blues @ temperance | Rebecca Downes (stripped back trio) Xmas show

Rebecca Downes – Stripped Back at Temperance, Leamington Spa

In this ‘stripped back’ show, Rebecca and Steve, along with drummer Neil Ablard and Jim Peterson on his upright electric bass, will perform original and cover tracks delivered in a laid-back style, producing a warm, embracing set that is especially suited to this wonderful, intimate venue.

Birmingham-based Rebecca is a fully independent artist creating original blues/rock music with her co-songwriter Steve Birkett and releasing it on her own label Mad Hat Records.

Wolverhampton-born Rebecca’s current music began when she linked up with co-songwriter Steve to write blues-infused material for their excellent first album, Back To The Start (2013) which was followed by Believe (2016) and the live album BeLive (2017). Rebecca was voted Female Vocalist and Emerging Artist of the Year at the British Blues Awards 2016 and Female Blues Vocalist of the Year in the FORM UK Blues Awards 2018.

More Sinner Than Saint (2019) contains material honed with advice from producer Chris Kimsey, famous for working with the Rolling Stones and Peter Frampton, and the tracks were mixed by California-based producer Bill Drescher and Thunder’s bassist Chris Childs. The album received considerable critical acclaim and the second single – Hurts – was playlisted by Planet Rock Radio UK.

Stripped Back (2021), is an album created under lockdown conditions, with ten tracks from Believe and More Sinner Than Saint each reimagined and re-presented in a laid-back style, together with two previously unreleased tracks.

The Space Between Us (2022) features ten new songs and one cover in a collection of raw, passionate, multi-hued tracks with a very live feel that allows Rebecca to deliver her very personal lyrics with vocal conviction. The album was produced by Steve Birkett and mixed and mastered by Gavin Monaghan.

Stranger Blue EP (2025) is a collection of classic cover songs recorded in ‘stripped back’ style.

A Storm Is Coming, featuring ten new original songs, was released on 31 October 2025 to critical acclaim, with three singles released earlier in the same year. The second, Falling Into You was playlisted by Planet Rock Radio and Waiting For The Morning has appeared on the station’s Blues Power playlist on three occasions.

Doors 7pm. Music from 7:30pm.

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