For the past fifteen years, Laura Cox has built her reputation the old-fashioned way, on the road. Anyone who spends time in French venues has likely come across her at some point, whether headlining or opening for acts like ZZ Top, Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Beck or Deep Purple. With the release of her latest album Trouble Coming, she reaches a new stage in that trajectory, and this show at Le Trianon feels both like a milestone and a sign of further momentum.
At 9 p.m. sharp, she and her band take the stage and waste no time establishing the tone. The opening riff of “Rise Together” sets the agenda immediately: this night is about the guitar. What separates Cox from the many technically proficient players who have emerged online in recent years is not just her command of the instrument, but the strength of her material. The formula is familiar: heavy blues rock with a Southern inflection, played at full tilt, but it holds because it is executed with conviction and a clear love for the form.
The set leans heavily on Trouble Coming, while drawing from across a catalogue that now has real weight behind it. Solos are frequent, sometimes extended, but never gratuitous. Each one feels integrated, shaping the dynamics of the song rather than interrupting it. Her playing moves easily between registers, controlled and expressive on the slower numbers, sharper and more forceful when the tempo rises. There is weight in her tone, but also clarity in her phrasing. The slide work stands out in particular, not as a display piece, but as a natural extension of her vocabulary, precise, restrained, and consistently well judged.
The atmosphere remains loose throughout. Midway through the set, Cox steps behind the drum kit for an off-kilter take on “Bigmouth Strikes Again” by The Smiths, the only cover of the night. Around her, the band provides a solid, unshowy backbone that keeps the focus where it belongs: on Cox' guitar and vocals.
If this show at a packed Le Trianon proves anything, it’s that Cox, having won over French audiences, is ready for the next step, making her mark on the international stage.
