TPA’s Richard Swan and Roger Trenwith caught two different live shows from the recent Pearl Handled Revolver, ably supported by Teiger, tour. We start with Saturday’s performance at Gravesend’s Red Lion and followed by the show at the Camden Club the following evening…
Leo’s at The Red Lion, Gravesend
Saturday, 30th August 2025
A life affirming experience in more ways than one….. Here we are in Gravesend, just to the east of London’s East End, and there is a handful of people attending this well established music venue Leo’s The Red Lion. Where are all the people…..? Particularly when the headline band taking the stage is none other than the leading smoky blues rock band, Pearl Handled Revolver, very ably supported by Teiger, a modern day trio mixing all sorts of genres into a unique blend of prog and psychedelia, very well suited to the pairing with PHR. Teiger put on a very polished performance, supported on a couple of tracks by PHR’s very own Simon Rinaldo, and prog fans far and wide would be well recommended to seek them out.
In some ways, one can be somewhat disappointed at the turnout. But they are not the first band to have an audience in single figures and they won’t be the last. What’s important is that the band put on a gig with as much energy and feeling into it as if the room was was packed with 1,000 people; their professionalism knows no bounds.
The band was here to promote their recent studio album, Tales You Lose, released just a few months ago, and their third live album Live At The Bear Club, released only the day before this gig. Unsurprisingly, much of tonight’s gig covers tunes on both studio and live releases, but that is simply no excuse not to get out there and see this band live on stage. Their performance is wide-eyed engaging and lifts the sounds to new heights, with all members of the band getting solos throughout the set. This time, I am most taken by the young Lucas Rinaldo on bass, right up front providing a power rhythm on so many of their tracks, in particular Into The Blue, a crowd favourite from the 2016’s If The Devil Cast’s His Net. His superb playing releases Simon Rinaldo to do far more things on keys, notably the Hammond B3. Chris Thatcher’s drum beat is equally powerful; I was a little concerned for his health that he started the gig be-shirted, and was relieved to see him eventually ditch his shirt to present his trademark sweaty abs and pecs.
Andy Paris is a joy to watch on lead guitar, Simon Rinaldo often takes the lead with the keys, very much a cornerstone to the Pearl Handled Revolver sound and Lee Vernon, hair loose and tied back as the heat mounts, always has a majestic role as front man on raspy vocals and scintillating mouthorgan. He looks and sings the part to recreate the smoky atmosphere of blues rock clubs.
The set tonight was almost a dream for me. Opening with Junkies and Gilding The Lily from their new album, the band slipped seamlessly into an extended version of Into The Blue receiving rapturous applause from the audience, all 10 of us…. This was followed by Rabbit Hole from 2013’s This Mountain Awaits, Courageous (Tales You Lose), Siren (Fantasy Reigns) before returning to the recent Black Rock, my favourite from the recent studio album and certainly amongst my favourite of ALL their tracks; thanks for the dedication, Lee….. It’s one of those that I place on repeat for hours. And as the gig draws all too early to a close, they give us the lengthy Belly Of The Whale from 2019’s Fantasy Reigns, segueing into Help Me Down From The Trees. It’s a magnificent set, showcasing the very best from their full repertoire.
This is an exceptional band on stage. Blues-Rock, funk, psychedelia and prog all rolled into one and they never cease to leave the audience joyfully battered by a feeling rarely experienced. Two of the local Gravesend locals who had not seen the band before said it was one of the best gigs they had seen, and even the lovely lady behind the bar, Lesley, bought a copy of the live album. There may have only been a few of us in the audience but we didn’t half make a lot of noise in gratitude.
[Photos by Richard Swan]
The Camden Club
Sunday, 31st August 2025
It’s the last days of summer already – where did all that time go? Some things don’t change though, and here we are again in the familiar surroundings of the Camden Club. There is a buzz of anticipation in the air for tonight’s contrasting but complimentary double bill.
TEIGER
First up is Teiger, who have been on an upward trajectory recently, both musically and in stature. As I got here early, I witnessed the soundcheck, which always interesting. Taile apparently likes an extended microphone stand, as “I always lean on it”.
Teiger are a charismatic trio, led by Talie Rose Eigerland, whose distinctive vocals echo the expressiveness of Jeff Buckley combined with the more traditional rock singer power, are tonight delivered with the customary twinkle in the eye as she relaxed into the intimate atmosphere of the surroundings.
To her left, throwing his rock god shapes and coaxing unusual bass counterpoints from his trusty left-handed axe is Philip Eldridge-Smith, his face often hidden behind his mane of hair.
