Laura Cox 100 Club London Gig Review, Oxford 2026

Key Points

• Laura Cox performed at London’s legendary 100 Club on Oxford Street on Friday, 8 May 2026, marking her first UK tour in seven years
• The French Anglo-French guitarist is promoting her fourth studio album ‘Trouble Coming’, released October 2025 via earMUSIC/VeryRecords
• Support act Jesse Harwood, a young British guitarist who reportedly just finished school, opened with a tight 30-minute power trio set
• Cox’s 90-minute set included covers of The Smiths’ ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’, reimagined as heavy rock with Cox on drums
• The band features drummer Antonin Guérin, bassist Adrien Kah, and keyboardist Léo Cotten, delivering classic heavy rock with blues influences
• Cox switched between Gibson Firebird and Gibson SG guitars, plus used slide guitar for several solos throughout the performance
• Highlights included current single ‘Not Your Story’, ‘Trouble Coming’, ‘Do I Have Your Attention’, and title track ‘Hard Blues Shot’ from her 2017 debut
• The concert ended with a thunderous encore, leaving the crowd wanting more despite the lengthy set
• The UK tour includes six dates across Edinburgh, Newcastle, Bristol, London, Manchester, and Nottingham
• Cox has over 50 million YouTube views and was endorsed by Joe Bonamassa for her guitar playing

Oxford (Oxford Daily)May 11, 2026 – London‘s iconic 100 Club on Oxford Street witnessed a blistering return to UK stages as French Anglo-French rock guitarist Laura Cox delivered a 90-minute masterclass in high-energy heavy rock on Friday, 8 May 2026, marking her first British tour since 2019. As reported by Mark Kelly of PunkinFocus, Cox “finally returned to UK stages after seven years away, delivering a blistering, high-energy performance at the 100 Club packed with thunderous force and astonishing musicianship”.

Why Did Laura Cox’s First UK Tour in Seven Years Generate Such Enthusiasm at London’s 100 Club?

According to CGCM Rock Radio‘s review from the Edinburgh leg of the same tour, Cox “is often seen as part of the blues genre, but as I experienced last night, she and her band are much more than that. The influences are quite far and wide, and all the more fun for that”. The London show confirmed this assessment, with Cox launching straight into ‘Rise Together’ from her current album ‘Trouble Coming’, wielding what appeared to be a Gibson Firebird (notably without a Gibson logo), as documented by Kelly.

For the second song, ‘If You Wanna Get Loud – Come To The Show’ from her 2017 debut ‘Hard Blues Shot’, Cox switched to her main weapon, a Gibson SG, Kelly reported. “With the keyboard intro courtesy of Leo, the song radiated a huge classic rock feel. Midway through comes a dramatic break before Laura unleashes a face-melting solo, with drummer Antonin delivering cataclysmic percussion to close. This is absolutely storming stuff,” Kelly wrote.

How Did Jesse Harwood’s Support Set Contribute to the Night’s Energy at the 100 Club?

Before Cox took the stage, support act Jesse Harwood delivered what Mark Kelly described as “extraordinarily good” performance. As reported by Kelly of PunkinFocus, Harwood is “unusual in that he appears to have virtually no online presence whatsoever. At least, none that I can find. He’s a young British guitarist who reckons today was his last day at school though I somehow don’t entirely believe him”.

Harwood’s equally youthful-looking band proved “an incredibly tight three-piece a proper power trio, if you will. Better still, the drummer employs a great deal of cowbell. You can never have too much cowbell,” Kelly noted. The bass lines were “gloriously sinewy,” and during the opening song, the bassist slipped in “a brief but impressive solo”.

‘Black Rose Blues’, apparently the first song Jesse ever wrote, was “powered along by superb drumming. Indeed, the whole band are on fire from the off,” according to Kelly. Unfortunately, they were “only allotted half an hour, concluding with a Rory Gallagher cover that I don’t recognise, alongside a version of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)’, which perhaps slightly outstays its welcome”.

That said, “Jesse absolutely does the song justice, delivering a superb display of dynamics and even throwing in a snippet of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ for good measure,” Kelly added. “I’ll certainly be making an effort to see Jesse Harwood and his band again — assuming I can ever find any information about them on t’internet,” he concluded. According to CGCM Rock Radio, Harwood and his band were “on their first ever UK tour, and this was their first show”.

