Like a time portal to the golden age of psychedelic & blues rock, Vienna-based Portobello Express explore a sound rooted in the 60s and 70s, harnessing the unique, raw energy of that era while paying homage to their multicultural roots. "Portobello" is a reference to London's famous Portobello Road, the psychedelic mushrooms of the same name and singer Betty's Italian heritage. "Express" is a neat reference to "espresso" - an Italian staple - and trains and their sheer power. What began as a Sixties cover band at a birthday party has evolved into a force that reminds us of the heyday of blues and rock, with a powerful stage presence that unites the room.
Formed in 2015, the band's diverse influences have seeped into their music. The result is a sound that is both retro and fresh. Patrick, who has been playing R'n'B for 30 years with another Viennese band, The Jaybirds, has been heavily influenced by the British music scene. Betty cites US West Coast psych-rock as a formative influence, alongside soul and gospel. Both are big fans of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Jefferson Airplane and Rainbow.
July 2021 saw the release of a new EP, 'You Cry' (on CD and vinyl), which the band performed at various festivals around Austria in 2022. In the autumn of 2021, they followed up this EP with 'Unique', a lush prog-rock song based on Tchaikovsky's piano piece 'June': Barcarolle', which served as a foretaste of the current album.
The album “B.P.M.” continues the band's successful blend of retro sounds and was released on 10th May 2023 on Abra Fun Music. The 7 songs on the album confirm the psychedelic and heavy blues style that is typical of Portobello Express, but also offer harder rock and heavy sounds, always melodic thanks to the vocals of the front woman, Betty.
On 10 May 2024, the single 'Sorrow & Pain' will be released, a fascinating fusion of classical and contemporary music inspired by Austrian composer Franz Schubert's 'Sonata No.20 in A Major D959'.
They released their first single 'Be Blues/ The Devil is Dead' in 2017 and have since released an EP '2-3-4!' (2018), a single on vinyl, 'The Sea Rises/ Sigh' (2019) and an 'Unplugged' EP (2020
