Tonight sees the debut Australian show from BLVD Of Eyes and the first of eight dates along the East Coast. BLVD Of Eyes are Chloe Trujillo (Vocals), Mark Dalbeth (Bass), Kevin Hicklin (Guitars) and drummer Shane Evans who is on this run of Australian shows, only rehearsed with the band for the first time yesterday before the show. This band is incredible, but more on their set later.
Kicking off tonight’s line up is Karly Jewell and her band. What a well-oiled machine this band is. For anyone that has ever been to the Cherry Bar or played on that stage, you know just how tight it is for a four-piece band let alone a five piece. Karly and co used it to their advantage tonight. With the room quickly filling during their set. Energy was high from the word go. Karly herself is an absolute pocket rocket; she knows how to demand you attention as she belted her way through a set that just refused to let up. Tonight’s set was a snapshot of her career featuring songs from the entire catalogue, most of which are crowd favourites.
There is a perfection in the pairing of Jewell’s guitarist Andre and Shannon, they have this synergy and connection between them that allows both to shine separately and together making them one of the best two-pronged guitar attacks of recent times. The way they play and play off each other is just an amazing thing to see and hear.
Jewell’s rhythm section of Mick Jones, who is just so much fun to watch live, his head down, hair in the air approach to playing is simply fun to watch and his bass lines sit so damn well with the driving force that is Mars behind the kit. Mars is a human metronome and a dynamic watch. I love watching and hearing how these guys lock in and are that secret sauce to giving these songs the flow and kick they deliver.
Jewell herself as I mentioned before is nothing short of incredible to watch and hear, she is able to convey such emotion and presence in the way she sings, as a frontwoman she stands so tall and sines so bright that you could mistake her petite status as something so much bigger and that voice. Unique, unmistakeable, powerful and so full of heart, soul and spirit.
This band is no afraid to put on a show, captivate you and engage you. There were several times through tonight’s set where Jewell and guitarist Andre took the show to the floor of the room bringing the stage to the audience. This is something they do so well. Interactive rock and roll just adds to the fun.
In a room that is quite boomy and bass heavy (even when full) Jewell and Co were mixed perfectly and took away some of the dirtiness and distraction that is a characteristic of how the Cherry Bar room sounds. Their sound guy is quite simply a genius in that aspect.
If you needed an introduction to Karly Jewell, this set was the perfect way to do that. As a fan, it a stellar set delivered with precision and the true spirit of rock n roll.
Setlist : Bad Woman, Dancing With The Devil, My Old Friend, Sid & Nancy, Sad Girl, Other Side, Trouble We Are
The next band on tonight’s bill are the Sunshine Coast’s very own Awaken The Hate, a band I knew very little of until now. I had heard their material on Spotify, but had never really had a chance to immerse myself in them until tonight. This quintet delivered a set of originals that are inspired by classic metal, pulling influence from all eras of metal and hard rock while making it all their own. From Pantera to NWOBHM and thrash it was all there in these songs. Their power is something to behold, big riffs, heavy grooves and vocals/lyrics that create incredible storytelling. Frontman Ben Rogers is fierce intimidating and powerful.
His ability to deliver a cross section of clean and dirty vocals were perfect. Rogers has this intensity in the way he performs that is hard to not engage in. Fitting five guys on this Cherry Bar stage possibly didn’t allow you feel the whole Awaken The Hate experience live, there is an energy that at times felt constricted as a result of this. Awaken The Hate do what they do very well, and I am keen to keep a close eye on these guys to see what’s next for them as they prepare to release their debut album.
Wasting no time making a name for themselves live over the last three years Shotgun Mistress just go from strength to strength every time I see them. They have shared the stage with some of this countries most respected names in rock n roll as well as supporting international rock icons. Like the set from Karly Jewell, Shotgun Mistress delivered a set full monster songs one after another. It’s a rock n roll party from the moment the first note of opening song ‘Save Me From Myself’ they just pulled you in and threw down one hell of a set.
These four guys Matt Wilcock (guitars), David Lee Daniel (Drums), Ben Curnow (Bass) and Glenn Patrick (Vocals) deliver a damn fine show too. High-octane, high-energy rock n roll fun is the best way to describe it. Wilcock is cool, calm and causal as he pulls out some incredible riffs and face melting solos and has this aura about him. The high energy performance of Curnow who at several times through the show held his own as such a fun personality. Always creating cool shapes and has an encyclopedia of moves that simply add energy. All the while he is adding depth to the choruses with his backing vocals and locking into deep grooves with not only Wilcock but with Daniel as well. Daniel is a showman too, make no mistake about that !!! Behind the kit he is so damn solid in the way he plays, and he exudes this energy that pushes in all the right ways.
