HOLLOW SOULS + TROY REDFERN @ SHOREHAM ROPETACKLE ARTS CENTRE 22ND OCTOBER 2025
Kris Barras brings his band Hollow Souls to Shoreham as part of their extensive UK tour, and it soon becomes clear that this is far more than a side project. Support comes from Troy Redfern, which is something of a bonus. However, this isn’t the full Troy Redfern Band. On this run, Troy performs as a duo with drummer Paul Annis, who stands to play and commands possibly the smallest drum kit I’ve ever seen—rivalled only by Mo Tucker of The Velvet Underground when I caught them back in 1993.
Troy takes the stage already sliding away on his dobro, while Paul lays down a taut, minimalist rhythm from his three-piece kit. Opening track Shakin’ from the new album Retribution is a furious start. Taken My Soul, also from Retribution, shifts the mood—slow, heavy and lumbering like an angry bear before bursting into double time. Native from Vacation shows off Troy’s impeccable slide technique and sharp picking, while Aching Heart—another from the tour-only Retribution—highlights Paul’s crisp percussion. He gets more from that tiny kit than most do from a full one.
A taut cover of John The Revelator (Blind Willie Johnson via Jack White) follows, tight but loose in true blues fashion. Waiting For Your Love is a swaggering “blues boogie,” somewhere between early ZZ Top and swampy grit. Set closer Sanctify melds rockabilly and blues with searing feedback—an explosive finale that leaves you wondering where else you can catch the tour.
Cometh the hour, cometh Hollow Souls. Drummer Chris Tilke, bassist Paddy Blight, and guitarist/keyboardist Josiah J Manning warm up with an instrumental before being joined by Kris Barras and vocalist Phoebe Jane. They tear into Borderline from their self-titled EP, instantly proving this is a band with purpose. With only six songs released so far, one might wonder how they’ll fill the set—but that question’s answered with a storming take on Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll. Kris nails Jimmy Page’s solo, and Phoebe soars on the vocals.
Back to their own material, Bad Things brings soulful interplay between Kris and Phoebe, with Josiah sprinkling sweet guitar flourishes and the crowd joining in the chorus. The band slow things down for I Don’t Need No Doctor—originally by Ashford, Simpson and Armstead—given a sultry, muscular treatment with Josiah on keys. It’s masterful, though I’ll admit my heart still belongs to Humble Pie’s version from Performance: Rockin’ the Fillmore.
Phoebe takes lead on Tearing Me Apart from the Kris Barras Band’s Lucky 13 album, while Rock Me Baby channels Cream’s swagger with Hammond-style organ touches. Shotgun returns to the EP, brimming with energy and a Delaney & Bonnie-esque call-and-response between Kris and Phoebe. Kris jokes about their limited discography before launching into Propane—from The Divine And Dirty—which Phoebe sings with sultry fire. Hollow Souls may be young as a band, but their chemistry is undeniable.
Introducing Stormy Monday, Kris promises to “get nice and bluesy,” and they deliver a masterclass. His guitar work is stratospheric, Phoebe’s vocal spellbinding, and together they conjure something apocalyptic in its intensity. Burn It To The Ground and I Need The Fire from the EP keep the fire blazing, Josiah switching between guitar and keys as Kris unleashes solos sharp enough to strip paint. The poignant Chasing Ghosts follows, Kris reflecting on loss and delivering heartfelt vocals over Josiah’s gentle keyboard intro.
My Parade, in Kris’s words, is “a cover of the acoustic version of the original electric version,” from Death Valley Paradise—a wry explanation that somehow makes sense. The main set closes with a crunching Hail Mary from The Divine And Dirty, before the band return with Troy Redfern for a barn-storming rendition of Goin’ Down, the Freddie King classic. Solos trade back and forth between Josiah, Troy and Kris, the energy peaking in a thrilling crescendo as guitars duel and intertwine.
As the final notes fade, there’s no doubt left: Hollow Souls aren’t a sideline—they’re the next evolution of Kris Barras’s blues vision. A night of soul, grit, and jaw-dropping musicianship that leaves Shoreham smouldering.
WORDS: MARK KELLY PHOTOS: CRIS WATKINS
