Psychedelic Progressive rocker Rosalie Cunningham released her eagerly anticipated third solo album ‘To Shoot Another Day’ in November 2024 through the Esoteric Antenna record label. This month she is back out on the second leg of her UK tour to promote the album, stopping off tonight at Brighton’s Hope & Ruin. Rosalie’s current, and most consistent live band lineup consists of herself on vocals/guitar, her partner Rosco Levee on guitar/backing vocals, Bo Walsh on drums, Claudia Gonzalez Diaz on bass/flute/backing vocals and Aaron B. Thompson on keyboards.

Rosalie founded her first professional band, the all-female, Punk Psychedelic outfit Ipso Facto in 2007, releasing three singles and the mini album 'IF...' in 2009. In 2011 Rosalie formed the Gothic Psychedelic Heavy Rock band Purson who released their critically acclaimed debut album, 'The Circle & The Blue Door' in 2013. The band went through several lineup changes since their inception, founder Cunningham being the only original and consistent member. The debut album was followed by the EP, 'In the Meantime…' in 2015, then in April 2016 Purson released the eclectically adventurous 'Desire’s Magic Theatre' album on the Spinefarm/Universal label.

Despite elevating success and growing audiences, Cunningham shockingly decided to disband Purson in late 2016! With their last ever gig being at The Lexington Club, London on 15th December 2016, where Rosalie shockingly announced on stage, that “this will be the last gig we ever do!” Reminiscent of Bowie’s surprise announcement on stage in 1973 declaring the end of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars!

After taking some time out to write new music and reassess where she would take her music career next, Cunningham reappeared with a set of new songs, for a proposed solo album, at a low-key solo gig at the Railway Hotel in Southend on 17th July 2018. Her plan was to finance the recording of her new album through the crowd funding online platform PledgeMusic. Sadly, this platform went bankrupt, with most of the artists signed up not getting paid and many of the fans that had already pledged money not being refunded!

Despite these setbacks, her eponymous titled debut solo album was eventually released in 2019 on the Esoteric Antenna record label. A powerfully ambitious and theatrically intriguing masterpiece! 2021 saw the release of the limited-edition green vinyl only double A-sided single ‘Number 149’ and ‘Fossil Song’ with her eagerly awaited sophomore album ‘Two Piece Puzzle’ being released on Esoteric Antenna records in Spring 2022.

Supporting Rosalie on this trip was current Gong guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Kavus Torabi. As well as being the frontman in Gong, Kavus has also release two solo albums ‘Hip to the Jag’ in 2020 and ‘The Banishing’ in 2024. He formed his first band Die Laughing in 1988, then in 1994 he formed The Monsoon Bassoon. By 2002 he not only fronted Knifeworld but joined the Cardiacs as their lead guitarist, staying with them for five years. In parallel with Knifeworld, Kavus then joined Guapo as permanent guitarist in 2006. In 2021 the band (while retaining the same lineup) took on a new identity as The Holy Family, releasing an eponymous debut album in July of that year. Between 2010 and 2018 Kavus co-presented "The Interesting Alternative Show" with former snooker player Steve Davis on Brentwood radio station Phoenix FM. Out of that partnership developed the electronic soundscape project The Utopia Strong. Kavus joined Gong in 2013 and went on to front the band after the passing of founder and leader Daevid Allen in March 2015. To date the Kavus lead Gong have release three studio albums ‘Rejoice! I'm Dead!’ (2016), ‘The Universe Also Collapses’ (2019), ‘Unending Ascending’ (2023) and the live album ‘Pulsing Signals’ (2022).

For Kavus’s support slot he accompanied himself on Harmonium and guitar with a little help from an array of effects and loop pedals to augment his performance and facilitate transcendental euphoria! His illuminatingly absorbing set included a selection of tracks from each of his two solo albums, plus the chilling Knifeworld classic ‘The Skulls We Buried Have Regrown Their Eyes’, and a new Ozric Tentacles sounding composition that doesn’t yet have a title. A bewitchingly enthralling set that went down well with the gathered throng of eager punters.

It has been nine years since Rosalie last played the Hope & Ruin where she appeared with her previous band Purson in March 2016. Returning here as a fully-fledged seasoned solo artist, she and her suitably red-hot and smokin’ band kicked off in delectably seductive style with the tantalisingly Psychedelic ‘Ride on My Bike’ from her 2019 debut album. An intercalating musical tapestry laced with fuzz-drenched guitars, wailing Wurlitzer organ and spicily peppered with infectiously spectral grooves. With everyone suitably warmed up it was time to delve into the brand-new album ‘To Shoot Another Day’ with a whopping five tracks on the bounce including the dramatically cinematic title track, which sounds very much like a contender for the next Bond movie theme tune. The mischievous ‘Timothy Martin’s Conditioning School’ followed. Apparently inspired by Wetherspoons pub chain founder and chairman Tim Martin, where the drinks are cheap and the young go to get tanked up on cheap booze before hitting the clubs. A rite of passage to adulthood so to speak!

