It’s not every night that a band can make a packed club feel like the centre of the musical universe, but ‘The Bellrays’ did just that at ‘16 Toneladas’ in Valencia. Delivering a relentless 80-minute set filled with fire, fury, and soul, the band reaffirmed why they remain one of the most exhilarating live acts around. “This is a Rock Show!” Lisa would repeat between songs as a mantra to keep the energy moving ever forward. With little if any breaks between songs, this concert pulled out all the punches and was worth the entrance ticket twice over. This really is rock’n’roll… and punk… and soul!

Frontwoman Lisa Kekaula’s voice is a force of nature—part gospel preacher, part rock-and-roll siren, and entirely unstoppable. From the moment she launched into Street Corner, it was clear that this would be no ordinary gig. With a band as tight and punchy as ever, led by the blistering guitar work of Bob Vennum, The Bellrays set the stage ablaze with their unique fusion of garage rock, punk, and deep-seated soul.

Lisa is very much her own woman; she commands the stage and has everything you could ask for as a singer in terms of raw passion, pitch-perfect vocals with soul and edge and great presence too. On top of that, she combines the fiery energy and preacher power of Little Richard at his most magnetic… with a dash of the rebellious Arthur Lee of Love at his most rocking. That’s quite a combination!

The set list was a masterclass in controlled chaos, each song crackling with energy. I Fall Down was a searing, bluesy revelation, while Hard Drive pounded with a raw intensity that left the crowd breathless. The groove-laden Snakes saw Kekaula’s voice soar effortlessly over a wall of distortion, while Ball of California and Pinball City took on an almost hypnotic power.

Indeed, their drummer is a master of groove and the band is so tight as a unit and well-oiled that they become an unstoppable machine on stage. You can see that they know the songs inside out but they also believe in them too. That’s the difference between a good band and a great band! ‘The Bellrays’ proved in Valencia, yet again, that they truly are a great live band.

Midway through the show, the band showed their incredible range with Changing Colours and Living a Lie, moments that gave the set a deeper, more emotional undercurrent. But any breather was short-lived as they roared back into high gear with Power to Burn and the crushing Down on My Knees.

The final stretch was an all-out assault on the senses. One More Night was delivered with a primal urgency, while Voodoo Train had the entire venue moving in unison, lost in the band’s infectious groove. By the time they tore into Revolution Get Down and Startime, the energy in 16 Toneladas was at its peak, the crowd transformed into a swirling mass of pure rock-and-roll devotion.

The Bellrays don’t just play music—they embody it, channeling decades of punk fury, soul passion, and garage grit into a live experience that feels as vital as ever. Leaving the stage to deafening cheers, they proved once again that their fire is far from burning out. If anything, it’s burning brighter than ever.

Report by ‘24/7 Valencia’ team

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

Photos copyright Phillip Solomonson/ ’24/7 Valencia’

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