Unsigned Live: Stoneface Travellers at The 100 Club

As you enter the iconic venue of The 100 Club, it’s hard not to notice all the photos adorning the walls of the many legendary artists who have frequented it over the years gone by. As much as I’d love to see Paul McCartney, Kiss, The White Stripes or any of those other epic acts, I am here to see the Stoneface Travellers. And very excited I am about it too.

Four other bands are also here alongside SFT to make up the evening’s lineup. I arrived just in time to catch ‘One Sweet Thing’ – apparently the youngest band of the night, brimming full of vigorous enthusiasm and blasting out angsty tunes with a ‘nu-metal’ edge.

The band I am here to see take the third slot of the night (I missed the first band) and – after a swift turn around – the endearingly unpretentious trio take to the stage. Although the line up of the band has recently changed, Stoneface Travellers have a unique and undeniable chemistry together on stage that oozes through their performance and only adds to their effortlessly cool appearance and magnificent sound.

As Emile Gerber leads the band with his soulful, penetrating vocals and flawless licks on slide guitar, Micah Woulfe pounds away at the drums with immense enthusiasm, executing perfect blues beats at the same time as delivering tight riffs on harmonica (impressive, huh?!) and Blaise Veil exudes charisma and a wonderfully striking stage presence as she maintains the impeccable rhythm section with her exceptional expertise on bass.

Whilst songs such as ‘I Don’t Love You Anyway’ and ‘Train Song’ are gritty, feedback-filled anthems, reminiscent of contemporary legend Seasick Steve, others are more traditional, taking one back to the sounds of classic blues artists like Robert Johnson. One thing is for sure, however; whether Stoneface Travellers are delivering blues classics such as Poor Black Mattie or their own, original numbers, they remain exquisite in their ability to generate raw, bluesy goodness.

My only criticism of the set would be that (as is the same whenever I see one of my favourite bands) it was too short. But, rules are rules – The 100 Club had to make way for entertaining, blues-rocking headliners: Albany Down.

It fills me with excitement to say that Stoneface Travellers are recording a new EP as we speak. Can’t Wait.

Mari Lane
@marimindles