Brave Rival + Star Circus - Ramsgate Red Arrow Music Club, Thursday 8th January 2026

I suspect Star Circus have faced livelier crowds, but tonight they find themselves looking out at an audience seated around tables, some clutching a nice cup of tea in place of the more traditionally rock and roll beer! No matter, this North London quartet give it their all, and reveal themselves as a band brimming with ideas (and some pretty catchy choruses too!). With their irresistible mix of heavy riffs, vocal harmonies, twin guitar interludes and generous use of cowbell, sometimes all in the same song (look no further than ‘Chained to You’) Star Circus ensure that they’re not just remembered as the support act, but an attraction in their own right. 

I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t really paid much attention to Brave Rival since they arrived on the scene several years ago. I’ve heard good things and know that they were recently crowned Band of the Year at the UK Blues Awards, but that’s about the extent of my knowledge. So I’m delighted to discover a band who favour the harder rocking side of the blues, and are blessed with a compelling point of focus in singer Lindsey Bonnick. Beautifully clear and controlled, even at the top of her range, she’s also a likeable presence, joking that after two weeks off she’s forgotten all the words! Capable of delivering attitude on the stompy, shout-along ‘Bad Choices’ and swampy sleaze of ‘What’s Your Name Again?’, Bonnick is just as comfortable with the gently emotive ‘Heavy’ or hollering epic ‘Try Again’. 

There’s a lovely camaraderie within the band, a warmth in their interactions that positions Ed Clarke as the playful little brother; albeit a very talented little brother who can deliver masterful guitar solos, like the one that dominates the authentically bluesy ‘Stars Upon My Scars’. A song that’s allowed to stretch out, it culminates in an extended jam, bassist Billy Dedman dancing particularly nicely around Clarke’s guitar work, while drummer Donna Peters holds it all together, crashing in dramatically at the conclusion. 

All five songs from recent EP ‘5 to 4’ get an airing as the evening progresses (though Bonnick has to think about it for a moment!), and all feel worthy of inclusion. ‘Let Me Rock ‘n’ Roll’ is a condemnation of the misogyny that has been so prevalent in the genre over the years (or at least that’s how I’ve interpreted it!), and rocks as hard as the swaggering ‘Wild Child’. A riotous ‘Poison’ sees Clarke and Dedman aiming their guitars like weapons, a pleasing visual to accompany a song with plenty of kick. 

Though predominantly an evening of joy and banter, there is also sadness as Clarke reflects upon time spent with fellow guitarist Matt Long, who was just 29 when he succumbed to bowel cancer. It feels important to keep his music alive, and Brave Rival do just that with a spirited cover of Catfish song ‘Up in Smoke’. It’s a lovely way to cast the spotlight on a man whose talent was taken much too soon. 

If anything makes you feel more grateful for life than live music, I’m yet to discover it. It’s raining outside, and I’ve still got my coat on, but I wouldn’t have missed this evening for anything. Is it too soon to call myself a Bravian?! 

Dave Winkler - Guitar/vocals

Sophie Aurelia Young - Bass/vocals

William Robertson - Guitar/vocals

Reuben O’Donoghue - Drums 

Lindsey Bonnick - Vocals

Ed Clarke - Guitar

Billy Dedman - Bass

Donna Peters - Drums 

Setlist 

Let Me Rock ‘n’ Roll/Bad Choices/Poison/Seventeen/On the Next Round/Stars Upon My Scars/What’s Your Name Again?/Wild Child/Control/Try Again/Up in Smoke/Run and Hide/Heavy/Fairytale