The Louisiana, a popular music venue nestled close to Bristol’s bustling harbourside was lively this evening. A steady stream of fans swirled past the bar and upstairs into the main room, as if waiting to get into a house party. After squeezing our way through the crowd to get to the front, Troy Redfern appears followed by the bassist who is wearing tassel cowgirl boots and diamante jeans. Last on is the enthusiastic curly-haired drummer, dressed suitably in a Hawaiian shirt.
Warming up the audience for the evening, Troy Redfern gets down and dirty with his impressive slide guitar repertoire, strong raspy vocals and free-spirited stage presence. All three are great musicians, with plenty of vocal harmonies too. Not complete without his novelty flashing slide piece, Troy Redfern also certainly gets through a lot of guitars during his gigs. We identified at least six, ranging from the classic Fender Strat to his trusty old rustic creme vintage.
The music itself almost summons up hazy visions of being lost in the hot desert, drinking tequila, hanging out with cactuses and snakes and possibly wearing a sombrero. Perhaps there’s even a cowboy fight or two breaking out in the nearest town. You can envision the horizon over the planes. The sunset seems to pour in through the speakers of the venue like a liquid ambience. The style is bluesy, yet distinctly Southern. Our only question is, where did Troy Redfern leave his horse for the evening?
www.thecommoners.ca | www.troyredfern.com
The Commoners
Travelling all the way from Toronto Canada, the long-haired fivesome step gallantly onto the stage. Confident, bold and packing plenty of musicality (and an extra keyboardist) the band brings a ton of energy which gets the audience dancing straight away.
Influenced heavily by The Black Crowes, Derek Trucks, Marcus King and the Allman Brothers Band, The Commoners embody both Southern blues and soul-infused roots rock, yet carve a distinctive, authentic sound all their own. One of the guitarists pulls out a large bow mid-set, which he uses to play his guitar, adding an unusual twist to both their sound and look.
The final song is very different from the rest, appearing to tap into a more progressive, experimental style. Thoughts of Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd briefly spring to mind. Perhaps this was a little prelude to what the band will be getting up to in the next phase of their musical journey.
“You’ve been a beautiful audience tonight, and you sure are better looking than us!” the lead singer jokes warmly.
The Commoners latest single ‘More Than Mistakes’ taken from their critically acclaimed album ‘Find A Better Way”, was released 7th March 2023 and can now be found on their website: www.thecommoners.ca/store.
www.thecommoners.ca | www.troyredfern.com
Chris Medhurst – Vocals/Guitar
Ben Spiller – Bass
Ross Hayes Citrullo – Lead Guitar
Adam Cannon – Drums
Review: Jazz Lamport
Photography: Emma Painter // Pacific Curd Photography
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