What Songs and Surprises Defined Laura Cox’s 90-Minute Set at London’s 100 Club?

Cox’s band took the stage “bang on 9:15pm,” as reported by Kelly. Before ‘A Way Home’, Cox asked whether the audience was ready for a rock show. “Hell yeah. Laura may often be described and marketed as a blues guitarist, but this is classic heavy rock by any other name. The musicianship throughout the set is frankly astonishing,” Kelly wrote.

During ‘Set Me Free’, “guitar and keyboards lock together in unison before the song kicks into double time. At this point, I find myself wondering where exactly I’ve been during Laura’s rise so far,” Kelly admitted. ‘Out Of The Blue’ featured “the first of several slide guitar solos, Laura’s playing proving wonderfully lyrical throughout”.

Current single ‘Not Your Story’ was “another highlight, with Laura uncompromisingly laying down the law,” Kelly reported. ‘So Long’ “slows the pace slightly, though it remains irresistibly funky in a bluesy sort of way, complete with a gorgeously delicate solo”.

Why Was The Smiths Cover During Laura Cox’s 100 Club Set So Unexpected?

The next song opened with a Hammond-style keyboard intro that sounded strangely familiar. “Suddenly it clicks it’s ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’ by The Smiths. Perhaps a nod to the fortieth anniversary of ‘The Queen Is Dead’. Reimagined as a heavy rock anthem, it works brilliantly and is certainly not something I expected to hear tonight,” Kelly wrote.

There were further surprises during the song. “Antonin joins Leo on keyboards while Laura herself hops behind the drum kit. She’s good too although, given her obvious talent, perhaps that shouldn’t really come as a surprise. She strikes me as one of those musicians capable of turning her hand to just about anything. Thankfully, she’s soon back on guitar where she belongs,” Kelly reported.

As confirmed by CGCM Rock Radio‘s Edinburgh review, during this song “Laura took over on drums (Antonin joined in playing more keys along with Léo) and showed she is a fine multi-instrumentalist”.

How Did Laura Cox’s Band Demonstrate Versatility Throughout the London Concert?

‘The Broken’ has “a pleasing punky edge and another spectacularly fluid solo,” Kelly noted. Before ‘No Need To Try Harder’, Cox asked whether the audience was ready for more. “Of course we are. Why would we not be?” Kelly wrote.

The band briefly left the stage as the crowd clapped and sang along to ‘Trouble Coming’, “although they’ve barely exited before returning for the encore,” Kelly reported. ‘Do I Have Your Attention’, “one of my personal favourites from Laura Cox, makes her sound downright dangerous. Maybe she is,” he added.

According to CGCM Rock Radio, “the answer was a resounding ‘YES’ as the crowd clapped along and once again the floor was bouncing away nicely”.

Proceedings closed with ‘Hard Blues Shot’, the title track from Cox’s debut album, “delivered with cataclysmic force. It’s a thunderous ending to a set that barely paused for breath across ninety exhilarating minutes. This was an absolute triumph, and despite the lengthy set, the crowd were still left wanting more,” Kelly wrote.

What Made Laura Cox’s Guitar Work Stand Out at the 100 Club?

As CGCM Rock Radio reported, “Laura regularly switched between slide, finger picking, plectrum riffing/soloing, which gave us a nice variety of guitar sounds and playing. In fact, she often switched between them all in the same song”. The Edinburgh review noted that during ‘Out Of The Blue’, “there were moments that made me think of Johnny Cash’s version of ‘Hurt’ in the vocal lines… There was sadness and tenderness in her voice and gave a different edge to the show”.

Why Is ‘Trouble Coming’ Significant in Laura Cox’s Musical Career?

‘Trouble Coming’ is Cox’s fourth studio album, released October 2025 via earMUSIC/VeryRecords. As earMUSIC announced, “From high-octane guitar anthems to introspective slow-burners, ‘Trouble Coming’ captures the spirit of a rock artist unafraid to evolve while staying true to her roots”.

According to Markus’ Heavy Music Blog, “Laura Cox has delivered a fantastic new album showcasing her talent for creating well-crafted, genre-bending rock songs with a blues influence”. The album contains 11 songs and runs approximately 35 minutes.

Cox “returns with a thunderous new stand-alone single, ‘Trouble Coming,’ out July 17th via earMUSIC / Verycords,” as earMUSIC reported in July 2025.

