His Lordship / Hoxton Hall / London
This week saw the release of His Lordship’s new album “Bored Animal” a rare top score from LiveWire (check out our review HERE). We simply couldn’t resist a trip to London and the delightful Hoxton Hall, to catch them on their short, international launch tour.
It was quite a walk from Angel, the nearest tube station to Hoxton Hall, on quite possibly the hottest day of the year, but it was well worth it. Hoxton Hall is a Georgian theatre. A small space with room for perhaps 150-200 standing and two tiers of balcony. A visual treat and you can just imagine how rowdy it must have got back in its hayday.
Ahead of the appearance of His Lordship, we got a set from The Lotts. I have to admit to not knowing much about them at all, but the four piece from Warrington laid on a great opening performance of rock. With some of the glam of bands like the Struts, there was also a kind of 80’s indie pop vibe going on, the guitars sometimes reminding me of the fuzzy drone of bands like The Primatives or Shop Assistants. A really good, and enjoyable set.
By the time His Lordship bounced out on to the stage, the Hoxton Hall was packed and the temperature was rising fast. Formed in 2020 as a vehicle to play live shows by James Walbourne (guitarist with The Pretenders) and Kris Sonne (drums) and they are joined on stage by bassist Dave Page. Unfortunately on this run of shows, Kris is back home in Copenhagen and is unable to tour, so is replaced on the drums by James’s brother Rob.
The set is a nice balance between tracks from the new album “Bored Animal” and their self-titled debut from 2024. Indeed, I think every track except the psychedelic Derek E. Fudge and The Sadness of King Kong (Booo – a great track lol) made an appearance tonight.
They kick off the set with the monster that is Bored Animal, a powerhouse of a rock track with a nod to punk and rockabilly influences, it’s fast, frenetic pace underpinned with a crisp a snare beat. It’s so hot in here James is already starting to sweat, but its no surprise, he throws all his energy into every performance, and is moving around the stage pulling off classic rock poses at will.
The set continues on “Bored Animal” with the energy packed Old Romantic with its sense of being chased round town drunk after the best night ever, followed by Marc-Andre Leclerc and Wierdo in the Park which James devotes to his Dad. It’s a grunge filled monster of a track. Part way through James pauses to point at audience members to ask if they’re a wierdo, one guy replies “I’m a 10” to howls of laughter from James and the crowd.
We head back to the ir 2024 debut release for the rockabilly sentiments of Rock Fall Echo Dust and Jackie Works for the NHS a touching tribute to our amazing NHS which is being dismantled piece by piece. This one has a great late 70’s old school punk vibe going on….. think of the Ramones and “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker”.
As the set continues we flip between albums and highlights include the brilliant Cat Calls which is an instrumental blast right from the start to the finish with a galloping bass and drum riff. The ferocious rock edge is delivered by the likes of Downertown and 12-12-21 which in our recent review we predicted would be great additions to the live set – and we weren’t wrong – the crowd singing along to the “woahs” with gusto whilst the guitars are intense and the drums thunderous.
Maybe surprisingly, the new albums closing track Gin and Fog gets an outing. Another instrumental track that laid back number the guitar tone is reminiscent of that familiar crisp early rock Strat sound with just some simple vocal “Ooo’s” thrown in. A nice and interesting moment to pause, relax, and realise just how sweaty we all are lol.
As the set draws to a close we enjoy JoyBoy with it’s gritty and raw edged guitar tone and relentless drums as James delivers the vocals with punk panache: “Joyboy sitting in the back of the bus, got a pocket full of uppers and his fingers crossed”. It’s pacey and an utter blast, unrelenting from start to finish.
The aural blitzkrieg on our ears continues with All Cranked Up and doesn’t pause for a moment until the final notes of I Live In The City. They’re followed by the punchy I Am In Amsterdam. This one is made for live performance, with it’s pounding melody just made to get you moving, along with it’s pulsating guitar riffs driving it along. It made me think of those songs of escapades and getting drunk such as Skinny Lister’s Bavaria Area or Arm Wrestling in Dresden.
The set whirs by and before you know it, it’s time for the finale I Fly Planes Into Hurricanes, which is packed with grunge laden fiery, fast and raw no nonsense rock and roll. It makes the hair stand on your neck and your pulse race with its intensity and attitude and fuzzy guitar riffs. A great final track for any set.
Hoxton Hall is like a jungle house at the zoo now, hot humid and sticky, but nobody cares. James, Rob and Dave look like they’ve swam the channel in suits, but the grins from ear to ear say it all.
His Lordship are quite simply one of the bets live bands out there right now, and tonight we bore witness to something truly special.
Setlist
Bored Animal
Old Romantic
Marc-Andre Leclerc
Weirdo In The Park
Rock Fall Echo Dust
Jackie Works for the NHS
12-12-21
The Repenter
Cat Call
Johnny Got No Beef
Downertown
Buzzkill
Gin and Fog
Joy Boy
All Cranked Up
I Live in the City
I Am In Amsterdam
I Fly Planes Into Hurricanes
Following the sell out, sweaty show at Hoxton Hall, His Lordship play New York tonight (24th) and then LA on the 26th. But don’t dismay, His Lordship have just announced details of a full UK headline tour for November this year. We’ll be there for the Bodega show in Nottingham, and November can’t come soon enough in our book !
His Lordship - November 2025 UK Headline Tour
6 Edinburgh – Bongo Club
7 Glasgow – Ivory Black
10 Sheffield – Yellow Arch
11 Newcastle – Cluny
12 Manchester – Deaf Institute
14 London – 229
15 Brighton – Hope and Ruin
16 Nottingham – Bodega
17 Bristol – Exchange
18 Winchester – Railway Inn
21 Norwich – Arts Centre
Tickets go on sale 10am Thursday 26 June and are available HERE
