Ally Venable – Bristol Exchange – A Texas Firestorm in a Packed Room

Ally Venable didn’t so much walk onto the stage at Bristol Exchange as ignite it. The 26‑year‑old Texan blues‑rock guitarist arrived with a pedigree that already includes opening for Buddy Guy and channelling the spirit of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and she proved immediately that those comparisons aren’t exaggerated.

All photos by Andy Balcam and Laurie Monk

Bandana tied tight, sequinned skirt catching the lights, and her hand‑decorated Les Paul slung low, she looked every inch the modern torchbearer of Texas blues.

Her guitar is an extension of her identity; painted, personalised and played with ferocious physical intent.

The church‑choir grounding from her childhood in Kilgore, Texas still shows in her command of tone and timing, but it’s the maturity of her phrasing that stops you in your tracks. Her bends hang just long enough, her vibrato is purposeful rather than showy, and she never rushes to prove anything. She lets the guitar speak.

Years of road miles and Nashville sessions have sharpened her technique and Texas lineage.

Her trio, EJ Bedford on bass and keys, Isaac Pulido on drums, locked in tight from the first note. Bedford rotated through a run of basses, including a white furry‑bodied monster that drew laughs and admiration in equal measure, while Pulido kept the engine room driving from behind the cymbals. It’s the kind of cohesion you only get from a band living on a bus together.

Touring behind her acclaimed Money and Power album, Venable opened with the heavy stomp of “Unbreakable” before sliding into the rolling riff of “Brown Liquor,” introduced with a quick story about her favourite drink.

“Steamroller” brought a more traditional blues feel, and Venable’s extended vocal notes at the end were jaw‑dropping. Her voice has Bonnie Raitt polish with a Texas rock edge, and when she leans into it, the effect is electric.

“Texas Louisiana,” her 2023 single with Buddy Guy, was a standout. Bedford took over Buddy’s vocal lines while Venable delivered every guitar phrase with grit and swagger. Hearing it live made the point unmistakable: Buddy Guy doesn’t put his name on a duet out of politeness. She can genuinely hold her own next to him.

The mid‑set stretch showed off the band’s playful side. A funk‑laden jam on Parliament’s “Give Up the Funk” let Bedford shine on bass, vocals, and even keys simultaneously, before a blistering take on Hendrix’s “Fire” pushed the room into full‑tilt energy. It was delivered with the hip‑shake bounce of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, pure Texas blues intent.

Across the set Venable alternated between her decorated Les Paul, all heavy, muscular sustain, and a scorching red Stratocaster that sliced straight through the mix.

Whether leaning over her pedalboard to dial in a blistering tone or stepping up to the monitors to trade energy with the crowd, her physical intensity matched her fretboard fire.

She closed with a reverent, beautifully controlled tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan, her Texas roots shining through every note.

Even though SRV died nine years before she was born, his spirit seems to inhabit her every fibre; she switches from rousing boogie to plaintive sighs without breaking sweat, transitions seamless and quicksilver smooth.

By the end, it was clear why Venable’s rise has been so rapid: she’s a powerhouse guitarist, a commanding vocalist and a performer who plays with soul rather than ego. Next time she hits Bristol, expect a bigger room and expect it to sell out.