Alessi's Ark
Ralfe Band
Purcell Room, 23 April 2013
Having followed Alessi since the beginning of her career it was quite thrilling to see the London-born chanteuse play a proper grown-up venue all by herself, in the esteemed South Bank Centre no less, in the lovely Purcell Room. The first time I saw her live it was sitting on the floor of a tiny barge, appropriately enough, moored near the Vauxhall Bridge, now here she is on a fancy stage playing to a seated audience. After the show she even says to me "I can't believe I'm here, it's all like a dream" and it certainly has been a wonderful journey, although I do think Alessi's deserves to be much bigger than she is. Maybe that will all change with the release of her great new album, The Still Life, which this show is promoting.
