Kira Mac have been making quite a name for themselves- for a new band they seem to have attracted a substantial following in a relatively short time, to the extent that by show time of this London date, the last of the tour, the Underworld was as packed as I’ve seen it for a while, albeit generally with my fellow fifty something males.

On the other end of the age spectrum are support band Jayler, so improbably fresh faced I couldn’t help imagining them as the band of pupils that have turned up at the sixth form dance. They made a dramatic opening with a lengthy intro tape and his three band members tuning up before frontman and part-time guitarist James Bartholomew – looking like Robert Plant at the dawn of Zeppelin before he discovered the hair dye- fairly tore onto the stage to launch into opener ‘Acid Rain’.

The youngsters freely admit their debt to classic seventies rock, although I just wish they and many others of their ilk would realise that it did not just begin and end with Led Zeppelin. Although to be more accurate, on ‘When You Go’ and ‘The Getaway’ my gig buddies and I were drawing close comparisons to Greta Van Fleet. ‘Lovemaker’ was overly close in places to ‘Whole Lotta Love’ before a lengthy and mystical closer in ‘The Rinsk’, about a Viking warrior, natch!

What was impressive though was their stagecraft with James and lead guitarist Tyler Arrowsmith both pulling some classic poses and making full use of risers at the front of the stage to the delight of the many photographers present. They are a very promising band to keep an eye on though they need to establish their own musical and songwriting identity.

A Tenacious D record as the intro got people in party mood for the Kira Mac set, which opened with ‘Save Your Whiskey’ and ‘Dead Man Walking’. There had been several line-up changes since last year’s London headline, down to a solitary guitarist and with a new rhythm section in Vernon Lee Whitmore and Loz Riley. The overall effect was that the sound seemed heavier and more uncompromising, similar to the way the Kris Barras Band has evolved over the last couple of years.

Singer Rhiannon ‘Kira’ Hill doubtless fulfils many of the fantasies of the middle-aged rockers present with her waist length blonde hair blown by the on stage fan , leather trousers and tattoos. But more importantly she has a rare assurance and confidence as a frontwoman, epitomised by the way she divided the audience in a singalong to the ‘take it to the level below’ chorus on the title track of their album ‘Chaos is Calling’.

The set was a mix of songs from that and a yet to be released sophomore, yet I recognised nearly all of them as ones the band has been playing for a while. Indeed after ‘Playing The Game’ and ‘No Way Out’ followed in quick succession, ‘Scorned’ had the crowd instantly shouting out the ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ line.

However the set then took a totally different turn. Kira had made her name as a country singer in a previous life and a twang that you can always hear at the margins was pushed forward during an acoustic interlude which opened with ‘This Time’ before guitarist Joe Worrall joined her for some favourite country-related covers in ‘Say Something’ from Chris Stapleton, then Nate Smith’s ‘Whiskey On You’ and Warren Zeiders’ ‘Ride The Lightning’, all of which were impressive if previously unfamiliar to me.

Plugging in again, a cover of ‘You Oughta Know’, had vast parts of the crowd shouting out the lyrics. Personally, it was my least favourite moment of the night, though Alanis Morissette seems to have belatedly become the NWOCR movement’s cover artist of choice with both Inglorious and Bad Touch having added one of her songs.

Fortunately their own numbers again followed in rapid fire fashion with ‘Hit Me Again’, ‘Hell Fire and Holy Water’, ‘Never Gonna Stay’ (sold by Kira as a ballad but in reality little of the sort, just a little more mid-pocket than the other material), and ‘Mississippi Swinging’. The one irritation was an over enthusiastic crew member on stage taking photos, whose presence I thought was a little too intrusive and distracting attention from the band.

Two of the newer songs in ‘Falling’ and ‘Keep On Climbing’ were billed as heavier, yet though the rhythm section in particular was crunching the hooks and melodies were still very much present and correct. They left the stage and returned swiftly for a pair of closers of this fast-paced set in the hook-filled ‘Downfall’ and one of their best-known songs in ‘One Way Ticket’.

This gig was a particularly interesting one, seeing them develop in a slightly heavier direction, yet taking a left turn with that acoustic country interlude. They have a dynamic live show and seem to have hit on a winning, and distinctive formula, so I get the feeling Kira Mac are here to stay. Watch them go when that second album comes out.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

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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)