Locking those two together is the muscular rhythm machine that is Jon Steele. Easing into opener The Crawl, which builds in intensity, an intimate atmosphere is soon established. Some of the songs have a bluesy feel without going anywhere near a 12-bar at any point.
The songs reach righteous peaks from subtle beginnings, the simply gorgeous Bloodwork being a case in point.
They were joined by Pearl Handled Revolver’s Simon Rinaldo on keyboards for Chalkduster, which lent the song a lovely layer of sonic icing. That was followed by The Law Of Diminishing Returns, which for some reason I can’t quite put my finger on, made me think of Led Zeppelin at their least bombastic. Simon rejoins the band for their fab take on Portishead’s Glory Box, and then we’re at Hydra, the last song, and a great set is over already.
Teiger possess a unique (an overused word in reviews that in this case is thoroughly deserved) sound. Combining intimacy, gorgeous hooks, and a tough rhythmic pulse that displays no little danceability, not that there was any room for dancing in this seated venue, this band are a bit special. Catch them if you can!
[Photos by Roger Trenwith]
The Crawl
Sahara
Bloodwork
Luna
The Last One
Chalkduster
The Law Of Diminishing Returns
The Thinnest Wall
Glory Box
Hydra
Talie Rose Eigeland – Vocals, Guitar
Phillip Eldridge-Smith – Bass
Jon Steele – Drums
PEARL HANDLED REVOLVER
After a short break, the small stage is filled by the five members of Bedford psych rockers Pearl Handled Revolver. With a new album to promote, it’s raw energy still in the air, this established band are flying high with renewed energy.
Showcasing songs from the new album, with a few older numbers in the mix, including a storming rendition of vintage number Rabbit Hole, the band fire their raw energy straight into the audience who are mere feet away. We all quickly became part of this enthralling, electrifying experience.
Charismatic frontman Lee Vernon channels the rock shamen of days of yore like he was born to it, sometimes blowing his harmonica like a man possessed, his slight frame powered by unseen forces.
Equally compelling is guitarist/bassist Lucas Rinaldo, sometimes hidden by his corkscrew locks as he coaxes maximum riffage out of his guitar or bass. The keyboard player is Lucas’s dad Simon Rinaldo, whose rig takes up a chunk of stage left as we look. His playing is the meat on the bones of this rock behemoth. Drummer Chris Thatcher holds it all down with steady beats and a fair portion of swing, while guitarist Andy Paris supplies some fine ego-less top line geetar.
Opener Junkies has an evil sheen to it that gets the blood racing, with some nifty bass work from Lucas. Whoever said the Devil has the best tunes was right! The groove continues with a propulsive Gilding The Lily, which throws all the right shapes.
The band mine a deep seam of funk with an effortless swagger that is a joy to watch, and looking at them, a joy to play too! Oldie Rabbit Hole is as if Nick Cave was fronting Black Sabbath, as it lurches along menacingly. It also sees twin six string guitars, as bassist Lucas puts down his fretless five string bass to double up on the monster riff.
Doorsy tuneage is there too, especially Siren and Andy contributes some fine blasts of bottleneck guitar to it to complete the mix. The extended grooves of Black Rock show this band amply displaying the transformative power of rock’n’roll, o yes! They also do psychedelic pop as a rollicking Space Invaders attests.
Belly Of The Whale gets all post-Syd Floyd on our asses, as Simon’s keyboards evoke 1970 vibes from the ruins of Pompeii. Chris’s driving beat lifts the tune through the gears as it swirls and zooms around our ears. Bloody marvellous!
Pearl Handled Revolver are a band who have been gigging for years, and as a result know each others moves instinctively, and although Lucas is the relatively new boy, you wouldn’t know it. In fact he adds another ingredient to the already enticing recipe. Pearl Handled Revolver are comfortable in their own skin and play with an easy confidence that transmits the love of their craft to a willingly eager audience. Oh…and they ROCK!
[Photos by Roger Trenwith]
SETLIST
Junkies
Gilding The Lily
Into The Blue
Rabbit Hole
Courageous
Siren
Black Rock
Space Invader
Belly Of The Whale
Help Me Through The Trees
MUSICIANS
Lee Vernon – Vocals, Harmonica
Simon Rinaldo – Organ, Keyboards
Chris Thatcher – Drums, Backing Vocals
Andy Paris – Guitar
Lucas Rinaldo – Bass Guitar, Guitar
– Setlist and line-up the same for both shows
LINKS
Pearl Handled Revolver – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
Congrats to Chris Parkins of London Prog Gigs for putting this inspired bill together. A great time was had by all!
