Fresh from supporting Queens of the Stone Age, Jehnny Beth hit Bristol to mark the release of her second solo album “You Heartbreaker, You”.
Whilst the in-store appearance by a band is no new concept, the days of a couple of band members sheepishly perched on stools with an acoustic each to play a short stripped back set have evolved somewhat. With the recent stat that 1 in 40 gigs in the UK are now hosted by record shops, many stores have developed capacity to host full-on gigs. In a world of musicians being financially strangled by the likes of Spotify, the instore offers an essential avenue for promoting and selling physical copies in the week of release. A win for artist and record shop alike and also for the fans getting to see bands in a venue smaller than would be the norm. In the case of Jehnny Beth this evening, that is only a good thing. A windowless box at the rear of Rough Trade Bristol, a string of fairy lights across the back of the stage the token relief to the black décor, the focus is fully on the performers.
Not that Jehnny Beth is ever likely to get ignored. Whilst the former Savages singer may have enjoyed a supporting role acting in Netflix’s recent rating topper “The Hostage”, it’s clear tonight that this is her stage. Launching straight into album opener “Broken Rib”, the taut build up that brings Fugazi to mind lays the platform for what will be a relentlessly energetic and abrasive set. Backed by long time collaborator and partner Johnny Hostile on guitar (who played all the instruments on the album “He did all the work whilst I was lazy” deadpans Beth), Rive Hughes on bass and Wendy Killman on drums, this is a back-to-basics hardcore show with monster riffs wrapping around the singer’s hypnotic delivery. Often centre stage, mic stand gripped tight to deliver lyrics before darting around the stage highlighted hair flying, it’s no surprise that Beth is in the audience by the third song, the excellent “I Still Believe”. Although those gathered may not be quite up for her more customary crowd surfing, it emphasises the connection with the audience that the artist clearly feeds on in the live environment and to which the small room offers such intimacy.
As would be expected, the set draws heavily on “You Heartbreaker, You” with the songs taking on new life in the flesh. A cover of Bjork’s “Army of Me” also gets unleashed, the taut drums of Killman and the sinuous bass of Hughes faithfully replicating the original, although whether the Icelandic singer had considered the shards of guitar being unleashed by Hostile, all long hair and tattoos stage right, is moot. It does 100% f*cking work though – one hopes Beth can find a way to perform it along with songs from the new album on the excellent Echoes TV show that she hosts (think a French version of Jools Holland, but with much cooler bands and always beautifully shot and recorded).
The sole visit to her first solo album is a rendition of “How Could You”. Any slim hopes for an appearance by Bristol native Joe Talbot of Idles, who appears on the recorded version, are dashed by the admission that he’s busy guesting with Gorillaz on their live dates.
It is a honed twelve song set without any filler – in an interview regarding the album, Beth revealed that any component that bored her or Hostile during recording swiftly got removed to challenge them to higher levels in writing – that is intense, immersive and cathartic and gets to the essence of live music in the connection between artist and audience.
The songs on “You Heartbreaker, You” whether recorded or played live may not sit as easy listening, but when the art challenges and is so genuine and from the soul, then the listener can only be left feeling fully rewarded and alive. It’s clearly mission accomplished for Jehnny Beth.
Jehnny Beth is on tour across Europe in October 2025
https://www.jehnnybeth.com/tour
Words and pictures: Geoff Shaw
@gsmusicphotos