Kris Barras' Hollow Souls Southampton Suburbia 8-11-25

When you have been to as many gigs as I have over the last 43 years now approaching 750 what keeps you going back? Have you seen it all?

After a recent trip to the O2 in London to see Disturbed, although it was really to see Megadeth in support for maybe the last time, you do begin to wonder. 20000 people getting off on it bar one me. Style over substance and the masses may love it but it left me cold. No soul and no connection and if I am honest little musical talent either.

Anyways after a pretty poor week this end I arrived on a cool evening to the tiny Suburbia club in Southampton and a decent Saturday night turn out and at 7 o'clock Troy Redfern and his percussion counterpart Paul Annis came on stage and with slide guitar a plenty from Troy and some near tribal drumming from Paul they shook the rafters and woke me from my slumber.

With a couple of tracks played from the recent limited release Retribution the opener Shakin' especially did that with the raw stripped approach working so very well and you realise that 2 people on a small stage can do what 20000 couldn't see recently.

Native was rawness personified and a lengthy slide guitar workout on Sanctify ended the set on a high.

Music with integrity and grit and no little talent and rocking our socks off too.

Troy Redfern – Set List

*Shakin’

*Taken My Soul

Native

*Aching Heart

John The Revelator

Waiting For Your

Sanctify

 

Pictures of Troy Redfern credited to Mark Lear and used with thanks.

The recent Hollow Souls debut ep has been on constant rotation since I was lucky enough to get an advance copy to review and a being a long term Kris Barras fan I was looking forward to this show being part of a 20 date UK tour to showcase his new project.

As Kris said during the show with the Kris Barras Band heading into heavier shores he wanted a project to fulfil his blues rock fantasies and with long term musical brother in arms Josiah J Manning on guitar, keys and backing vocals and on this tour Paddy Blight on bass and Chris Tilke on drums we welcome Hollow Souls.

On his debut album Lucky 13 he had a young female backing singer adding oohs and aahs to the album stand out track Tearing Me Apart and now 9 years later Phoebe Jane is the lead singer in Hollow Souls and what a talent she is.

Kris said how do you fill a headline set when you only have 6 songs well you play them 3 times and as bit faster and you will love it !!!!

But seriously folks what we had in the 85 minute set was the EP in full with selected covers and a trip through the bluesier KBB numbers including the aforementioned Tearing Me Apart with Phoebe on lead vocals.

Hollow Souls – Set List

* Denotes songs from Hollow Souls eponymous debut EP

*Borderline

Rock and Roll Led Zep 

*Bad Things

I Don’t Need No Doctor Ray Charles cover 

Tearing Me Apart Kris Barras Band 

Rock Me Baby BB King

*Shotgun

Propane KBB 

Stormy Monday T Bone Walker

*Burn It To The Ground

*I Need The Fire

*Chasing Ghosts

My Parade KBB

Hail Mary KBB 

Encore

Goin’ Down Freddie King 

This was rock n roll at its' finest. On a small cramped stage you rocked where you stood and it didn't matter in the slightest as with fantastic sound you felt it in your soul and from the audience reaction and the loud cheers we all got it .

Phoebe was centre stage and she shines from opener Borderline from the EP with her vocals full of poise and melodic intent and some of her lengthy held notes though out the night where superb.

Moving straight into a cover of Rock N' Roll which we have all heard a million times but not done this well and from the smiles on stage they know it too.

Bad Things from the EP was next and a bit heavier on stage but no less soul in Phoebe's vocal delivery.

The bands choice of covers were all played with the love of the blues and gave Phoebe a chance to show off her full range. Especially on Stormy Monday which was a show highlight as her voice effortlessly went from mellows beginning and soared through the day by day word meanings.

The reworking of Tearing Me Apart with Phoebe on lead was a master stroke and you could see how much Kris was enjoying seeing her performance and the reaction from the crowd followed suit.

The 3 song EP workout of Burn It To The Ground,I Need The Fire and Chasing Ghosts showed the strength of the original material along side the big hitting covers.

Chasing Ghosts is my EP favourite with Kris on lead vocals. He said he didn't want to do any lead vocals on the EP but a guest vocalist was unable to be scheduled so he had to do the job and then he laughed as he he said we gave him a pity cheer !!

Kris vocal was stunning and very emotive on a deeply personal track to anyone who has suffered loss and his guitar solo was reflective and full of emotion and hurt.

From the KBB catalogue we had a reworked Propane and and an electric reworking of the acoustic version of the original electric version of My Parade ! 

The crowd fully joined in the chorus and as we all did on the KBB highlight Hail Mary which was so joyous from stage and crowd that all of the world troubles had long since faded away.

One more cover of Goin' Down with a lengthy Kris guitar workout showing off his wonderful technique and speed at times but with no less poise and melody.

With KBB back on the road supporting Smith/ Kotzen in the New Year who knows when we will see Hollow Souls again but with so much talent in the band and Kris wanting to play the blues I for one will be waiting patiently.

A wonderful night where talent and musicianship and with band and crowd interaction that was off the scale.

Where you can see them sweat and the whites of their eyes and it was soooo good to feel live music.

Thank you.

Pictures of Hollow Soul credited to Paul May and used with thanks.