I haven't blogged for ages but today I have a very good reason to get back on it. I went to a bloody brilliant night at The Old Queens Head in Islington yesterday, organised in aid of Mary's Meals. The phenomenally talented Tinashe was on the bill so I knew it was going to be good but I was not prepared for the full force of talent that was unleashed on me in this intimate gig on the Essex Road.
First up was singer songwriter Frank Hamilton - a rather cute looking chap with a guitar and a harmonica who sang beautiful songs about lost loves, London and his home town of St Ives and a haunting cover of Please please, please let me get what I want. Sweet, endearing and easy on the eye and ears!
Next up was the wonderful Tinashe who has been absent from the gig scene most of the year whilst he writes his follow up to debut album saved. I have been patiently waiting for something from him all year and was last night treated to a 5 song stripped back acoustic set. For those of you who have never heard of this man, you have missed out. His music is sweet and uplifting and he is so incredibly talented. His vocals dominated the room we were in, to the point where he probably didn't even need a microphone. My only criticism is that it wasn't long enough, I needed more!
When the organiser of the evening, Bobbie Gordon, took to the stage, I was simply blown away. A backing singer for an endless list of huge artists, Bobbie Gordon is a fresh, unique, soulful and beautiful singer who is definitely one to watch and is clearly wasted anywhere other than centre of the stage. Cheered on by family and friends, entertaining the audience between songs and sounding like the love child of Amy Winehouse, Etta James and Aretha Franklyn, this girl made my night.
The final act was Natty, mesmerising, awesome and a real privilege to listen to him in such an intimate setting. As his set progresed no one spoke and the entire room was hanging off every note and lyric that came out of his mouth, it was hauntingly beautiful in parts, uplifting in others and a brilliant conclusion to an epic line up.
The best £9.40 I ever spent and not only because it was for such a good cause. My final gig of 2011 was probably one of the best...
1.Frank Hamilton:
2. Tinashe
3. Bobbie Gordon:
4. Natty:
