Speedy Ortiz at The Lexington

Speedy Ortiz
Joanna Gruesome
The Lexington, 19 February 2014

So tonight I was transported back to 1993. Or at least it felt that way. Both bands playing The Lexington, a small venue upstairs from a pub, owe a huge debt the alternative music of the 90s (aka my era) which is obviously very cool but makes me feel old as the members of each group were only little kids or not even born in those long ago Nirvana days.

The Afghan Whigs' Algiers video

From the new album, Do The Beast, out on 15 April.

Lily & Madeleine at St Pancras Old Church

Lily & Madeleine
Annie Rew Shaw
St Pancras Old Church, 13 February 2014

I never thought I'd be sitting in church listening to a cover of Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box but tonight I did just that. It was thanks to support act Annie Rew Shaw, a 19 year-old singer-songwriter from Devon who plays piano, sounds vocally like a young Linda Thompson and obviously has a few Tori Amos albums in her collection. It's all pleasant enough: she has a great voice, looks sweet and stylish in a black lace mini dress with her dark hair cut with a heavy fringe and amiably chats away to the audience between songs. The music itself though is mainly sad, downbeat ballads and my one criticism is that there's not much let up from the mournful and dark tunes and something a little faster in her set would have made a nice contrast. The highlight was the Nirvana cover, turning the song into, of course, a gloomy ballad. It actually sounded pretty good.

Anna Calvi at Troxy

Anna Calvi
Woman's Hour
Troxy, 8 February 2014

Out on a cold and windy February night for my first gig of 2014, this time to see the outstanding Anna Calvi who I have wanted to see live since her superb Mercury-nominated debut came out in 2011. I have actually seen Calvi live once before but in her old band Cheap Hotel back in 2007, supporting Jesse Sykes at the Monto Water Rats. Most support acts at the smaller venues are instantly forgettable but while the band itself wasn't anywhere near as good as Calvi's solo work, there was definitely something about Calvi that was memorable: maybe it was her smart style, her strong, clear transfixing vocals but mainly, I think it was the sight of a powerful woman confidently yielding a loud guitar. I admit I didn't fall under her spell back then though but I instantly recognised her when suddenly her first solo effort deservedly began gathering acclaim and by the time her magnificent second LP, One Breath, came out last year I couldn't wait to finally see her live again.