The BellRays
By Kit Macdonald
Lisa Kekaula and Robert Vennum's BellRays may have a reputation for being, to paraphrase This Is Spinal Tap, "one of America's loudest bands", but there's a whole lot going on with the longstanding Californian group than just that. "It's not rock, it's not funk, it's not soul, or punk," as the band themselves put it. "It's a festival where AC/DC and Motorhead meet Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin."
Fishbone, The Damned and Lisa & The Lips are also valid points of comparison for a band who've been honing their craft since 1990, and have a new album, Heavy Steady Go!, that's up there with their best work. Their live performances are particularly celebrated for their high-energy delivery and Kekaula's magnetic stage presence, so anyone with even a passing interest in this sort of music would be well advised to join the band's many devotees at what should be a memorable show.