Annabel Allum chose London’s Moth Club to close out her tour, surrounded by that ever-confusing combination of cluttered ceilings and various items of apparently military memorabilia. Perhaps a strange choice of setting, given the space each attendee would have if they chose to really rock out, but it seemed done what appropriate final stop for the Guildford songwriter as it allowed her and her band a chance to celebrate, breathe and pay respect to her father’s military background.
Allum, plus bandmates Emma Hilley (drums) and Liam Corneloues (bass) spent the best part of an hour keeping fans in awe as they rocked out with an enjoyable reckless abandon and yet with all the precision you’d expect from a trio that have just spent three weeks on the road together. Debut single ‘Rich Backgrounds‘ got the biggest reaction, with Allum appearing genuinely shocked by the fantastic response from the crowd joining in when she stepped away from the mic for the catchy as you like lead refrain. Her lead-in to the song about how people can supposedly pay to be featured in NME got some wry smiles and deep chuckles…
Tracks like ‘Beat The Birds‘ and latest release ‘Sofa Song‘ also stood out, with Allum showing off virtuosic guitar skills at times to prove she’s far more than just an angry voice trying desperately to be heard. She seems to have matured quickly as a musician, coming now with a polished, suave appearance which seems a world away from the initial grainy press shots which portrayed her as more of a punk than an out and out rebel with a cause. The excited face of drummer Emma Hilley throughout showed just how much fun the band were having, and who can blame them when it sounds this good?
We Close Tonight 