Elles Bailey

Elles Bailey at the 100 Club – she roared, she prowled the stage like a lioness and she won over a very full Tuesday night crowd at the Tuesday Blues Club.

I’ve seen Elles Bailey once before – at the 100 Club then as well – but last time was an acoustic set with her opening for ‘The Ladies Of The Blues’ and here, for the official album launch, she was headlining over Stacie Collins and Big Wolf Band and she had a full electric band.
And what a band - Joe Wilkins on guitar was superb, especially his slide, Matthew Jones on drums, Zak Ranyard on bass and the inimitable Jonny Henderson on organ. So, the question was could she cut it with a band of such renown? She not only cut it, she blew them away. The band were superb, no question, but in the end they were totally her band and they were benefitting from performing with Elles Bailey.

The ‘Wildfire’ album has been getting some serious attention in the press and on radio (as well as a **** review in Music-News) but taking the songs to the stage brings out extra levels and ‘Wildfire’ or ‘What If I’ were delivered with total confidence, massive certainty and simply blew the crowd away. ‘Shackles Of Love’ got the whole place boogieing and her song for Janis Joplin ‘Girl Who Owned The Blues’ had a heart wrenching impact.
Even her version of Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ worked at a level that Swift hasn’t reached.
The dark and soulful ‘Barrel Of Your Gun’ really came over as a live number too and her tribute to Muscle Shoals 'A Perfect Storm' had the crowd swaying and dancing..
A personal favourite moment was seeing the crowd howling back at her as she did a brilliant ‘Howlin’ Wolf’.

On stage Ms Bailey is a total attention dragger – you simply cannot take your eyes off her tousled hair, her prowling movements and those piercing eyes. Never still, except when she was at her electric piano, but you could see that she was having a great time up there.

So, definite proof that Bristol has produced yet another top Blues lady and one who will shortly have outgrown the 100 Club. She is one of the best live artists I’ve seen this year and I will be back to catch her again.

The rest of the night showed just what a good night the Tuesday Blues Club is – Big Wolf Band were excellent openers and played about an hour of uproarious Blues/Rock. Stacie Collins was coming to the end of a very long tour but she was fresh as a daisy and aside from her country tinged Blues she blows a mean harmonica. A cracking night at the old place but a triumph for Elles Bailey.