On the twentieth night of her tour, Lucy Rose’s gig at The Joiners was “the one with the most character”. Despite a few technical issues that were not-so-subtly glossed over and a glitch resulting in Lucy Rose cleverly transposing the guitar part as she went, the night was a success.
Support act Pete Roe really set a precedent for the show. With his emphatic guitar-playing and heart-felt lyrics, Roe’s music has a Simon and Garfunkel sound to it. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy playing to the virtually silent crowd, even playing a song he rarely performs because “usually, no bugger’s listening”. This is hard to believe, as his strong presence on stage makes it hard to look away.
Lucy Rose then fought her way through the crowd and finally made it to the stage. ‘First’, the appropriate first song of the set, showed off her sweet vocals and vulnerability. For anyone in the crowd unfamiliar with Lucy Rose’s music, there is no doubt that she won them over from the start. Following ‘First’, Lucy Rose and her band played the familiar favourite ‘Night Bus’ and songs from the new album Like I Used To, including ‘Shiver’ and ‘Place’. The latter, with its alternating acoustic verse and loud chorus, enabled the band to really let go without overshadowing the singer.
From first seeing her live at Bombay Bicycle Club’s 2011 gig at the Guildhall, it is clear she has come a long way. Despite still seeming self-conscious, she was chattier and noticeably less shy than she appeared just one year ago. Lucy Rose seemed comfortable with the audience, stating she felt like she was singing to family and friends. She was so comfortable in fact, that in response to a fan’s cry of “you’re amazing”, Lucy Rose admitted she was “just winging it”.
Lucy Rose went on to sing a couple of new songs. ‘The Fire’ was among the best, played acoustically and sung beautifully. In Lucy Rose’s typically shy and self-conscious way, we were warned that it might not sound very good due to “the guitar always sounding out of tune”. However, the performance went without a hitch.
At the end of the gig, Lucy Rose met fans and sold unorthodox merchandise such as jam and tea. Throughout the show, it was clear that she really appreciates how lucky she is to do what she’s doing. And for someone who was “just winging it”, she did a pretty good job.
