Kris Barras Band - O2 Academy 3 Manchester (UK) - 25 October 2019
Kris Barras didn't half deliver tonight. With precision, with style and with quite a lot of elan. His new album, 'Light It Up', is a cool Blues banger and it's thought that he may be the coming man. The album will surely transport him to sales figures of delight, it has a spread and certainty he's been coming to. And he knows how to put a band together, propulsive, bass low-slung, drums rat-tatting in your head, but able to get loose around a cool electric joanna, we could certainly hear the Korg in this excellent mix.
They ripped into the new album title track to start, brought out a big cowbell sound for 'What A Way To Go', showcasing two female backing singers and they were a great touch, filling out the sound and adding depth. Even when he took it down, he stayed connected with us, even through a drum solo, but he wasn't afraid of a funky jam to enable his great fretboard flights of fancy.
Barras struggled with his voice as the gig continued, but it sounded like the work he'd put in tonight and added to the feel of the show; 'I'm Gone' rolled beautifully and his heartfelt discussion about his father added to the authentic feeling of this gig.
Barras is professional and delivers well, he has a drive to keep moving on and this regimented, tight to get loose, band helped him tonight so well. Keep your eyes on him.
Steve Swift
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