Tonight I find myself on the metrolink into Manchester to see Ashley Sherlock set the stage and warm the crowd for Brave Rival. Having seen both bands before I found it quite easy to start making notes en route to the gig.
As his Spotify account testifies, all roads lead to Manchester – The cultural powerhouse of Northern Britain – And I feel honoured to be continually asked to shoot Ashley’s gigs every time he plays a North-West venue.
I first met Ashley Sherlock around 6 years ago after he’d opened as a solo act for Kris Barras at Academy 2 in Manchester fresh off-stage and still buzzing after what was one of his first live gigs . We spoke for around 10 minutes, with me saying I’d keep an eye out for future appearences. Fast forward to now – And he fronts a tight three-piece powerhouse of a band that oozes taut, modern blues-rock alchemy, visually completed by those now-trademark signature shades, cowboy hat & Boots, and a patterned handkerchief in his back pocket. He posesses an epic catalogue of self-penned songs that are concise and hook-driven, yet emotionally open, trading genre clichés for precise arrangements that let tension, release and raw melody do the storytelling.
His gigs are intimate, sweaty affairs where every riff pulls you in, utilising a quiet-loud-quiet dynamic to full effect. Opening riffs launch into punchy, funk-blues grooves driven by a stomping bass line that you can feel through the floorboards, seemlessly melting into more jazz driven interludes, laced with wah-wah flourishes and mini guitar-bass jams that showcase the trio’s telepathic interplay. Definitely worth treating yourself to when he’s playing a venue near you.
Catching Brave Rival live is like stepping into a storm that knows exactly how to dance – Equal parts raw power, soulful beauty, and sheer joy in performance. When the lights drop and they take the stage your basically bitten by blues-rock with teeth! Donna Peters (drums) and Billy Dedman (bass) lock in with a groove that’s deceptively tight, giving the whole band a swagger that makes even the heavier songs swing, and are complimented perfectly by both Ed Clarke, who doesn’t just play solos, he paints with them – Sometimes delicate and shimmering, sometimes ripping through the air like a lightning strike and of course Lindsey Bonnick’s amazing vocals that carry equal parts of grit and grace.
They’re rooted in the blues, but they don’t sit politely in tradition – They electrify it. They’re not a band that stares at their shoes either. There’s constant interplay – Smiles, nods, and those little sparks of mischief that make you feel like you’re in on the fun. Brave Rival live are not just a band to hear, but an experience to feel. Collectively they balance fire with tenderness, and always leave the sense that you’ve witnessed a group on the cusp of something bigger.
Words and Photos by Gregg Howarth
