So anyway, Nadine Shah. I didn't know much about her before I went to see her at the Union Chapel in Highbury and Islington, London, except that she sounds a bit like Anna Calvi. Before I start talking about her though, I have to mention the venue. It is one of my favourite places - an intimate gig held in front of a beautiful backdrop of Church architecture. Apparently the venue can seat up to 900 people, but when you are in there it feels more like a congregation of about 300 max. You are so close to the artist, it is like they are singing only to you. Admittedly after 3 or so hours of sitting on the hard Church Pews, your backside likes the venue slightly less but it is still one of my favourites. I also like the ethos behind the Church (and I am not religious); The Church is liberal, inclusive, non hierarchical and non conformist. Everyone and anyone is welcome and they are open to new ideas and focus in on love in general rather than specifics or rules. I feel like that is what religion should be about, none of this blindly following sheep stuff.
But - Nadine Shah - that girl can sing! She blew me away a little - she really feels every song that she sings and makes you do the same. Her voice is so powerful and emotional in real life that her recordings are a bit disappointing as they lose a lot of the rawness that you get watching and listening to the live version. She is such a character - when she is singing you get this raw, dark, emotional, strong voice, replaced when she is talking with a happy, sense of humoured Scottish lilt talking about every day things. It was a fun night out, and if you get the chance, I recommend going to have a listen and getting blown away by her vocals.
No comments:
Post a Comment