Bedford Esquires 20/11/25
All photos by Carol Henson (aka LadyGigger) and review by Dave G Martin for Jace Media
It’s a Thursday night, and the hall here at Esquires is rammed; it holds about three hundred, and let me tell you, there is not a lot of space. Firstly, this is fantastic to see, as grassroots music at the moment is in a bad place re attendances, and secondly, it shows the popularity of the bands on show tonight.
The first of these is a six-piece Nashville-based band, Parker Barrow; their band name comes from the surnames of the two notorious gangsters of the 1930s, Bonnie and Clyde.
They play whisky-soaked, blues-infused Southern rock, and their 2023 debut album, Jukebox Gipsies, received great reviews.
Influences are the likes of the Allman Brothers, Whisky Myers, and The Black Crowes.
The nucleus of the band is husband-and-wife duo Megan Kane lead vocals/guitar, and Dylan Turner is on drums, along with the two other guitarists, Alex Bender and Will Tipton, and Bo Howard on the bass guitar, and completing the group is Eric Safka on keyboards.
They also recently released a five-track EP titled Hold the Mash and a new single, The Healer.
Resplendently dressed in blue velvet, Megan has a powerful voice which is heard immediately on their first song, Make It. Megan doesn’t stay still for a second on stage, bouncing, spinning, shaking the room and her tambourine with that wonderful dazzling smile.
One of the first songs they recorded and a real blues rocker, Glass Eyes Cryin’ was next, followed quickly by two songs from their debut album.
Good Times Gone Away, and Throwin’ Stones. Good Times was just brilliant, a complete riff fest with all guitarists giving it their all, and Dylan smashing the bejeezus out on the skins, whereas Stones had more of a blues-funk vibe and gave Eric on keys a chance to shine and show his skills.
Then we get a live taste of their new single, The Healer.
Megan seemed totally overwhelmed with the response and the number of people here, clasping her hands together thanking everyone for coming tonight An earlier single of theirs, Novacaine, brought a bit of soul into the mix and some hand clapping.
And ending their set with the hard and heavy Count Your Dollars, in which Megan not only showed the power of her vocals but also just how much she can hold a note.
A huge cheer came from the audience, telling the band just how much they enjoyed their performance tonight, myself included.
Now for the headline band tonight, Canadian rockers The Damn Truth.
This hard-working Montreal quartet are just going from strength to strength, and tonight is day nine of a nonstop twelve-night UK tour with no breaks.
In fact, for the last four years, they have intensively performed around the UK and Europe.
Releasing their new self-titled fourth album back in March, once again produced by the legendary Bob Rock.
Having seen and reviewed them a few times, I know everyone was in for a great time; these modern-day hippies never fail to give you a night to remember.
The fearsome foursome comprises Lee-La Baum, lead vocals/guitar, Tom Shermar lead guitar.
PY Letellier on bass guitar and Dave Traina on the drums.
Their intro of Jefferson Aeroplane’s sixties classic White Rabbit begins, and the crowd lets out a huge cheer as the band comes to the stage.
Lee has a voice to die for and I have always said it’s a mix of Gracie Slick and Janis Joplin.
Kicking off with the first track on the new album, Be Somebody (which was also a single), starting with the sweet slow vocal from Lee, this very quickly turns into a rousing rocking anthem and she wasted no time in getting the huge crowd to clap and join in.
Continuing to showcase the album with the next four songs: Killer Whale, then Love Outta Luck, where the axemeister Tom gave us a masterclass in trilling and guitar playing, followed by two more singles, Addicted and The Willow.
Then they took us back four years to a single from their 2021 album Now or Nowhere: This is Who We Are Now, and the audience soaked it up singing along.
I said the night would be unforgettable, and it was: throughout the night this sixteen-song set from the band had the crowd in the palm of their hands, singing, dancing and just loving everything they did. Only Love had the loudest singalong I have heard in a long time.
And when they left the stage, the cheers of ‘moooooore’ were deafening; the people just wouldn’t let them go without an encore.
AND WHAT AN ENCORE a sensational version of Love is Blindness with Lee displaying the power and beauty of her voice and Devilish Folk, ending with everyone joining the band in singing Balababalalala, (if you know, you know)
An incredible night and proving that The Damn Truth are one of the most exciting bands on the circuit today.
Track list
Be Somebody, Killer Whale, Love Outta Luck, Addicted, The Willow, This is Who We Are Now, All Night Long, I Just Gotta Let You Know, If I Don’t Make it Home, Lonely, Only Love, Look Innocent, Get with You, Tomorrow.
Love is blindness, devilish folk.
A big thank you to Peter Noble of Noble PR for letting us cover this event for you.
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