Background: Laura Cox’s Seven-Year Journey and Rise to International Recognition

Laura Cox (born 24 November 1990) is an Anglo-French guitarist, singer and songwriter who has achieved international recognition on YouTube since 2006. Her mother is French and her father is English. She first picked up the guitar at age 14 in 2005 as a left-hander who plays right-handed, using a cheap classical guitar her aunt gave her. Her first electric guitar was a Squier Showmaster.

As a student, Cox initially studied architecture before deciding upon a sound engineering course. Her YouTube channel, started in 2006, was among the first of its kind to build a large audience. She spent the first eight years playing instrumental classic rock cover versions at home, first posting covers and guitar solos on YouTube in 2008.

Following her YouTube success, Cox became the singer and lead guitarist of the Laura Cox Band, a rock band she formed in 2013 in the Paris region. By then, her YouTube channel had gained several million views. She has had more than 50 million views on YouTube, and that success paved the way for the band. The legendary Joe Bonamassa has complimented Laura Cox on her playing.

Her first album, ‘Hard Blues Shot’ (2017), firmly established Laura as “THE most prominent French Rock singer-guitarist,” selling 10,000 copies in France alone in a few months of 2017. Two years later, after hundreds of concerts all over Europe in increasingly bigger venues and festivals, Cox returned with her second album ‘Burning Bright’ (2019). She subsequently released ‘Head Above Water’ (2023) before ‘Trouble Coming’ (2025).

Cox uses Gibson Les Paul and Bacchus guitars, Orange amplifiers and Ernie Ball strings, and has also used Gibson Firebird, Fender Telecaster, Fender Stratocaster and Epiphone Les Paul guitars. The blues rock pulse is alive and well from France in Anglo-French guitarist/singer/songwriter Laura Cox. Although rock is not a popular genre in France, Laura’s English father was interested in Classic Rock, Hard Rock and Country.

The six-date UK tour included Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms (4 May), Newcastle’s Cluny 2 (5 May), Bristol’s Louisiana (6 May), London’s 100 Club (8 May), Manchester’s Gullivers (9 May), and Nottingham’s Bodega (10 May).

Prediction: How Laura Cox’s UK Tour Return Will Affect Blues Rock Fans and the British Music Scene

Laura Cox’s successful return to UK stages after seven years signals a potential reinvigoration of the British blues rock scene, particularly for fans who have been waiting for high-calibre female guitarists to headline major venues. According to Mark Kelly of PunkinFocus, “I sincerely hope Laura Cox doesn’t leave it another seven years before returning,” reflecting the sentiment of many attendees who were “still left wanting more” despite the 90-minute set.

For UK blues rock fans, this development means regular access to world-class guitar virtuosity without needing to travel to continental Europe. CGCM Rock Radio noted that Cox’s sound “isn’t just old-school blues or hard-rocking blues, it has a modern edge. This almost crosses over into stuff that gets radio airplay these days”. This contemporary approach could attract younger listeners to the blues rock genre who might otherwise overlook traditional blues acts.

The tour’s inclusion of six major UK cities suggests promoters see strong commercial potential for Cox’s music in Britain. If ticket sales continue matching the “healthy crowd for a bank holiday Monday in Edinburgh” reported by CGCM Rock Radio, expect more European blues rock artists to schedule UK tours.

For emerging British guitarists like support act Jesse Harwood, Cox’s touring platform provides crucial exposure. CGCM Rock Radio called Harwood “a band or name to keep an eye open for” after their first ever UK show. Cox’s willingness to tour with unknown opening acts creates pathways for new talent in the blues rock ecosystem.

The multi-instrumental prowess Cox demonstrated—switching between guitar, drums, and showcasing keyboard interplay—sets a new benchmark for live performance expectations. As CGCM Rock Radio observed, “someone afterwards mentioned that at one point he thought it was a bit ‘country'” and “they were also quite punky at points with the ‘hey’ moments and the energy they were putting in”. This genre-blending approach could influence British blues rock bands to incorporate wider sonic palettes.

Fans can reasonably expect Cox to return more frequently to the UK if this tour proves financially successful. With over 50 million YouTube views and international acclaim, Cox’s presence at London’s 100 Club a venue historically significant for rock music—signals that British audiences remain hungry for authentic blues rock performance in intimate settings rather than just large arena shows.