Patrick is a born frontman, energetic, captivating and that upper register of his voice is insane. There are so many qualities in the way he performs that seem familiar, but he is his own entity. Whether it be standing on top of the drum kit, running through the crowd or standing on top of the bar he can be at time a little hard to track, but ensures that everyone possible engages with him.
We were treated to a new song in the set in ‘13’. ‘13’ made its live debut and is one of the songs written for their upcoming third album. The road test of this song was received well. It’s classic Shotgun Mistress energy with a bit more grit than anything else they have done to date. If this is the precursor for what is to come from the new album, I think we will all be in for a treat. It has certainly given me an appetite for new tunes from these guys.
One thing missing from tonight’s show was Daniel’s backing vocals which left some of the gang choruses a little hollow, but bassist Ben sang some incredible harmonies until tonight I hadn’t noticed how good his voice is. Having said that, where it counted the Cherry Bar crowd did a great job singing along.
Again, the room played a bit of a factor in the sound tonight. The PA seemed stretched to deliver to deliver Patrick’s vocals cleanly, clipping and distorting at times. Musically the band sounded great and Patrick in amazing voice. Shotgun Mistress I feel are on the cusp of something special in their career, they are close to that tipping point that will change their trajectory immensely.
The setlist also included another new title to the bands catalogue ‘Grave’ which unfortunately didn’t get its live debut. This is Shotguns last show for 2025, capping out a huge year for the band. I can’t wait to hear what they have in store for us in 2026. This set was nothing but a rock n roll party and a great way to close out their year.
Setlist : Save Me From Myself, Sweet Woman, Pretty Little Thing, Jude Judas, 13, Shot Down, Mary Jane, From Hell, Bleed Me Out
There are shows and sets where you know you are seeing and experiencing something pretty damn special. BLVD of Eyes gave us one of those shows tonight. It’s one thing to listen to an artist in a controlled environment of your home, headphone or car. It represents the artist in the studio where everything is recorded and mastered precisely is measurable. On record BLVD of Eyes do sound amazing and their latest EP “We Are Humans” is an incredible listen.
Live the songs and the band are something else, there is an added dimension of personality. There is something within this band that just becomes so unique in the live space. Seeing the band connect to these songs, the energy, the passion, the connectivity and authenticity in which they are delivered is truly enhancing. It is obvious just how in sync Chloe Trujillo is with these songs as she has this flow, grace and at time aggression when it comes to these songs. When you begin to add raw emotion and performance into these songs, they take on a whole new life.
It must be hard debuting songs from an EP that was released on the same day as your first gig in a new country. Fans however fell in love with this performance; they engaged and embraced. Guitarist Kevin Hicklin is a Bonafide rock star, larger than life and lethal in his execution. Seeing and feeling his connection to his parts just added to the experience, his versatility and sound textures are superb. Bassist and co-founder Mark Dalbeth is also a crucial part to the overall delivery of these songs and sounds. His backing vocals and delivery add to Trujillo’s at time haunting delivery adding something magical. His bass tones and parts verge on experimentation enhancing the live experience.
I have to tip my hat to drummer Shane Evans who played the songs with such precision, he only had one rehearsal with the band and if you didn’t know that would swear that he has been an integral part of the band and with them for many years. There was a magic on that stage tonight. The songs are all journeys in their individual ways, they are a dynamic and stylistic melting pot that makes BLVD of Eyes what they are, there is so deep and richness in their catalogue.
The room was full of new fans and the merch simply flew out at the end of their set. That is a testament to what we had witnessed. I highly recommend getting yourself along to one of these BLVD of Eyes shows. I would be back in a heartbeat. Check out BLVD of Eyes on socials and your favourite streaming service now.
Setlist : The Heaviest Sound Is Silence, 5D, Mana, Razor Steps, Alchemy, BLVD of Eyes, Concrete Empire, The Weight Of Gold Teeth, Dahlia, We Are Human
A huge thank you to Tim at Xmusic for the access.
Photos by Shot By Slaidins Photography