Kris Barras is an ex-MMA fighter (I know right?!) who has taken his passion for fighting and throw it into being an exemplary blues rock guitarist. Couple that level of skill with a great voice and you have someone of bags of your talent on your hands. He's touring his latest album "The Divine and Dirty" it combines a great mixture of blues rock, heavy rock and guitars to die.
The Musician isn't the best venue I've ever been to, I say this because there were three people stood next to me at the gig doing line after line of coke and no one even batted an eye lid at it. Crazy. Nonetheless, I don't pass judgment on a performance just because of where it happens and Kris Barras absolutely stomped this performance!
His voice live is one of the best things I've heard, fluctuating between notes with ease and causing havoc with his guitar. It's the sort of guitar playing where in a cartoon his axe would set on fire as he's strumming it, his intricate guitar work was really that good. It's mental to think that he used to fight professionally - jeopardising his hands, and although he was a very successful MMA fighter, it's sad to think of the amount of music and gigs we could have been receiving in the meantime.
I was a big fan of the covers that he played throughout, I do particularly enjoy it when an artist pays homage to another by taking their song and making their own. Kris Barras was also a very good performer, often including the crowd in his songs, getting sing alongs started and telling stories in between songs, it was a great night and I would recommend.
