By David O’Neill
Glenn Hughes delivered yet another spellbinding performance on this, the opening night of his ‘Chosen Years’ tour, with the talented Sophie Lloyd serving as the evening’s opening act. The show was a powerful, career-spanning celebration, brimming with classic rock tracks, explosive musicianship, and a resonant tribute both to Hughes’ vast legacy and his latest material.
Sophie Lloyd’s set proved the perfect prelude. Known for her technical command and genre-blurring instrumentals, Lloyd stepped into the spotlight with energy and flair.
Opening up with the ‘Top Gun’ theme and ‘Battleground’, she was joined on vocals by Marissa Rodriguez for ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’. The rest of the set featured this mix and other instrumental versions alongside imaginative covers like ‘Thunderstruck’ and ‘Enter Sandman’.
Each piece was performed with a confidence that belied her years, drawing rock and metal fans into her world and winning over new admirers with each solo. Her interplay with her live band and close friend Marissa Rodriguez on vocals gave the set a collaborative, jam-session feel. She is truly an exceptional rock guitarist, with a band that match her intensity.
Kicking off with deep cuts and enduring classics, Hughes’ setlist drew heavily from his illustrious history, including his time with, Trapeze, Hughes/Thrall, and Black Country Communion.
With Hughes performing ‘Muscle and Blood’, ‘Medusa’, ‘Sail Away’ and ‘One Last Soul, the elements of reflection were balanced by his telling of the stories behind the songs. Tracks from his new solo album, ‘Chosen’, such as the title song, ‘Voice In My Head’ and ‘Into The Fade’ added freshness to a set that balanced nostalgia with reinvention.
The encore included a fiery acoustic solo rendition of ‘Coast To Coast’ and ‘Black Country’ from ‘BCC 1’, and the finale of ‘Burn’ with Sophie Lloyd joining on lead guitar – well, what a highlight!
Hughes’s band -featuring Soren Andersen on guitar, Ash Sheehan on drums – provided a muscular, dynamic backbone without overshadowing Hughes’s astonishing vocal prowess. The crowd, clearly a mix of lifelong fans and newer converts, responded rapturously to the set’s ebb and flow.
It has been over 50 years since my first gig (Deep Purple MkIII) when Hughes, Coverdale, Lord, Paice and Blackmore had just released ‘Burn’. Glenn Hughes has always been “The Voice” and (unlike me) he has lost nothing in the intervening years, in vocals and performance.
It was as if I was that 15 year old transported back in time to the Hammersmith Odeon. Together, Hughes and Lloyd crafted a night marked by passion, evolution, and devotion to the craft of rock music. The setlist choices for both artists ensured the Bristol crowd experienced classic material re-energized for 2025 – proof that the spirit of rock, in their hands, is truly timeless.
- All photos © Bandtogs/Über Röck.
- The tour continues:
