I'd been intending to check out Lucy Rose live for some time, as I'd heard some of her stuff on t'internet and had been pretty impressed. I missed her when she played at the Camden Barfly in March so was pleased when another opportunity arose.
On arrival at Heaven (the club) it immediately became clear that this was very much an 'industry' event. The first thing that greeted me on arrival was a notice to the effect that the gig was being filmed for DVD release, and the second was a lengthy queue for the guest list desk. No problem - I got into the venue a lot quicker than those on a freebie did!
The first support act was Nathan Holmes: a singer / songwriter finger-picking a crystal clear Fender Telecaster. One of the lines in his first song was "Take off your bayonet and just shoot me" which rather grabbed the attention. His delivery was particularly delicate, and it is the first time I have ever been to a gig and thought that the air-conditioning was too loud!
On some of the songs Nathan used layered effects to build up the on-stage sound. This practice is all very well but it can make key changes difficult, and therefore can limit the performance rather than enhance it. Also it's something that has been somewhat over-done. The first time I saw this done (I think about eight years ago) it seemed innovative and interesting, but now it just seems to delay the artist (and the audience) getting into the song. With the undeniably interesting material that Nathan has it's probably better to keep things simple. Bells and whistles aren't needed!
Next up are To Kill A King, who are a five-piece band whose arrangements and delivery are so well considered that I would describe them as a 'song-serving' band, which is a good thing. However, they also remind me of Travis on occasion, which is not such a good thing. Countering this is the singer's marked similarity in style to the singer of Tindersticks which is (in my opinion) a Very Good Thing.
When Lucy Rose takes the stage she elects to sit down, which possibly explains why the stage is so unusually high, because we still have a good view of her. Apparently it's Lucy's birthday today and the audience duly oblige with a rendition of Happy Birthday. Lucy is suitably both pleased and embarrassed.
The first song is Middle Of The Bed which is one of the best of her songs that I've heard, seemingly describing the joys (or otherwise) of being newly single. Lucy's band have a great sense of dynamics which suit the songs well. Lucy's vocals and finger-picking are the main components of the songs, while the band provide a framework within which those components sit. The band are a vital part of the performance but are at the same time unobtrusive.
Lucy's performance is massively assured and oozes with confidence. The songs are good and even her inter-song chat makes her sound like an old hand. Never mind a club under some railway arches - she could be at Wembley Arena! Sadly that elevation to larger venues will almost certainly happen sooner rather than later. Although she started out only a couple of years ago playing open mic sessions in London and guesting on Bombay Bicycle Club's Flaws album, she seems to have arrived fully formed. She is signed to Columbia and her debut album is set for release on September 24th. Lucy Rose is cleared for take-off.
