Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
7th July 2026
American singer-songwriter Chris Isaak and his outstanding band bring timeless rock ‘n’ roll, effortless humour and world-class musicianship to Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, leaving Claire Glover and Melanie Smith from Louder Than War completely captivated.
Before Isaak takes to the stage, support comes from the hugely promising Skye Bishop, who has only recently turned 18. Accompanied by a talented acoustic guitar player, she has a distinctive and impressive voice, and she immediately commands the attention of the packed hall with her beautiful songs, including: Free, Love and Lonely. Floating across the stage barefoot, dressed in a beautiful, long, white silk gown, she speaks openly to the audience. Bishop explains that music is her sanctuary before introducing songs that reveal maturity far beyond her years. One of the evening’s highlights is a deeply personal song written about her grandfather, delivered with warmth, honesty and emotion. There’s no need for elaborate production; her beautifully clear vocals and heartfelt songwriting speak for themselves. It’s an impressive introduction to an artist who looks destined for success.
Isaak arrives looking impossibly youthful and dressed, as always, in one of his trademark sparkling suits. Before long, he has the audience laughing as much as applauding. His self-deprecating stories about the realities of “semi-professional show business” become running jokes throughout the evening. Thanking everyone for supporting live music, Isaak tells the audience that without them, there would be no band behind him. He jokingly introduces JD Simo by saying that people once predicted he would end up in jail before reassuring everyone that he’s been given “a second chance tonight”, prompting huge laughter across the hall. His between-song stories are every bit as entertaining as the music. He affectionately divides the entertainment industry into “professional” performers such as Taylor Swift and his own proudly “semi-professional rock ‘n’ roll show”, delivering every punchline with perfect comic timing. The humour never overshadows the music. Instead, it draws the audience even closer, creating an atmosphere that feels warm, intimate and wonderfully spontaneous despite taking place in a prestigious concert hall.
Musically, the band is flawless. JD Simo delivers sensational guitar work throughout, while Mike Wynn’s tasteful keyboard playing adds richness to Isaak’s atmospheric sound. Chris Powell and Rowland Salley are also breathtakingly superb, providing an effortlessly tight rhythm section that allows every song to breathe. A particularly touching moment arrives when Isaak introduces bassist Rowland Salley, proudly explaining they have played together for 41 years. Describing Salley as a wonderful songwriter, Isaak introduces “Killing the Blues,” noting that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss recorded a beautiful version of the song that Salley performs with pride. Then, before a goosebump inducing Can’t Help Falling In Love cover, Isaak teases and encourages the audience to put an arm around someone they love. It becomes one of the evening’s many emotional moments. Just can’t help falling in love with Chris Isaak tonight
The encore lifts the energy even higher. During Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing, Isaak invites ten women from the audience onto the stage to dance with the band, including Skye, who joins in on vocals too, creating an absolutely buzzing finale before launching into a harmonica-fuelled Shake Your Hips.
Throughout the evening, every person in the audience seems to be moving and smiling. Isaak’s charisma, youthful good looks, remarkable vocals and effortless ability to combine humour with first-class musicianship create an experience that feels both nostalgic and completely fresh.
Many artists can sing the songs. Few can entertain an audience quite like Chris Isaak. What a man! What a mighty fine man.
Please note: Use of these images in any form without permission is illegal. If you wish to contact the photographer, please email: mudkissphotos@gmail.com | © Melanie Smith / Mudkiss Photos. All rights reserved
Setlist: Beautiful Homes | Somebody’s Crying | Here I Stand | Diddley Daddy (Bo Diddley cover) | I Want Your Love | Wicked Game | Go Walking Down The |Speak of the Devil | Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison cover) | Forever Blue | Two Hearts | Baby What You Want Me to Do | Dancin’ | Killing the Blues | Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley cover) | Blue Hotel | San Francisco Days| Lie to Me | Big Wide Wonderful World
Encore: Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing | Shake Your Hips | Can’t Do a Thing (To Stop Me) | Black Flowers | Wrong to Love You | The Way Things Really Are
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Chris Isaak can be found at his website | Facebook | Instagram | X
All words by Claire Glover. More writing by Claire on Louder Than War can be found at her author profile here. You can also find her on Twitter
All photos by Melanie Smith – Louder Than War | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Portfolio
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