Kira Mac new tour with support from Jayler – live at the Brudenell, Leeds – 25 04 24

Kira Mac kicked off their 12-day tour at The Brudenell Social Club, with support from newcomers ‘Jayler’

Formed in the Midlands a couple of years ago, Jayler is the main support for Kira Mac. The four-piece classic rockers waste no time getting down to business, playing songs from their debut six-track EP ‘A Piece In Our Time’ and some new ones.

Singer and guitarist James Bartholomew arrives not on stage but at the edge of the crowd, making his entrance through the crowd, with a riffing guitar set intro, before taking his place with bandmates. With just 30 minutes to wow their audience, Jayler do a fine job playing 70’s inspired rock and roll.

Selling their soul for rock roll, they must’ve got a good deal, point proven as ‘No Woman’ hits all the spots. Jayler has that Led Zeppelin vibe down to a T!, and dabbling a little tease of Led Z’ during their set. With a new album on its way, you’ve not seen the last of Jayer! As they run through their set, you can pick up a nod to AC/DC, here and Jimi Hendrix, there.

Setlist – Acid Rain, No Woman, Down Below, When You Go, The Getaway, Love Maker, The Rinsk

Links to Jayler are here:- http://jayler.co.uk

Jayler band:

James Bartholomew -Lead Vocals/Guitar, Tyler Arrowsmith – Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals, Edd Evans – Drums/Backing Vocals, Ricky Hodgkiss – Bass Guitar/Keys/Backing Vocals

Kira Mac

All dressed in black with a new gunslinger to her left and drummer to the back, Rhiannon Hill and Joe Worrall bring you a new Kira Mac band and set.

Let’s get this out of the way. ‘Chaos is Calling’ might’ve been the name of the last album release, and following the success of the tour supporting said album, there have been a few changes to Kira Mac’s lineup. Having had a ‘spring clean’ and going from a 5-piece down to four. Rhiannon states on stage that she and Joe have always written the band songs and will continue to do so. Read into that what you will.

So here we are with a cracking new lineup, the band playing as hard and heavy as a four-piece, maybe as there was no backline the extra oomph came from the sound desk operator.

This is my third time seeing Kira Mac, and tonight it’s great to see they’ve almost sold out the venue. The band is going from strength to strength by the turnout and enjoyment of the crowd.

Rhiannon Hill doesn’t disappoint her fans, from the off she delivers a good rapport, sharing lyrics and encouraging sing-a-longs. I feel the audience appreciates the intimate connection, and there’s more of that to come during the ‘acoustic part of the show’ Yep, Kira Mac has shaken things up for this round of tour dates, the next time you might get something different!

‘Save Your Whiskey’, is a banging set opener, from Kira Mac’s 2017 EP, it’s a full throttle of blues and country rock. Crowd favourites ‘Dead Man Walking’ and ‘Chaos Is Calling’ ensue. Playing their debut album ‘Chaos Is Calling’ in no particular order, they have a cleverly crafted set, intermingling it with the launch of new songs.

‘Woman Scorned’ is an absolute powerhouse of a new track. Hill’s sultry vocals meld and scorn the lyrics “If the devil had a daughter, she’d look something like that, it’s not looking in your favour the way the odds are stacked,” – the vocals are reminding of Lzzy Hale, go girl!

Doing something new now…acoustically does it

The band exits the stage, as Rhiannon grabs a mug off the stage, and assures us it’s lemsip! Hill tells us there are a lot of songs she writes that don’t see the light of a live stage, so for a change, we’re given the pleasure, of a song about a situation-ship. Later joined by Joe, the guitaring duo entertained us acoustically. There are two acoustic EPs made available to buy during this tour.

Back to firing up the energy, Kira Mac’s full band returns covering Alanis Morrisette’s – ‘You Ought To Know’, and gives a chance for the crowd to sing the word ‘Fuck’ really loud! Kira Mac puts the pedal to the metal on ‘Hell Fire and Holy Water’. I think Rhiannon said eight country songs have been played in their set tonight. Bringing it down and turning it around the heavier nu-metal-sounding new songs ‘Farewell’ and ‘Climbing’ bring about a change of pace.

Encoring for a short break the band returned to close with ‘Down Fall’ and the magnanimous ‘One Way Ticket’, with the crowd singing back and forth.

You can still catch Kira Mac on tour – see the dates below.

Setlist:
Save Your Whiskey**
Dead Man Walking*
Chaos Is Calling*
Play the Game^
No Way Out^
Scorned^
Say Something -^
Imagine What We Could’ve Been*
Back for More*
You Ought to Know – cover Alanis Morrisette
Hit Me Again*
Hell Fire and Holy Water*
Never Going to Stay*
Mississippi Swinging*
Farewell^
Climbing^
Encore:
Downfall*
One Way Ticket*