Starry-eyed in Camden
Oh, The Flowerpot. Tucked away on Kentish Town Road, this vibrant music hub hosts gigs by upcoming and leading bands, all for the measly price of diddly squat. This week they've been taken over by Communion - the label and club night run by Mumford and Sons' own Ben Lovett - creating a collaborative musical effort by artists big and small. The intention is to record each live one-off show which will then be turned into an album to be released later in the Autumn.
Tonight's cross-section of musical delights includes James Moss, The Staves, Mt Desolation and my personal favourite, Lissie. After hearing Lissie's cover of Gaga's Bad Romance a few months ago, I was instantly hooked on her Stevie Nicks-esque voice. Since then she's released her debut album, Catching a Tiger, performed at Glastonbury, and seems to be picking up headlining dates across the UK. Simply put: she's one to watch.
The Flowerpot's a lovely little venue, if not a little hot in the midst of our impromptu summer heat wave, but what's a good night out if you're not brushing shoulders with another sweaty Londoner? Its small size lends itself well to creating an atmospheric buzz with a friendly crowd and welcoming artists. The Staves, whose simple acoustic rifts accompanied by a trio of haunting female voices, are joined on stage by James Moss for the first collaborative effort. Simple and melodic, their track is almost mesmerising with the repetitive chanting of "I'm not scared of dying".
But it's Lissie that I really came to see. With her shaggy dirty blonde hair she zips through the small crowd, a friendly beaming face. Taking to the stage she's chatty, always smiling, and springs straight into When I'm Alone, a track which she recently dueted live with Ellie Goulding on at The Great Escape Festival, and one that defines her style of folk rock. Playing tracks from her album, Lissie’s mixture of guitar slinging folk and electric blues send you straight back to Fleetwood Mac, whose influence seem undoubted.
'Everywhere I Go', one of Lissie’s more melancholy tracks is instantly reminiscent of a solo Stevie Nicks, a beautiful but troubling ballad. There’s a real star quality about Lissie – the energy of her performances, the warmth of her character, and the complexity of her music. Whether it’s the rockin’ jamming at the end of In Sleep or the raw softness of 'Oh Mississippi', there’s definitely something that sets Lissie apart from the female artists emerging today.
The Communion project continues every night this week at The Flowerpot.
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