Artist: Howling Bells

Venue: The Wedgewood Rooms

Town: Portsmouth

Date: 22.3.26

Last Sunday night at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth (Sunday, 22nd March 2026), Howling Bells proved that their decade-long silence hasn't dimmed their ability to conjure a "heady, immersive stew" of gritty rock and sepia-toned romance. Returning on their "Strange Life" tour, the Australian Band delivered a performance that oscillated between moody, feedback-drenched "noir rock" and high-energy indie anthems.

“Setting Sun” stretched

Juanita Stein’s vocal

to it’s upper limits"

The set was a balanced journey through their evolution, showcasing tracks from their new album Strange Life alongside career-defining classics with most songs pulled from the 2006 debut LP alongside the new release.

The band set a dark, cinematic tone early with tracks like "Blessed Night" and "Cities Burning Down" with backlit Red and Blue Lighting casting hazy shadows.

My personal favourite Howling Bells number “Setting Sun” stretched Juanita Stein’s vocal to it’s upper limits, certainly a set highlight. Indeed Stein’s Vocals remained the focal point, her voice moving effortlessly from "silky and sultry" to powerful, "lethal pipes" that bounced off the back walls.

With her backing band consisting of Glenn Moule on drums, Juanita's brother Joel Stein prowling on guitar and Brendan Picchio providing the Bass they have been described as “Goth” but I didn’t see much evidence of that label though there was an "Americana / Aussie style" bleeding through the music at times.

"Howling Bells

showed they aren't

just back; they are

exactly where

they need to be"

For the encore Juanita described hearing the “Girl, you’ll be a woman soon” by Urge Overkill without realising the original was by Neil Diamond, they took the Neil Diamond version as the steer for their moody cover version. Then to the PJ Harvey-esque darkness of "Low Happening" to finish a wonderful Sunday night where Howling Bells showed they aren't just back; they are exactly where they need to be, sounding more relevant than ever in the current indie-rock landscape.

Review and Photographs by Dan Reddick