A random one, this. Karen knew by association one of the members of the band playing second on the bill, the Lee Gordon Trio. Off to Earl's Court to a little place called the Troubadour (below), strangely placed below a restaurant. Once there, two drippy Irish singer-songwriters bored the pants off everyone present. Upon reading the guff distributed throughout the venue I noticed that both these singers had been signed by Island Records: why?! Completely immemorable. Both 1/10.
The Lee Gordon Trio were an interesting mix of acousto-electric guitars, a double bass (see below!) and drums. They kicked out some cool tunes, including a nicely rewrought version of 'All Along The Watchtower'. I think the singer had problems with his voice but he seemed to do well enough, if sounding a little too Americanised at times. It was great to see a double-bass in action though. To me they sounded a bit like Jimmy Eat World...I'll let you blogosphere readers decide if that's a good or bad thing. 6/10 but with potential.
Last on was a strange girl, blessed with the Irish gift of the gab. Backed by a tight (German!!) rhythm section and joined occasionally by a backing singer/violinist, Wallis Bird was a real unexpected treat. The songs wavered from jamming funk'd up tunes, to real low-beat ballads. At one point she announced 'Are you ready to rock?!' quickly followed by 'Not really, this is a ballad. Oh no, not a fucking ballad' she teased. But seriously; her band was exceptional, the bass pinning people to the walls of this tiny venue. The last track was an absolute killer, one of the best new songs I've heard this year. I think it was called 'Go On Home' but could just as easily been called 'Your Daddy Is A Liar'. An !!!-inspired break down was both preceded and followed by a raucous chorus, I can't wait to get my hands on this on record. 9/10 and one of the finest small venue sets I've ever seen.
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