A new album, a new run of live shows and evidence of life in the old dogs. It has been 13 years since their last album, and 13 years since the London-based, Gibraltar-founded outfit Breed 77 last played in Bristol. Admittedly, tonight they are in smaller, darker surroundings than on their previous visits, but that is hardly surprising.
Breed 77 – King Kraken
The Exchange, Bristol – 3 November 2026
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
Having split in 2015, it took a further nine years for Breed 77 to return. Time waits for no one in the music industry, so in some respects the fact that a decent crowd gathers for them is impressive enough.
Their music has always been an acquired taste, and I will happily admit to having merely flirted with them back in the 2000s. Original members Paul Isola, Danny Felice and Stuart Cavilla are joined by guitarist Pedro Caparros López and drummer Adam Stanley, the latter two having been on board since their triumphant appearance at Bloodstock in 2025.
However, they have no problem making a statement for the rest of the tour tonight.
Setting the bar high, Breed 77 impress from the off. They are tight, so tight.
Isola is chided for his streamlined haircut, retorting that time is a cruel thing. But if the follicles have been challenged, his voice remains a weapon of some potency. Even if you do not like their flamenco-flavoured music, their class is a cut above what went before them.
They rip through a set filled with a mix of old favourites as well as the newer singles from forthcoming album VII. Well-paced, they add The River mid-set to allow a pause in the tempo, encouraging the crowd to sing along.
The Exchange is a small venue, and there is not much room for the band to move. This does not restrict Felice, who is able to shred front and centre, whilst Cavill and Caparros are a little more constrained. There are occasions when the trio make it to the front, giving some good rock poses.
Surprisingly, the audience is somewhat muted. Whether the school night is an issue, Isola has to work hard with some injected humour to get a response at times. He is clearly rattled by it for a moment or two, referring to a “tough crowd” several times.
But these guys have been around the block a few times, and they work it through, with the older classics getting the assembled 150 or so engaged.
A Matter of Time works wonders, whilst newest song Don’t Give Me Up gets a hugely positive reception. By the time they hit their staple cover of Zombie, the place is much more energised, and a couple of finishing punches in Insects and La Última Hora round off a triumphant first night on a tour which is likely to get better as it progresses.
King Kraken
It is hard to judge King Kraken on 30 minutes. It is strange that on a tour with only two bands, they cannot be afforded an extra ten minutes to show their worth. Kraken have become used to longer sets in recent times, and they really should now be headlining venues like this.
Maybe the restricted opportunities in a saturated market, limited management and promotion, or just the cold fact that outside of their South Wales home they still have a lot of work to do to break through are all contributory factors.
Two albums, as well as three singles, released in 2026 provide ample material to capture new fans. Balancing it so that killer hooks and powerful anthems make you dash to the merch stand after the set is a precision skill. And a real challenge. Many bands with far fewer songs have done much more.
It is a solid reaction, particularly from some of the fanbase who have crossed the Severn. They still have one of the better guitarists at their level in Adam Healey, whose ability to crank out riffs and then dive into a bluesy solo remains a key asset. And their songs are big and bombastic.
With so little time, it is a rampage through a tried and trusted setlist which sees them stick closely to that seen on recent shows. Bezerker gets the crowd responding, and Hero slows the pace where maybe it did not need to, given the time pressures, although the crisp solo shines.
At times it is incredibly difficult with so little room to move, and with drummer Richard Lee Mears clapped in darkness for the whole set, it is hard to see the band’s reaction.
March Of The Gods closes out a sprint-filled 30 minutes. All good exposure to a crowd nearly all present for the headliners, but evidence that despite their promise, there is still much work to be done before their name will be at the top of the poster.
