Dates Friday 26th and Sunday 28th January.
Venues: Nightrain, Bradford / The Waterloo Bar, Blackpool
Reviews and Photos by Paul McWilliams Bradford and Linda McDermott
“Electrifying Brilliance: She Burns Red Sets Nightrain Ablaze”
She Burns Red, a dominating force in the rock scene, ignited the stage with an unforgettable live performance at Nightrain. The atmosphere buzzed with electricity, and anticipation filled the air as the audience eagerly awaited the band’s arrival.
From the moment She Burns Red graced the stage, it was apparent that an extraordinary night was unfolding. The band’s magnetic stage presence effortlessly drew the audience into a realm of unbridled energy.
Fronted by James, She Burns Red showcased exceptional musicianship and a seamlessly tight sound, a testament to their unwavering commitment to their art. James took command of the stage, blending charisma and intensity in a captivating performance.
As the final notes of their encore reverberated through the venue, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause, underscoring the profound impact She Burns Red had made that night. Their live performance transcended a mere concert; it evolved into a celebration of the unifying power of music, highlighting the band’s ability to set hearts ablaze.
She Burns Red is undoubtedly poised to become a formidable presence in the rock music scene.
Setlist
- Touch
- Rise and Fall
- Stronger
- My Curse
- Copernicus Falls
- Crosshairs
- Heavy is the Head
- Tell me how it Ends
- Maelstrom
- Killing Time
- Run
- Crack the Sky
- Out of Darkness
Live at The Waterloo Bar, Blackpool
Blackpool’s Waterloo FY4 Rock Bar was the destination to see She Burns Red as they embark on a full year of gigs and festival dates.
For those that haven’t been to the Waterloo FY4 you are missing out big time. It is, from the outside, an unassuming pub, standing on the corner of the street it’s named after. Once you’re inside you soon realise you’ve walked into an Aladdin’s cave of rock memorabilia, it covers the staircase, walls, and ceiling, and there are even drums for sinks in the ladies’ loos! It is a very special place, with bands travelling for miles to come and play here, to join the likes of Terrorvision, Those Damn Crows, Massive Wagons and Ugly Kid Joe who have all gone before them.
She Burns Red
She Burns Red have started the year as they mean to go on. With a hectic weekend of gigs, taking in Bradfords Night Train, The Giffard Arms, Wolverhampton and tonight it’s The Waterloo with over one hundred people who have made the effort to get off the sofa and head to the rock bar to have a great night of music.
The guys brought out their phenomenal debut album ‘Out of Darkness’ last September to an amazing response from their peers and fans. They are going from strength to strength playing bigger venues and headlining their own gigs showcasing the album. With a sea of She Burns Red tee-shirts in front of them they take to the stage along with Neil Henderson on bagpipes, playing them in before they got stuck in to sing all nine tracks from the album, a new song ‘Maelstrom’ plus a few early songs from the EP ‘Take Back Tomorrow’.
The band are:
Andy Moore – Vocals/Guitar
James McCulloch – Vocals/Bass
Scott Hanlon – Drums
Naz Scanferlato – Guitar
‘Touch’ and ‘Rise and Fall’ are great openers to get the crowd going. Then they play ‘My Curse’, a song they did in the early days when Andy and James first started. It’s not even on any music platform, but personally, I’d love them to do something about that as it’s a great song. All the songs are equally worthy of a place on the setlist, they all have different qualities in both the musical tempo and the lyrics that have the crowd enjoying every moment. The choruses are strong and sung in stereo all around me and I can feel myself smiling as I watch the faces of those next to me showing the band that they’ve listened to the album and learnt the lyrics.
Set List
Touch
Rise and Fall
Stronger
My Curse
Copernicus Falls
Crosshairs
Heavy is the Head
Tell Me How It Ends
Maelstrom
Killing Time
Run
Crack the Sky
Out of Darkness
The guys are getting through the set at an alarming pace, it’s the only thing that’s making me unhappy, but I’m still soaking up the whole atmosphere. Andy announces it’s time for ‘Crosshairs’, which is one of their fan’s favourites. Drawing breath everyone launches right into it, not just the chorus but the whole song. You can see the emotion in James, Andy, Naz and Scott’s faces as they soak in the crowd’s show of loyalty.
The new track, ‘Maelstrom’ is another winner and showcases Scott’s drumming brilliantly with a section of the song just for him. He skilfully navigates the drum kit and plays a blinder before everyone erupts into cheers and applause.
Then it’s onto ‘Killing Time’ one of my favourite songs, I just love the deep solo bass in the middle before it builds up again. Before you know it, they are onto the final three songs, the emotionally charged ‘Run’, then ‘Crack the Sky’ one of Scott’s favourites and finally ‘Out of Darkness’ the title track of the album. I can’t believe the set is finished, there is no encore, Andy told us they weren’t going to do the whole going off-stage, coming back on-stage thing.
I never tire of listening to She Burns Red, tonight has just been brilliant. To top it off it’s James’s birthday and one of the band’s fans has made him a cake and the whole pub is singing happy birthday to him. What a fantastic night.
It’s not only the bands and venue that’s phenomenal but also the people, the whole rock community is so friendly. From the minute I walked in the door I was greeted by familiar faces, everyone said hello, and everyone had a common goal and that was to enjoy the music and tonight that’s exactly what they did.
Andy Moore touched on the subject of supporting live music venues such as The Waterloo Bar because they give up-and-coming bands a platform to showcase what they are all about. It’s so important to support these independent venues and the bands that are trying to keep great rock music alive. Please check out the venues below for bands, dates and tickets, share on social media platforms, and do your bit for live music.
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