Live Review: Elles Bailey - Wolverhampton
14th March 2023
Support: Morganway
Words: Cat Finch
Photos: Tim Finch
We’re back at KK’s Steel Mill, the West Midlands premiere live music venue, tonight to get our blues on. One of the leading lights in UK blues rock, and now Planet Rock presenter Elles Bailey is in town as part of an extensive tour.
The venue tonight is upgraded after the Lounge Room sold out very quickly and we arrive in the much bigger main room to a packed house as opening act Morganway take to the stage. Introduced by Elles herself, the four piece soon launch into opening song ‘My Love Ain’t Gonna Save You’. The musical is a powerful mix of blues, rock and folk, with the violin giving the band an added death and dimension.
Usually a six piece with keys and drums, they faired incredibly well as just a foursome. Their sound had a meaty weight to it, giving it the gravitas to flow freely despite the missing elements. Undoubtedly it was the vocals of SJ Mortimer that stand out, so powerful and beautifully highlighted during the cover of Alanis Morissette’s ‘You Oughta Know’. The band return this way next month and as a six piece it’ll be interesting to see how they can improve on this performance.
After a quick turn around it’s time for Planet Rock’s goddess Elles Bailey to take to the stage. As the lights dim and the intro tape rolls her band of merry musicians take to the stage. Elles commands everyone’s attention as she appears stage right and comes straight to the crowd to clap along with the intro to ‘The Game’.
A smile wide across her face, she leads us through the opening number and into ‘Stones’, her magnificent voice carrying across the vast main room of the Steel Mill, packed full of her faithful. She thanks the crowd this evening, originally this was supposed to be in the smaller ‘Lounge Room’ here at KK’s Steel Mill, but such is the demand for tickets we see the much larger room full to bursting!
Elles has a presence whilst on stage, it’s captivating, enthralling, as an audience member you can’t help be sucked in, clapping, dancing and singing along with Elles, lost completely in her world. Through ‘Shining in the Half Light’, ‘Cheats and Liars’, 'Hole In My Pocket’ and ‘Over The Hill’ she has us all in the palm of her hand.
Her backing band magnificently lay the foundations off which Elles can shine, and all too soon over an hour has passed in the blink of an eye. Never-the-less Elles continues, ‘Medicine Man’, ‘Help Somebody’ and ‘Riding Out The Storm’ closing out the main body of the set.
With the atmosphere simply electric, it’s only right Elles treats the Black Country faithful to more. An Encore of ‘Mercy Now’ and ‘Sunshine City’ round out a wonderful evenings entertainment.
Planet Rock may have made Elles a household name through her radio show, but it’s as a performer on stage where Elles is in her element and we can truly appreciate all of her talents.
All photo credits: Tim Finch Photography
