Burning Rope were in the top five finalists at this year’s UK Blues Awards in the Emerging Artist category, and they made the top 20 for band and album of the year.

The band is born out of tragedy following the death of Catfish frontman Matt Long in October 2024. Although there can be no more Catfish without Matt, the other members of the band wanted to continue playing, writing, touring and recording together, so Burning Rope was created. Very different from Catfish, they have forged their own path with a unique combination of blues, rock and a healthy helping of prog. They’ll be performing their own original new material written together over the past year. Their first album Burning Rope was the most played album by the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association in its month of release in April 2025 and their second album ‘Dissolution’ was released in May 2026 and also went to no 1 in the IBBA blues charts.

After a summer of festivals, they are now touring the UK and will be heading out to Europe next Spring.

Ray Beadle's guitar and vocal styles evoke numerous blues legends, whilst concocting a breathtaking style all of his own. It is not by chance that Ray has become a favourite amongst Australian blues and music fans. An exhilarating guitarist, an enthralling singer-songwriter, and an extremely talented performer, Ray was awarded Best Album, Best Song, and Best Male Artist in the Chain Blues Awards.