Once more I went out to spend an enjoyable night in Hoxton, courtesy of the Indigo Sessions team. As ever, they’d done a great job of assembling some talented young musicians, resulting in a wide range of musical styles coming together for one mid-week night of music. Not a bad Wednesday night out by any stretch of the imagination.
Kicking off the evening’s entertainment was the delightful voice of Phoebe Katis who had such a soulful voice that she immediately took the audience by surprise with the sheer depth of her talent. Accompanied by a very capable pianist, Katis showed her range with a variety of stunning tracks – not least her cover of the Jackson 5 classic ‘I Want You Back;. Her strengths were undoubtedly when her voice lingered in the lower register but she was still able to comfortably hit the high notes, bringing the evening into life in wonderful fashion.
Next up was Samson who delivered a range of songs with a truly impressive voice. Though not bringing much originality to the fray, it was obvious that there was a distinct level of talent running through his veins. He would undoubtedly benefit from having a full, possibly electronic-based, band behind him as the set-up felt a little too familiar and within his comfort zone. There’s no doubting that he can sing, he just needs to start stepping out of his comfort zone a little.
https://soundcloud.com/samsonsings/lion
Into the second half of the evening and Lucy Whittaker, along with a tight-as-can-be full live band, took the the stage. Bringing a 2015 version of Lady Sovereign (though significantly less annoying) approach, Whittaker seemed comfortable both belting out notes and delivering a succession of rapid-fire lyrics. At times she could have done with a little more composure, seeming a tad rushed, but the songwriting talent was present throughout and, if she can hang on to this band, there’s the potential for something very special here.
Rounding off the night’s proceedings was Corey Fox-Fardell who, equipped with a cheeky smile and an accomplished performer behind the drum pads, used a range of effects to help captivate the audience members that remained. His use of a loop pedal was superb and, barring a slight hiccup which was laughed off like a true professional, the incorporation of a secondary auto-tune mic helped add a variety to his act that most simply wouldn’t bother to risk. Sure, it was at heart a bloke with an acoustic guitar but Fox-Fardell had clearly curated his songs with some level of detail and, despite not bringing the lively energy to the stage that Lucy Whittaker & band had, he closed off the evening with a refreshing level of class and culture.
https://soundcloud.com/corey-foxfardell/i-keep-running
Roll on the next one…
We Close Tonight 