Live: Lonely The Brave @ The Marble Factory, Bristol.

by | Oct 22, 2016

Mark Trotter guitarist of Lonely The Brave headlining at The Marble Factory in Bristol. (Natalie Lam)

Mark Trotter guitarist of Lonely The Brave headlining at The Marble Factory in Bristol. (Natalie Lam)

It’s an early start for tonight’s show in Bristol. Spirits are high. There’s a contagious buzz infecting the room with anticipation and with the recent praise that Lonely The Brave have received from their newest album raise, it’s no surprise why. Each member of the crowd shares that genuine enthusiasm and it’s just one of the few factors that makes tonight’s set a special one.

Mark Trotter guitarist of Lonely The Brave headlining at The Marble Factory in Bristol. (Natalie Lam)

Mark Trotter guitarist of Lonely The Brave headlining at The Marble Factory in Bristol. (Natalie Lam)

Supporting act, Tall Ships take to the stage. Their presence has a casual but driven manner that most fans only wish they could still see in their favourite band. This demeanour is just a contrast to the sound that the four-piece produce. Tracks like T=0 range in textures, from thick, layered with unconventional but dynamic riffs to comparably muted melodies and softer notes. The impact this has on crowd is reminiscent of seeing a band in a packed out 8,000 capacity venue. The sound is memorable, loud and powerful.

David Jakes, singer of Lonely The Brave, headlining at The Marble Factory in Bristol. (Natalie Lam)

David Jakes, singer of Lonely The Brave, headlining at The Marble Factory in Bristol. (Natalie Lam)

The venue fills out quickly for Lonely The Brave. Singer, David Jakes, more often than not appears timid on stage, avoiding the limelight and fan adoration (which is nonetheless, humbling), but opening with a performance of Black Mire welcomes fans with a new energy from him that seems to spur on the rest of the band. It’s not lost on the first few songs either.

Ross Smithwick, guitarist and backing singer of Lonely the Brave, headlining The Marble Factory in Bristol (Natalie Lam)

Ross Smithwick, guitarist and backing singer of Lonely the Brave, headlining The Marble Factory in Bristol (Natalie Lam)

The Blue, The Green encourages further singalongs, making the track feel like an epic anthem, filling a club venue. Halfway through, Lonely the Brave, throw a curveball of a well-executed cover of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb, which transforms the leftover passive observers to attentive eagle-eyed and fox-ear’d.

Andrew Bushen, bassist of Lonely the Brave, headlining The Marble Factory in Bristol (Natalie Lam)

Andrew Bushen, bassist of Lonely the Brave, headlining The Marble Factory in Bristol (Natalie Lam)

With undivided attention now on the band, here seems like the perfect time to introduce Radar, a punchier, rockier sound. It seems like they can do it all – get a group religiously dancing, moshing, singing and chanting, desperate to hear more during an encore.

David Jakes, singer of Lonely The Brave, headlining at The Marble Factory in Bristol. (Natalie Lam)

David Jakes, singer of Lonely The Brave, headlining at The Marble Factory in Bristol. (Natalie Lam)

What seems so universally special, is the fact that you’re watching a band that are about to break the world but you’re the first to find out the secret. It’s rare to find six people that so early on display such excellent musicianship without even really realising it. They’re only two albums into their career but this is undoubtedly a small fraction of its longevity.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000RjJxEOkVzKk” g_name=”Lonely-The-Brave” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_smooth=”t” f_up=”t” f_topbar=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”740″ height=”555″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” target=”_self” ]

Live Review & Photography by Natalie Lam.

Lonely The Brave, The Marble Factory, Bristol on 7th October 2016.

Avalanche @ O2 Academy, Birmingham (Nick Allan)

Avalanche Bring Beer-Soaked Mayhem To Birmingham’s O2 Academy

When you stick an Australian rock band on a bill with Airbourne, you expect volume, sweat and riffs thick enough to chew on. With Asomvel sadly forced to pull out due to illness, Avalanche were handed an extended set — and they didn’t waste a single extra second of it.

Jacob Alon (Jessie Morgan)

Jacob Alon Confirmed For Rare Waterfront Stage Performance At Latitude 2026

Fresh from winning the BRIT Award Critics’ Choice, Jacob Alon has been announced for a landmark performance on the Waterfront Stage at Latitude Festival 2026 — becoming only the fourth musical artist ever to play the iconic floating platform.

The Great Emu War Casualties (Press)

The Great Emu War Casualties Share New Single ‘Wanna See You’ Ahead Of Debut Album

Melbourne indie outfit The Great Emu War Casualties continue the build-up to their debut album Public Sweetheart No.1 with the release of their latest single, Wanna See You.

Gipsy Kings (Press)

Gipsy Kings Featuring Tonino Baliardo Share Joyous New Single ‘Historia’

Global flamenco icons Gipsy Kings featuring founder Tonino Baliardo have unveiled their vibrant new single Historia, the title track from their forthcoming album, due out on 15th May.

Police Dog Hogan (Press)

Police Dog Hogan Celebrate The Art Of Losing With New Single ‘Go Down Fighting’

Cult favourites Police Dog Hogan have unveiled their rousing new single Go Down Fighting, the latest preview of forthcoming album The Light At The Top Of The Stairs, set for release on 10th April.

DeVotchKa (Press)

DeVotchKa Announce 20th Anniversary UK Tour Celebrating ‘Little Miss Sunshine’

Denver outfit DeVotchKa have announced a special five-date UK tour for October 2026, marking 20 years since the release of the beloved indie film Little Miss Sunshine.

Emmylou Harris (Press)

Emmylou Harris To Close European Farewell Tour At The Long Road 2026

The UK’s largest and most immersive outdoor celebration of Country, Americana and Roots returns this summer as The Long Road Festival announces its seventh edition, set for the August Bank Holiday weekend, August 27th–30th 2026. Taking place once again at the picturesque Stanford Hall in Leicestershire, the four-day festival continues to bridge generations of artists — from genre-defining legends to the fresh voices reshaping modern country and Americana.

Foo Fighters @ O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire (Kalpesh Patel)

Foo Fighters Let Loose At O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Just two nights after levelling The Academy Dublin and with Manchester’s O2 Ritz in their sights, Foo Fighters storm the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire for the second of three word-of-mouth, in-person-ticket-only club shows. No pre-sale frenzy. No dynamic pricing warfare. Just queues round the block and 2,000 devotees crammed into the Empire like it’s 1996 again.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing