Live Review

Lucy Rose – Kazimier, Liverpool

• 7th Nov 2012

There’s a snap in the air and a fog setting in that threatens to dampen the spirits of even the hardiest gig-goer tonight, but the warm embrace of the Kazimier in Liverpool draws us into the heart of a jam packed and sweltering venue that’s positively humming with excitement for headline act Lucy Rose. Still relatively unknown, the young singer songwriter has tentatively chipped away at the UK music scene (initially through friends Bombay Bicycle Club) over the past few years and has delivered an astonishing debut album which is nudging it’s way into End of Year lists across the board.

Tonight’s show feels about as intimate as it gets, the crowd whooping as Lucy descends the trademark Kaz stairs in front of the lustrous red stage curtain that billows gently behind her before a hushed silence falls across the room as she perches her tiny frame atop the stool that’s centre stage and launches straight into opener ‘First’.

Any fears about Lucy not living up to her extraordinary record are immediately dispensed with, as the heart-breaking strains of her powerful, honey coated vocals wash over the crowd and swim their way into every available space in the venue. Crashing straight into the stomping ‘Red Face’ and ably supported by a band of faultless musicians, Lucy is on fire tonight. She’s a complex character and flits between childlike innocence, smouldering femininity and sassy diva as she encounters a few issues with her guitar, but there’s nothing malicious in her protestations to the sound booth, just a perfectionist desire to play for the largest crowd she’s had so far on tour.

There are a glut of unique moments tonight as Lucy comments on her new bright white boxfresh trainers that are making her very self conscious before launching into ‘Lines’, and the audience visibly and audibly swoons and becomes putty in her hands as a girl in the front row hands a bemused Lucy a pint of milk causing her to fall about laughing – something which becomes a running joke throughout the evening.

The band deserve a special mention here, not least drummer Sam Nadel who is the driving force behind ensemble tracks like new single ‘Middle Of The Bed’ which manage to whip the silently reverential crowd into some mild, if restrained, boogie-ing. The joy on Lucy Rose’s face as she gazes out across the packed venue says it all; tonight is a special performance for everybody involved and those of us out front are left thinking that we’ve witnessed a star on the cusp of greatness.

As a hysterical Scouse voice screams “we love you Lucy!” in a silence between songs and a smile creeps across the singers face, there’s no denying that whatever ‘it’ is, Lucy’s got it in spades, and we all leave clutching our jam from the merchandise stall a little bit more in love with her than we were at the start of the night.

Venue: Kazimier, Liverpool
Support Band: Pete Roe