Kris Barras’ Hollow Souls

British virtuoso blues-rock guitarist, former pro MMA fighter and hard rock frontman Kris Barras has launched an exciting new musical collective that takes him back to his blues rock roots. Whilst Kris Barras is firmly intrenched in the world of heavy music, he is still a bluesman at heart.

He is back with a new band; Hollow Souls, which is co-fronted by singer Phoebe Jane. The band have released a very punchy six track EP, which features a number of guest performances by artists, including singer Elles Bailey and Chris Tapp from the Cold Stares.

From humble beginnings in Torquay, Devon, to trading licks with the likes of Joe Bonamassa and Billy Gibbons on the world stage, Kris has already lived a hundred lives that defy his youth and exuberance.

Known for the gravelly vocal tone and immense guitar playing that gifted him a rapid ascent in the British blues-rock world, it is no surprise his music has evolved year-on-year.

At The Globe, in Cardiff, Kris joked at the start of the set that they had considered playing their six original songs twice to fill out the time. In fact, the lack of specific Hollow Souls material meant that the band delivered a feast of a set that included some of the Kris Barras Band’s live bangers, like ‘Hail Mary’ and ‘Propane’ from 2018’s album The Divine & The Dirty. But there was also time for some blues and rock standards.

The song choices paint a picture of a band at the top of their game, seamlessly blending original hits with emotive covers that kept the audience engaged from start to finish.

The set started with one of the new songs, ‘Borderline’, which set the breathless tone for the rest of the evening, with its compelling low-end riff from the twin guitars of Barras and long-time associate Josiah Manning.

While the applause for the opening number was still at its height the band launched into Led Zep’s ‘Rock and Roll’, which occupied the same adrenalin filled musical zone as the opener and then the Ray Charles track ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’.

Barras mentioned that the band was meant to reflect the blues side of his musical outlook and that was displayed in their very bluesy ‘Tearing Me Apart’ from the KB Band’s Lucky Thirteen album as well as a long version of ‘Stormy Monday’, which was a showcase for Phoebe Jane to give her vocal interpretation as well as for Barras to bend the strings of his Telecaster to find the bluest of notes.

‘Burn It To The Ground’ and ‘Borderline’, are new but already sound like live classics. Barras has a real knack for writing instantly memorable rockers that seem to connect immediately with an audience.

After powerful versions of ‘My Parade’, with its defiant and strident lyrics, and ‘Hail Mary’, both featuring audience singalongs, the band left the stage with the crowd buzzing, before returning with support artist Troy Redfern for a raucous version of the much covered ‘Goin’ Down’.

The energy in The Globe was palpable, a powerful reminder of the thriving blues-rock scene in the UK. The Hollow Souls aren’t redefining rock n’ roll, or even blues rock, but if you want to see a band that creates its own energy and has a great set list then this is a show that you’ll want to catch.