The funky Jazz of ‘Heavy Pencil’ with its twisting and jibbing interludes tantalised the senses before the slinky Rock instrumental ‘The Smut Peddler’ infected us with rapturous anticipation for the hypnotically insistent throb and devilish hooks of the ‘Spook Racket’ which had us all under it’s spooky spell! An intriguing smorgasbord of eclectically metaphysical infused compositions that showcased Rosalie's accomplished song writing and clever arranging skills to the max. It was quite clear that this lineup were firing on all cylinders having gelled as a band with constant touring over the last few years.

The time seemed appropriate to take a jump back to the previous album ‘Two Piece Puzzle’, released in 2022, for Part One of the 'Ellington' trilogy in the form of the salubriously lavish ‘Donovan Ellington’. The trilogy charts the journey of Ellington from humble beginnings to dreams of a better life across the sea to lands of great promise! A compelling track, filled with delicious hooks and gratifying melodic phrases! Rosalie's seductively sultry dulcet tones were euphonically piquant. This was a particularly special gig for Rosalie as her Mum was in attendance, for which she dedicated the next song 'Home' to her. This serenely tranquil ballad is an extra track on the CD version of the new album. Claudia and Rosalie harmonised beautifully sending shivers down the spine. As I was standing right next to her Mum I could sense the emotional pride emanating over her daughter’s dazzling performance and dedication.

With a change in mood and direction it was onto a soon to be released new song in the shape of the leg shaking foot stomping ‘Rabbit Foot’. Rosco takes the lead vocal on this one with Rosalie relegated to backing vocals. Apparently, this track is for an album that Rosco and Rosalie are planning to release as a duo. A more straight ahead Rock song influenced by the likes of Cream, Free and the Southern Rock sounds of The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Getting back to Rosalie's new album we were treated to the slinky shuffle of ‘In the Shade of the Shadows’. A mystifyingly mysterious song laced with intricate layers of delphic meaning and deep pockets of light and shade. Rosalie's enticing vocal delivery had us transfixed.

A very welcome surprise came next with a jump back to 2012 for the B-side 'Wool' from the very first Purson EP 'Rocking Horse'. A suitably riff-heavy Gothic style rocker had the elated audience in raptures. Much headbanging ensued! Moving on ten years to the 2022 ‘Two Piece Puzzle’ album came the effervescently jaunty Beatle-esque sounding ‘Duet’ which, as the title suggests, is a duet! Rosalie and Rosco battle it out with some humorous vocal sparring about ego and stardom!

Events then turned a bit esoterically exotic for ‘Tristitia Amnesia’ from the 2022 ‘Two Piece Puzzle’ album. An atmospherically curious track filled with heartbreak, sorrow and sadness! Rosalie’s stirringly haunting vocals had us all captivated. Another welcome surprise followed in the form of ‘Tempest and The Tide’, a Gothic Folk-Rock masterpiece from the debut Purson album 'Circle & The Blue Door' released in 2013. A mellifluously eloquent vocal melody floats playfully over gracefully picked acoustic guitar chords, with tension building keyboard flourishes and wispy cymbal swooshes animating the scene before all hell breaks loose in a tsunami of explosive drums and electrifying power chords! Superb rendition.

The third part of the 'Ellington' trilogy ‘Return of the Ellington’ was aired next and got a pivotal performance. This song features as an extra track on the CD version of the new album. Ellington’s voyage has come full circle and finds him returning to pastures old and regaling tales of distant lands. Oodles of spryly nimble electric guitar riffing and sophisticated soloing from Rosco prevailed. Flamboyant hooks and undulating melodic runs pleased and beguiled in equal measures. Claudia's solidly steadfast bass throb anchored the groove over which Bo’s dynamically solid drumming, percussive dexterity and inventive flair added feisty weight to the party. Rosalie’s vocal delivery was decorously expressive and eloquently evocative. Wonderful stuff indeed!

Bringing proceedings to a triumphant close was the spectacularly dramatic ‘Dethroning of the Party Queen’ from the 2019 debut album. A poetically vaudevillian song that bounced along with striking potency exciting our senses and tingling our already blown minds! Pure Psychedelic cabaret executed with zestful panache! Rosalie's charismatically entrancing stage presence and warm velvet textured voice rapturously transfixed us all.

Steven C. Gilbert