The choice of several of this website’s writers, me included, as act of the year, I’ve seen Brave Rival many times over the past two years. Of all the venues, my favourite was the Thames Side Brewery, not too far from me and very much a rock taproom, from the musical references in the names of their ales to the guitars on the walls. It appears to be the band’s favourite too as this was their third appearance here in little over a year, and there is always a looser and more informal feel to their shows here, with their chatty banter given full reign.

However, it was tinged with sadness as one of the last gigs for Chloe Josephine, one of the pair of female vocalists who have given the band such a distinctive sound. Understandably she has decided that their extraordinary gigging schedule cannot be reconciled with the need to give time to a young family.

On this occasion there was a support from Thomas Heppell, wearing his trademark fedora, solo but playing a mixture of acoustic and electric guitars and particularly strong on slide, notably on a cover of ‘Rolling and Tumbling’. The majority of the set was originals and though most like ‘She’s Fine As Wine’ were in the blues idiom, ‘Hey Victoria’ was totally different, a piece of modern pop that apparently has had radio airplay.

He also has a lot of self-confidence to play the ‘entertainer’ with witty remarks such as playing on the fact he used to be a Police Officer in the town and recognised many faces. The old standard ‘John the Revelator’ featured a singalong and his on-stage antics stretched out a closing BB King cover, before he was persuaded to do an encore of ‘Victim of Circumstance’. Even in this format it was clear he is someone to watch.

Brave Rival made a very charismatic entrance as the two women, Chloe and Lindsey Bonnick, made their way through the crowd to join their band mates, sporting very fetching headgear. However, the moment was rather spoiled by the vocals being all but inaudible on a couple of harder rocking openers in ‘Bad Choices’ and ‘Seventeen’, while the guitar was rather drowned out by the drums.

Fortunately, the sound gradually attained a better balance: however, all the pre gig chat had been whether Chloe would even make it, after a chest infection forced her out of a gig a couple of nights previously. Fortunately, as both women created a full vocal sound on ‘Guilty Love’, a big scream was a reassuring sign she was match fit.

They are far far more than a blues band these days, but ‘Stars Upon My Scars’ is their epic slow song, with some quite brilliant work from guitarist Ed ‘The Shred’ Clarke whose dirty slide guitar playing on the cheeky ‘What’s Your Name Again’ was equally impressive.

The set is now based very heavily around the new album ‘Fight or Flight’, whether stuff I hadn’t heard live such as the lively and raunchy ‘Stand Up’, to those which have been tested for a while like ‘Fairytale’. Both showed the rockier side of their repertoire and how well Ed and the rhythm section of Billy ‘Danger’ Dedman and Donna Peters gel together, complementing those melodic and soulful vocals which were highlighted by the ballad ‘All I Can Do Is Think About You’.

The first set closed with a real treat in their cover of ‘Tennessee Whiskey’- I wondered if local singer Gemma Dorsett would reprise her guest slot from last time but instead Thomas Heppell returned to the stage and he and Ed seemed to be urging each other on to greater heights as they jammed together and traded lengthy solos.

The second set was slightly shorter, not least to protect Chloe who admitted that her lower vocal range was affected by her illness. It opened with the lively grooves of ‘Heart Attack’ but once again the newer songs predominated. These included ‘On the Next Round’ with Lindsey banging a cowbell – having heard this live a few times I wondered why it wasn’t on the album, so it was good news to be told it was part of three further tunes to be released over Christmas.

‘Unravelling’ was another off the new album that I hadn’t heard live, and the two singers traded lead lines on the chorus seamlessly. However, after two more from the new album in a sassy ‘Five Years On’ and ‘Blame the Voices’, sadly they said the set was already coming to a close. Thankfully this was not before a quite beautiful vocal treatment of maybe my favourite song on the album, ‘Heavy’.

Appropriately led off by a bass intro from Staines local and birthday boy Billy, the encore ‘Sink Or Swim’ was another good example of the scale of ambition they have realised with the new album. The venue made a presentation of flowers to an emotional Chloe and the crowd bayed for one more but after a quick rendition of ‘Always Look On the Bright Side Of Life’ she and the band bade a bittersweet farewell.

Another excellent gig in very challenging circumstances, it was a fine end to a 2024 that has been very good for Brave Rival. They have created some very special magic together, so best wishes must go to Chloe and the rest of the band as 2025 marks a new chapter of change for them both.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)