well making his guitar wail as Paul Annis kept the tub-thumping going throughout.

The set started with Shakin’ and then Taking my Soul, both from Retribution and these were followed by Native from last year’s album, Invocation. Another from the new album was next, Aching Heart, and then a proper oldie, John the Revelator which Troy had put on his 2020 album, Island. The short set finished with Waiting for your Love and Sanctify, both off the 2021 album The Fire Cosmic. Right through the set, if not through the haze, Troy puts in 110% effort, as does Paul Annis, all of which was thoroughly appreciated by the audience. I’d not seen Troy play live before tonight, but I’ll be seeing him again, that’s a certainty.

Setlist:

Shakin’

Taking my Soul

Native

Aching Heart

John the Revelator

Waiting for Your Love

Sanctify

With Halloween not long gone, a trip to see the Hollow Souls seemed appropriate! This is the Kris Barras of old, far more bluesy than the KBB and with Phoebe Jane at the helm the band were sounding good right from the start; and on that note they kick off with their debut single Borderline. A dual attack of dual attacks from both guitars and vocals.

Up next, a well-known cover, Led Zeppelin’s Rock ‘n’ Roll played with plenty of grit to keep the mood of the opening tune going. Kris, the former MMA fighter, was getting the hang of this blues-rock once again. Next up was the bands’ third single, Bad Things, full of fuzzed riffs and hooks and more dual vocals. On the single/EP it’s Chris Tapp from Americana band Cold Stares who duals with Phoebe Jane, tonight, despite his claiming not to want to sing, it’s Kris providing the counter vocals, and a brilliant job he does too!

Watch Bad Things here:

It’s a trio of covers next commencing with Ray Charles’ I Don’t Need no Doctor, then A KBB original, Tearing me Apart, and the threesome is completed with B.B. King’s Rock me Baby. The first of the three shows off Phoebe Janes fabulous vocal talents, something Kris has called on several times since he first heard her sing down in Plymouth. Rock me Baby was Phoebe Jane’s intro to the blues since her father used to sing it and this was more than a tribute to her dad.

We get to half-way with Shotgun, also taken from the band’s EP. On the EP the vocals were supplied by Monster Truck’s Jon ‘Marv’ Harvey but in his absence Kris, once again, took the reins. The music continues with another KBB cover, Propane, followed by Stormy Monday, a proper true-blues number originally by T-Bone Walker, and then a bit of Southern-Blues Rock with Burn it to the Ground. We’re approaching the end of the set and do so with two more KBB tunes, My Parade and the ever-favourite Hail Mary. Both songs, being KBB tunes, are big & beefy and between them Kris introduces the band. The crowd joined in with both of these but it was Hail Mary that broke the sound barrier, the crowd were just awesome. The set ends . . . or does it? A few seconds off-stage and they’re all back again for one last tune – Goin’ Down and who should stroll onto the stage to join in, but Troy Redfern! So, one more Kris Barras gig ends and I sincerely hope that the Hollow Souls can continue to work alongside the KBB and that Phoebe Jane vocals also continue to be a big part of this new venture.

Setlist:

Borderline

Rock ‘n’ Roll

Bad Things

I Don’t Need no Doctor

Tearing me Apart

Rock me Baby

Shotgun

Propane

Stormy Monday

Burn it to the Ground

I Need the Fire