Reviews

Lonely the Brave - Live Music Review in Bristol

Posted on: 2015-11-25

The set ebbs and flows wonderfully, balancing the calmer numbers from The Days War, sprinkling in a handful of new tracks: the catchy upbeat energy of ?Dust and Bones? and the gorgeous vocal harmonies on ?Diamond Days? being real highlights.

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Lonely the Brave released The Days War over 18 months ago, but decided to re-release the “Victory Edition” almost a year to the day of its original release in June this year. This isn’t your usual re-release with one or two bonus tracks, this has an extra disc packed full of treats - new tracks not included on the original release, alternate versions of some tracks and a sublime cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia”. And with a ‘new’ album comes a tour. LTB’s “Victory” Tour came rolling into Bristol on Saturday 21 November 2015 with support from Brighton 4 piece, Black Peaks.

I hadn’t heard Black Peaks previous to this show and so when they came strutting onto the stage I had no idea what to expect. The last thing I would have expected was a mixture of post-hardcore balls-to-the-wall rock with vocalist Will Gardner giving it absolute socks with his screams, showcasing a superb vocal range (socks?! - editor). There are similarities to Hell is for Heroes and Glassjaw and at times they mix in some progressive elements not unlike Mastadon! I’ll admit, it seemed an odd choice at first for a support of a band such as LTB, but an inspired one as they did an excellent job of warming up the crowd. The only drawback was the fact there was no stage lighting for any of the band members, meaning we watched 4 silhouettes perform on stage. That said, whether this was intentional or something to do with the venue, it was only a small detraction (personally) from an otherwise solid set.

Lonely the Brave hit the stage (this time to stage lighting!) and opened with Kings of the Mountain and followed it up with Backroads and Trick of the Light - arguably their two most popular songs - and ones I’d have bet on being reserved for the end of the set. Either way, their energy was infectious; the crowd loved it and they sound A LOT larger than the intimate room they’re playing to. For anyone that hasn’t had the pleasure of watching the band live, their on-stage dynamic is very unique and unconventional. Lead man David Jakes doesn’t take the usual position at the front of the stage, but instead positions himself towards the back near the drums, looking almost uncomfortable whilst he performs, whilst lead guitarist Mark Trotter does most of the interaction with the crowd. Whatever they do, it works, so why change it? It’s also refreshing to watch a vocalist ply their trade in such a reserved manner. Guitarist Ross Smithwick is a Bristol local and he appeared to be loving every minute (as did the rest of the band).

The set ebbs and flows wonderfully, balancing the calmer numbers from The Days War, sprinkling in a handful of new tracks: the catchy upbeat energy of “Dust and Bones” and the gorgeous vocal harmonies on “Diamond Days” being real highlights. They build to a sonic crescendo, finishing the main set with a stunning rendition of The Blue, The Green which showcases Jake’s vocal performance.

They take the stage again for the requisite encore and finish on a high, choosing to end the set with “Black Saucers”, the heaviest, up-tempo track from their debut, before saying their final farewells to the appreciative Bristol crowd. It all seems like it’s over too soon and a quick check of the watch suggests it is, coming in at just over an hour and it’s flown by - they could have kept going for another hour without protest from anyone.

I was disappointed not to hear their rendition of “Streets of Philadelphia” and had hoped they might squeeze it into the set, but it wasn’t to be. Nevertheless, an absolute belter of a set from one of our greatest homegrown bands. With a new album on the horizon, fans of LTB have much to look forward to.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Jonathan Eve for 365 Bristol - The leading event and entertainment website for Bristol

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