We have characterized the Texas singer/songwriter and guitar-shredding powerhouse ALLY VENABLE‘s work as “creative fretboard artistry and expressive nourishment…”
The artist recently released her sixth studio album, Money & Power (via Ruf Records), recorded at Soundstage Studios in Nashville with the multi-award-winning producer and drummer Tom Hambridge (Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy).
We witnessed her live performance at the legendary 100 Club in London’s West End on Thursday, September 10th 2026.
Ally took the stage wearing a floaty hippie top over a silvery sparkle mini dress and she blazed straight into the first number, producing a see-sawing, slice-through-the-air riff on the power-anthem “Unbreakable.”
Her vocals were pure and passionately soulful, ornamented by liquid-gold peals of tasty guitar. The muted damson-jam stickiness of her notes added a piquant sense of courage.
The muted damson-jam stickiness of her notes added a piquant sense of courage…
She told the crowd she had come “all the way from Texas” and had been “working with Buddy Guy...” before raising a glass of her favorite drink, “brown liquor,” adding an extra cheers “...to amazing blues-rock music!” Then, with gurgly wah-wah and appropriate electric effervescence, the crowd was treated to “Brown Liquor” (this featured Christone “Kingfish” Ingram on the album recording). The live version boasted a Sabbathy, bashing thump and a clear-cut glam-rock riff. Ally blasted out her trademark electric embroideries against the steady chuff that had been expertly rolled out by her competent rhythm section, delivering, all-the-while, steamy dynamic solos.
Next, her ambidextrous bassist-cum-keyboardist E.J. Bedford laid down some low-slung blue notes against an eruption of electric fizz and perpetually squeezed-out guitar pyrotechnics. Ally taunted, “Loosen up a little… do ya want me to play some blues for you tonight? Guaranteed to blow your mind...” What followed was her rendition of James Taylor’s “Steamroller.” Originally a tongue-in-cheek prank song back in 1969, when delivered by Venable the song becomes a candid, vigorous carnal outpouring… libidinous in the extreme! Her voice offered soot and gravel, yet slid down like honey on the tongue.
“Texas Louisiana” (co-written with Buddy Guy… “I’ll be playing RKO with him on his 90th birthday,” she noted) featured E.J. Bedford on keys (and now a fluffy bass guitar) who also took Buddy’s vocal parts. Isaac Pulido played drums for the power trio. In London, “Texas Louisiana” turned into a clobbering feast of choppy beats, sludgy yet exciting riffs, and powerfully built blues progressions. Ally’s guitar lacework tantalized the crowd, weaving arcs of wonder across the club.
The slow-driving “Broken and Blue” delivered haunting vocals and passion aplenty, with Ally’s weeping guitar dripping tears of remorse and regret. This was a true expedition of aural delight.
The funky, dance-riffic “Stopper Back Papa” proved an instant head-nodder and toe-tapper: “If you keep on pouring, going to paint this house red / ‘Cause I get crazy when the whiskey goes to my head.”
This was an exhilarating electric blues-rock concert, featuring sustained guitar solos, deft musicianship, expert tension and release, and enjoyable dips into heartland blues, soul-funk, wah-pedal haziness, and turned-on vocalizing. Ablaze!
The exciting ALLY VENABLE tour continues https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/ally-venable-tickets/artist/5323024 :
- * Friday, September 11: Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
* Saturday, September 12: Norwich, The Waterfront
* Sunday, September 13: Manchester, The Deaf Institute
* Tuesday, September 15: Glasgow, Stereo
* Wednesday, September 16: Bristol, Exchange
* Thursday, September 17: Faversham, The Old Brewery
ALLY VENABLE 100 Club London
Words: © Neil Mach
Photos: © Les Linyard
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