For all the gloom that has surrounded this year, one of the very few highlights has been in seeing how artists have adapted to their situation and made something positive out of this whole mess. For Kris Barras, always the most visceral of performers, a live stream makes perfect sense, but what is remarkable is just how much attention to detail has gone into the shoot. From the multi-camera shoot to the decoration of the set, you get an impression that nothing was left to chance, and the results are frankly amazing.
Acoustic Set
The first thought when entering the live stream is “Wow – it looks stunning” as we find Kris and Josiah J. Manning calmly sat in a well-appointed rehearsal space, ready to go. Streaming in high definition, it’s clear that Kris and his team have gone the extra mile to make this show look the part. Equally, the sound is incredible – crisp and clear and, for those who were lucky enough to have caught Kris playing acoustic on the Beth Hart tour, it brings back powerful memories.
Short but sweet, the set features several surprises, including the brilliant opening number of Heart on Your Sleeve. It’s followed by a fantastic Propane, which is an acoustic highlight and (as Kris argues) even better in its stripped-down incarnation. Slowing the pace, a cover of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game is skilfully executed and Kris, of course, gives it his all, although it’s never been a track of which I am particularly fond. With the set flying by, Vegas Son is delivered with gusto. Kris maintains it was never meant to be heard acoustic but from the way he plays it here, you’d imagine it’s how it had always sounded. Finally, it’s a quick step down to drop d for the closing track – a thrilling take on the Allman Brothers’ Midnight Rider, which always goes down smooth.
Through years of touring, Kris and Josiah have the art of the acoustic set down to a t. Josiah is in his element, triggering bass pedals and kick drum at various points, and the sound is absolutely gorgeous, with both musicians delivering note-perfect performances. What a start to the night’s entertainment!
We then get a brief Intermission, which features a sweet cover of Come Together, before we reconvene for the second half.
Electric Set
Appropriately opening the electric set (“we like the acoustic stuff, but this is where it’s at!” opines Kris) with a blistering take on Ignite (Light It Up) Kris and his band come storming out of the gates, the whole band clearly delighted to be playing together, even in the absence of a flesh and blood audience. Another gem from the same album, Counterfeit People follows hot on Ignite’s heels, maintaining the pace and harking back to Huey Lewis’ effervescent rock ‘n’ roll. The funky Bullet (never played live before) may well find itself getting elevated to future sets on the strength of the performance here, whilst Kris struts his funky stuff on What A Way to Go, which tips a nod to the Sunset Strip’s heyday… no wonder Kris wanted to throw on a blonde wig! We head into bluesier territory, as Kris digs out his slide for a cracking Lovers and Losers, a highlight from The Divine and Dirty (itself one of the best albums of 2018).
When it comes to imbuing tracks with lived experience, Broken Teeth sees Kris summon his past as a cage fighter as he peels out taut riffs and the sort of addictive chorus that seems to come so naturally to this talented band. The Blackmore-esque swagger of Not Fading really shines in the live environment and you can see why it’s one of Kris’ favourite tracks to play live – as such, it’s hardly surprising when a visibly excited Kris declares “it’s getting hot in here!” – it’s getting pretty hot at home too and you find yourself wondering if it’s normal to applaud a TV set. Another track that was never played live, Wound Up has a salacious AC/DC-via-The-Rolling-Stones vibe that sounds all the better for Josiah’s rippling piano lines, whilst Kris offers a particularly vibrant solo. Josiah’s piano leads the way into a lovely Watching Over Me – traditionally dedicated to Kris’s father but, for this occasion, dedicated to everybody, in a wonderfully inclusive gesture after a difficult year. A song that features one of Kris’ most expressive solos, it builds beautifully, and you can feel the emotion in every single note.
Next up, we get Kick Me When I’m Down – for many fans, the first taste they had of Kris Barras and yet a track not aired in some time. Perhaps for Kris it’s been kicking around too long (sorry), but it feels as fresh today as when I first heard it, and it’s great to have it back in the set once more. It segues nicely into another album opener – a barnstorming What You Get, which sets the adrenaline flowing nicely, although it pales in comparison to the sparkling riff for 6am – another track that’s never been played (for reasons that even Kris can’t fathom), making you wonder just how different Kris’ live set is going to look when such things come back. A set highlight for me, 6am kinda has it all – a great riff, a memorable chorus, and a finger-shredding solo… Kris, if you read this, play this song more often!
The only electric track from Lucky 13, Rock n’ Roll Running captures the same outlaw vibe that made Wanted Dead or Alive such a world-eating hit, making you wonder just how huge a star Kris would have been, if he’d only dropped this track a decade previous. All too soon, the set reaches its climax with the ever-green Hail Mary and you can guaran-damn-tee that a huge number of neighbours were pissed off by Kris’ instruction to sing along on this one (I know ours were). Normally, this is the song that would have provided a perfect end to a practically flawless evening of entertainment, but Kris has one more trick up his sleeve, as he leads his band into a fiery take on Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody, which brings a smile to the face and (much to the neighbour’s despair) gets that singing started all over again. With that last present unwrapped, it really is over and, if it’s a little bittersweet in the sense that it makes you long for the spit ‘n’ sawdust of a real gig, it nevertheless did much to capture both Kris’s raw power as a musician and his generosity of spirit. That it just happened to be one of the best put-together live streams I’ve seen this year, was icing on the cake and the day ends on a brighter note than it started.
