BLUE STRAGGLERS + COUSINS + HONEYTREE – CELLAR BAR, THE BRUNSWICK, HOVE 22.8.26
Tonight we find ourselves in the mighty Brunswick in Hove (actually). The venue has long been a training ground for up-and-coming bands. Now though it also provides space for an award-winning escape room, large and expansive main bar and seating area and an outside seating area and added space upstairs which houses comedy, drama and as with tonight live music.
You WILL have found yourself here at some point, watching a friend’s band, and or watching something new and untested at Brighton Festival or Brighton Fringe Festival. The bar is extensive in range, and the staff are always polite and welcoming. I enjoyed many a night here when living on Holland Road, near to the then incumbent, local celebrity and Godlike figure ‘Saint’ Nick Cave back in the early 2000’s. We have both moved on to the sunnier climate of Lewes, but the Brunswick stays as always, a venue of choice to those aware of Brighton and Hove, (actually).
Honeytree (7:30pm – 8.00pm):
Formed at school back in the ‘90s just prior to the rise of ‘Grunge’. Honeytree are three local Shoreham-by-Sea men, James Lloyd (vox + guitar), Steve Reynolds (vox + bass), and James Ollerton (vox + drums). With both Ollerton and Reynolds trained (or self trained) in classical as well as Jazz and blues the trio are rounded off by Lloyd’s baritone vocals worthy of the most famous lounge singer’s/ lounge lizards. The trio enjoyed early success and attention as the “Next Big Thing” of the southern music scene. More infamous than ever breaking out, the trio have continued to tour and play together.
Before the band played the Brunswick I misheard their name as “Honey Wax.” Corrected by Jess, I have gotta say I hope they consider that change, it has legs? Forgive me, but it could at first have been for an impromptu comedy half hour when the band took the stage. Their interaction is the culmination of thirty or more years of playing together. James Lloyd, the lead singer and guitarist, who I had met before, could not be more different when he takes to the stage. He had to re-tune between tracks, but he nails the strings, and his voice takes over, it’s like listening to Kurt Cobain circa Nirvana MTV live.
The trio’s interaction proved to be as entertaining as their playing. At one point, when Lloyd announced that they were going to play a cover of Public Enemy’s ‘Black Steel’ (popularised further when Tricky covered it), Reynolds appeared to throw up his arms in confusion. The band’s set was tight and clearly practiced, but also raw where it needed to be. Stand outs were the covers of ABBA’s ‘S.O.S,’ the cover of ‘Black Steel,’ ‘Naked Tonight’ and ‘You Took My Heart.’ This second time round suits the band more mature than the first non gambit for fame, they are fully comfortable with themselves on stage. Catch the band on January 15th, 2027, at Daltons, joined by the Blue Stragglers and another ten yet unannounced acts. The final line-up and preview will appear here, keep your eyes peeled!
Honeytree:
James A Lloyd – vocals, guitar
Steve Reynolds – vocals, bass
James Ollerton – vocals, drums
Honeytree setlist:
‘Hound Dog’ (unreleased)
‘Naked Tonight’ (unreleased)
‘Saturday Night’ (from 2017 ‘Houseboat Sessions’)
‘U Took My Heart’ (unreleased)
‘Merkel’ (unreleased)
‘S.O.S’ (unreleased)
‘Black Steel’ (unreleased)
‘How You Sleep’ (from 2024 ‘Jimi’s Garage Session’ EP)
www.instagram.com/honeytree_theband
Cousins The Band (8:15pm – 9:00pm):
Described by Sully from the band as “emo and pop pink tinged disaster mixed with perpetrators of losercore.” Cousins are heavily influenced by Ween, Presidents of the U.S.A and Weezer. They wear their ‘slacker rock’ influences with pride and were formed at Sully’s parent’s pub ‘The Anchor Tap’ in Horsham.
On arrival at a venue I always set up when bands are sound-checking where possible.
Sometimes it’s worth it to capture any potential fireworks, other times to watch the essential magic from something a little special forming. I am pleased to say that Cousins firmly fell into the latter camp. It is not often that the support act brings a following along with them, or even have anyone turn up. However, both support bands arrived with a retinue, and had people arriving throughout the other sets. Those who were firmly there to see the Blue Stragglers took to both support bands as vice versa.
It was a well programmed night of music.
Cousins were a joy to watch sound checking; they complemented each other completely and worked well as a team. They were also charm personified. The youngest in the line-up of the night, they were gracious and curious. They are, however, entirely different creatures in front of an audience, well partially at least, they are still lovely to the audience and each other, but, and it is a big BUT, when let loose in front of actors both from home and new listeners from Brighton Cousins become BEASTS!
Raucous fun from start to finish they’re the kind of college band who have that little more polish and drive than the rest. Lead singer Sully is born to sing; he did not so much sing into the mic as almost swallow it whole. He was not alone in his ferocity of performance. Strings were put to test, and skins were hammered without respite throughout. Their whole set had everyone grinning, dancing, head tapping and singing along. Standout tracks were ‘Paid,’ ‘F*cking Boing’ and ‘Jort.’ While none of the tracks were available to purchase at the time of writing, they had been in the studio recording their forthcoming album. Their producer even took a turn at drumming at one point.
