Damian Lewis and Sounds of the Sirens at Exeter Phoenix - 06/10/2026
Tuesday Evenings Don’t Get Much Better Than This
There is no shortage of actors who have put their hand to music and gone on tour. Perhaps one of the most famous examples is Kiefer Sutherland. Without a doubt, their star power is going to be a draw for some. Who wouldn’t want to see Jack Bauer pick up a guitar and sing?
But good actors don’t necessarily make good musicians.
When the opportunity came to photograph Damian Lewis at the Exeter Phoenix, the chance to photograph this a-list star was simply too tempting to pass up. You’ll notice I said photograph, rather than listen. If I’m being completely honest, I was far more interested in getting some good photographs than I was in finding out what his music was actually like.
Oh, how wrong I was.
Yes, while I’m in the pit I’m completely focused on the photography. Three songs, trying to make the most of the light, looking for different angles and hopefully coming away with something worthwhile. But even in those first few minutes, it was obvious that Damian Lewis wasn’t just another actor who had decided to have a go at being a musician.
Returning to the balcony after those first three songs, I could finally relax and just listen.
And I mean really listen.
I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the gig. The songs, the musicianship, the atmosphere and, perhaps most importantly, the fact that this felt like a musician who genuinely belongs on a stage rather than an actor relying on their name to sell tickets.
I’m not going to attempt to write a review of the gig. I’ll leave that to my friends over at MusoMuso.com. But I will say that, by the end of the evening, I was sufficiently impressed to head over to the merch table and buy both of Damian’s CDs, signed.
It’s very rare that I do that.
So, I hope you enjoy my photographs from the evening, featuring Damian Lewis and the excellent support act, Sounds of the Sirens. But while you’re looking through the photographs, do yourself a favour, head over to your favourite music streaming service and give Damian Lewis’s music a listen.
You might, like me, be pleasantly surprised.
I certainly was.
