Review By Sherry And Neil
Piano Smithfields is a venue we have visited on several occasions but tonight it is a showcase for the revamped version of itself, promoted by our good friend and amazing grassroots music entrepreneur Lorraine Solomons of Success Express. It is also great to see our friend and fellow ICMP alumnus Amal Mhamdi firmly in place as Artist Development and Business Manager.
SHERRY: It had been quite a long time since I had been to a gig this year, so it was really nice to be back at a live show again. I really enjoyed being at Piano Smithfield. The venue itself has such a lovely atmosphere, and I genuinely loved the space. It was also really nice meeting Amy, my friend from ICMP, after what I think was almost three years . Neil and I also had a brief but exciting meeting with Ray Jones from Talentbanq, which was a really nice surprise. A big thank you to Lorraine for inviting us to the gig.
Daisy Chute @ Piano Smithfields
NEIL: First up this evening was Daisy Chute. She has an ability to get a lot of timbres and dynamics from a single acoustic guitar and her dexterous vocal abilities. She also switches to piano, demonstrating a classic style that stretches across the decades in terms of influence as well as bringing some rich jazz chords into her songs. At one point, she managed to combine playing guitar and piano on the same song despite the trip across the stage to make this work!
Daisy mixed an engaging manner and songwriting craft with echoes from a historic lineage running from Judee Sill and Janis Ian to Laura Marling without sounding especially like any of them. The final track was the most energetic; lyrically stirring and anthemic.
SHERRY: The first act was Daisy Chute. Her performance gave me a very calm and intimate experience. Her vocals were beautiful, and I really liked the way she moved between the piano and guitar during her set. She also made the performance feel very engaging and interactive, which made it easy to connect with the songs. I really enjoyed all the tracks she played, and there was something very warm and personal about her performance.
Matt Kent @ Piano Smithfields
SHERRY: The next act was Matt Kent and Liv Lester. I was really impressed by their performance, especially the piano and violin parts. They worked really well together, and as a combination, the two instruments sounded beautiful live. Matt Kent’s vocals were also very dynamic, with a different feel across each of the tracks they performed. My personal favourite was Lacrimosa, which I later found out is also their most streamed track on Spotify. Hearing it live made me understand why it has connected with so many listeners. The combination of the vocals, piano and violin created a really strong atmosphere live, and it was one of those performances that stayed with me.
NEIL: The second act on was London-based New Yorker Matt Kent, an artist already gaining a formidable reputation, particularly in jazz circles, and amassing mouth watering streaming numbers.
The guitar-toting singer-songwriter was joined on stage by talented pianist Liv Lester. Matt had a lightness of touch with his mix of picking and chord play while the piano brought a classical edge, not least in a song based on a Mozart piece. His style was an intriguing blend of contemporary and baroque pop with jazz and a vocal style that veered between soft, agile, rangey and loudly dynamic. He woo’d us with some impressive electric violin play (although it could be viola given the mellow alto tone). Meanwhile Liv hit the perfect balance of unobtrusive colour and harmonic extension but equally provided robust classical piano when Matt abandoned the guitar and added more violin.
NEIL: It was also great to see the amazing Ray Jones of Talentbanq and legendary songwriter Keith Ames at the gig. Sadly we were unable to stay for the final act, a musical comedy duo, which sounded highly entertaining. In the meantime, a big thank you to Lorraine, Amal and Christian at Piano Smithfields for inviting us to this vibant event. It is great to see a unique indie venue in the heart of London thriving and offering such a range of entertainment. Long may that continue.
SHERRY: Overall, it was a fantastic experience. It had been a while since I had properly been to a gig, so being back in a live music environment, discovering new artists and simply enjoying the performances was really refreshing. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay for long enough to experience the final act, which was a little sad. But even with the time we spent there, it was a really lovely evening, and I’m glad I got to be there.