We look forward to hearing the album in its entirety when it’s ready, in the meantime you can listen to the singles on a digital listening medium of your choice.
Cousins The Band:
Sully – vocals
Lewis – bass
Will – drums
Alex – guitar
Cousins The Band setlist:
‘Kill Nose’ (unreleased)
‘F*cking Boing’ (unreleased)
‘Cuck Men’ (unreleased)
‘Kick’ (unreleased)
‘Paid’ (unreleased)
‘Jam Hot date’ (unreleased)
‘Hash’ (unreleased)
‘Jort (Jort-Short)’ (unreleased)
‘Squirrel’ (unreleased)
www.instagram.com/cousinstheband
Blue Stragglers (9:15 – 10:15pm):
Our headliner for the night, the Blue Stragglers, were instrumental in setting up the line-up for this evening’s show and booking the venue, which believe me is no small task.
Blue Stragglers, consisting of Lee Martin (vocals/guitar), Ali Waite (bass) and Andy Head (drums/backing vocals) have done things on their own terms since their earliest days. From the get-go, the industrious group were keen to find a HQ. So, when their local pub ‘The Dunn Horse’ closed, the band managed to strip the place before it was converted into apartments, and they transported the entire pub interior into Lee’s house. From this eccentric setting, the band have regularly curated and hosted gigs at the house, newly named as ‘The Denne Horse’ where they did some live stream shows in lockdown.
The power trio also have an undeniably strong work ethic and have relentlessly gigged throughout the country, racking up prominent supports with Wolfmother, Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, Hotwax and Demob Happy. As well as festival slots at ‘Download Festival’.
I am rarely if ever blown away by a new band. However, this was the case with the Blue Stragglers. There was a HUGE amount of bias in that audience. The buzz was, “think Queens Of The Stone Age, but from Horsham.,” quite the write up, and one I thought impossible to live up to. I was wrong.
From the split second the band took the stage they took not just me, but the whole audience on a journey away from the basement of a Brighton venue out to the Californian desert with Josh Homme and guests during the Dessert Sessions, via Eagles of Death Metal’s desire to be in L.A and then squarely back with Homme and Ghrol in the early days of the Queens Of The Stone Age. It was absolute bliss.
I am seldom as impressed by a band as I was by the Blue Stragglers. I was there to support Honey Tree who I have been friends with and occasional roadie and unofficial PR for nearly thirty plus years now, which is why I had to get another reviewer to take up their coverage, no bias can be had, I am not objective enough to write them up. I know them and the songs far, far too well. I am engaged to the bassist after all.
There could have been bias towards the Blue Stragglers, I know their bassist’s older brother. However, I was looking at doing a balanced, come overly gushy review, unfortunately its nigh on impossible not to have to hold on to something to keep yourself grounded when they play.
Lee is a British distillation of all the best that Homme has to offer, albeit with a mullet, which, and I don’t really know how he manages it, but he does look good?! He has the swagger, and the moves which seem to come naturally to him to make the girls swoon and forget themselves in front of their boyfriends/ girlfriends/ husbands and or wives. Ali on bass and Andy on drums are so in-sync that you can barely get a Rizla paper between them. Coupled with Lee they are quite frankly on a par with the likes of Q.O.T.S.A, Foo Fighters and Eagles of Death Metal. Andy is Taylor Hawkins, not just in drumming, but also in hair. I genuinely had to check to make sure he had not reincarnated on several occasions.
A bassist, albeit more of a D’arcy Pumpkins level of skill myself I appreciate a good bassist more than the average reviewer. Ali’s playing was near flawless, when the three coalesced in-front of us it was pure magic. There was not a bad track in the set. They even managed to surprise with moves during instrumentals and when they were tuning up. When you do go and see them, you will have the opportunity to do so frequently over the next few months. Lee’s ability to tune and drink from a bottle without missing a beat, is well worth seeing for yourself just to believe it. Stand out tracks were, ‘Celebration,’ ‘Self Made Man,’ and ‘Selfish Scene.’
Blue Stragglers:
Lee – vocals, guitar
Alister – bass
Andy – drums
Blue Stragglers setlist:
‘Hang Around’ (unreleased)
‘Celebration’ (from 2024 ‘Lightship Sessions’ EP)
‘One That Got Away’ (from 2024 ‘In Love For Half An Hour’ EP)
‘In Love For Half An Hour’ (from 2024 ‘In Love For Half An Hour’ EP)
‘Opus’ (unreleased)
‘Self Made Man’ (unreleased)
‘Aldarite’ (a 2025 single)
‘Selfish Scene’ (from 2024 ‘In Love For Half An Hour’ EP)
www.instagram.com/bluestragglers
