Samantha Fish // The Zac Schulze Gang // Live Review // The O2 Academy // Bristol

A mild Sunday night in Bristol transformed into an authentic blues-rock extravaganza as Samantha Fish took to the stage as part of her Paper Doll World Tour. Fish is on her way up, receiving a 2023 Grammy nomination for her Death Wish Blues collaboration with Jesse Dayton, and opening for The Rolling Stones the following year. The O2 Academy was full from bar to pit, buzzing with energy and anticipation.

But first, The Zach Schulze Gang took to the Bristol stage. Composed of brothers Zac and Ben Schulze and bassist Ant Greenwell, the South-East UK trio formed only six years ago. So many a time, you could overhear coming from the crowd murmurs of ‘wow, they’re talented’ and ‘you never see people their age playing this sort of music!’ It isn’t exactly a mystery to figure out the cause of their rapid rise to success.

The drums drove the music like a challenge, a taunting ‘can you keep up?’ which never once phased Zac Schulze and Greenwell, who played challenging blues solos at unbelievable paces. You could get lost in the all-encompassing sound coming from the three young artists, which exploded with unstoppable intensity out of seemingly nowhere, then suddenly cut out, then gradually crescendoed again. One can healthily assume that Jim Morrison would approve.

Zac Schulze’s Ferris Bueller-esque animation and facial expressions had him darting crisply across the stage, with theatrical body language in time with the music, making the show all the more compelling. However, the frontman was not afraid to let the other members showcase their talents as well, with the aforementioned drums a constant driving force and Greenwell’s bass solos taking centre stage, in addition to his lead vocals on ‘Hole in my Pocket’, with a classic raspy blues voice.

After a mix of their own songs and covers of Dr. Feelgood and more, the set concluded with a highly personalised revision of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well’ with a flourish of energy. It is refreshing to see in a post-Nirvana age that young rock trios can continue to completely own and fill a stage.

Tickets for the UK leg of Samantha Fish and Zac Schulze’s October 2024 Tour are available from www.zacschulzegang.rocks, Alttickets.com, Gigantic.com, and Ticketmaster.co.uk.

THE ZAC SCHULZE GANG

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Review: Dabrowka Nowak

Photography: Emma Painter

Pacific Curd Photography

After a brief intermission, the much-anticipated Samantha Fish came on stage with complete confidence and joy. With star-studded flared leggings and a Marilyn Monroe hairstyle, she is instantly recognisable with a personal image you know will be eternally iconic.

Soon into her set began ‘Paper Doll’, the self-described ‘feminist’ anthem, which plays on the lyrical themes of Hole’s Live Through This and the song the recent album and tour are named after. The simple, energetic riffs lay down a backing for the grand presence of Fish’s voice. Her singing is defined by vocal clarity and intricate runs, but ‘voice’ here carries a double meaning. Placing the female experience at the forefront of blues-rock completely reverses and reclaims the genre’s vast male-centredness. Fish is securing her reputation as an iconic woman of music.

The cheery artist went on to capture the ‘Sweet Southern Sounds’ and then some on a glittery silver electric, playing precise solos in dialogue with her singing, and with an identifiable effortlessness and easy confidence. Later, this electric becomes a cigar box guitar, playing ode to the visual aesthetics of that wild west and sweet southern south. A guitar slide made a few appearances too, crafting that twangy, authentic sound to complement the otherwise modernised blues and rock. Further tribute to tradition was paid with not only a cover of ‘Poor Mattie’, but also with Fish incorporating a segment of ‘I Wish I was in Heaven Sitting Down’, a gospel song further popularised by R.L. Burnside. All in all, Fish takes a long-established genre and makes it completely her own.

A crowd packed with long hair, leather jackets, and cool hats danced along as Fish demonstrated her genuine appreciation, grinning widely as people sang along to songs from her new record. “Y’all like blues music, right?” and “this next verse is about you guys as a whole”, she shouts before replacing lyrics with ‘Bristol woman.’ One can never criticise an artist who truly cares about the people she performs for.

The rest of the band deserves mentions too, of course, with Ron Johnson on bass, Jamie Douglass on drums and Mickey Finn on keys. The band’s collective talent is showcased with ‘Dream Girl’, a slow ballad which escalates. Fish’s voice was subtly complemented with Johnson’s backing vocals throughout, and climaxed with an impressive display of vocal belting, a word too harsh really for Fish’s ever sweet and pure voice.

The show ended in a crowd-satisfying encore, when, much like at any gig, the masses chanted for more. Zac Shulze returned to join Fish on the guitar, and naturally, there was enthusiasm and smiles all around. From Samantha Fish’s Paper Doll tour, one can see a new generation of blues rising, more energetic, vibrant and joyful than ever.

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM
www.alttickets.com/samantha-fish-tickets
https://samanthafish.com/#tour
www.thequeenshall.net