KATE HALL - LIVE REVIEW

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Kate Hall + 3 Days Of Wonder + Marianne Joyce @ the Junction, Plymouth


Show Date: 18th July 2026


If you walk into any British town and find your way to the most established venue (e.g. the one with theoldest posters) then you have a fairly high chance of stumbling across some incredibly talented musicians swimming against the tide of online life and the lure of TikTok fame. On this particular night, I struck gold as I stepped off a warm and busy street in Plymouth into the spellbound calm of the Junction, finding a crowd hushed and listening to the music of Marianne Joyce. In a set of largely original material (one Sam Fender cover aside), the Plymouth based singer-songwriter's melodic guitar work and effortless vocals really captivated the audience. On top of that, Maryanne has already mastered the skill of audience interaction which seems to evade some bands who play in to much larger audiences so definitely one to watch. 




South Devon quartet 3 Days Of Wonder have been well featured on this blog and for good reason - they are impossibly talented at both song writing and performing. What I hadn't fully appreciated is just how forceful their sound would be live with a tight rhythm section, gnarly lead guitar (too low in the mix but it was there) and vocals that were both smooth and powerful - like caramel being fired out of a cannon. Recent single 'Over And Out' and set closer 'Maniacs' were real highlights with infectious melodies and sing-a-long lyrics proving that this is a band that know how to own the stage, work a crowd and turn the energy levels up to 11. 



Now, the big pull tonight for many people was headliner Kate Hall, celebrating the release of her single
'Better Than This'. What strikes you immediately is that Hall and her band are incredibly slick, tight, and ready for far bigger stages and venues than the Junction so it instantly felt like one of those 'I was there' moments. Musically, the mix of soulful vocals, funky bass, slamming drums and shredded guitars made for the kind of sound that anyone can dance to whether you know the songs or not. A little Fleetwood Mac cover was nonchalantly tossed into the set in which Hall switched from energetic pop star in the making (thinking Becky Hill crossed with Raye but wrapped up in a Kylie bow) to piano wrangling artist steering a behemoth of a band. 

The exciting thing about this gig was that although each act was operating at a different level, you can see that each one is ready and able to move up to at least the next level and probably beyond. Bravo to all involved and particularly to all those that eschewed the World Cup Third Place Match in favour of supporting local talent and a grass roots venue. 

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