Ashley Monroe at Bush Hall

Ashley Monroe
Sean McConnell
Bush Hall, 30 January 2019

Sparrow, the latest album by country star Ashley Monroe (also of the supergroup Pistol Annies) is a lush, strings-filled affair, the music gently reflecting the emotion of the heart-felt, personal songs. It's a showstopper and one of the best records of last year. Yet, here she is alone on a stage in the beautifully, atmospheric Bush Hall, with just her powerful voice and an acoustic guitar and somehow it is as full and as affecting as all those strings and epic sounds. That's because beneath the wonderful production, Monroe is a brilliant storyteller, a fantastic songwriter and a powerful performer. All she needs is a guitar and she manages to captivate us all: she is spellbinding.

Natalie Prass at Bush Hall

Natalie Prass
Jalen N'Gonda
Bush Hall, 23 April 2018

A few years ago I accidentally stumbled on a mysterious singer that was a beautiful throwback to the soft soulful sounds of the 70s, her album reminding me of some kind of beautiful lost Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter classic. Turns out I had actually seen Natalie Prass before playing in Jenny Lewis' band but there's no doubt that she was destined for bigger things.

Courtney Marie Andrews at Bush Hall

Courtney Marie Andrews
Joana Serrat
Bush Hall, 4 September 2017

It's always worth the long journey over to Shepherd's Bush for the lovely intimate atmosphere of the tiny Bush Hall. The sound is always great here, it's easy to have a good view of the stage and the audiences tend to be warm and friendly. The perfect place to see acclaimed country/folk singer Courtney Marie Andrews then, whose album, Honest Life, has been a real joy to me this year.

Alela Diane & Ryan Francesconi at Bush Hall

Alela Diane & Ryan Francesconi
Vikesh Kapoor
Bush Hall, 11 November 2015

There’s not much doubt that Vikesh Kapoor is a huge Bob Dylan fan. When he walks onstage he is dressed in an outfit that could have been hanging in the legend’s wardrobe back in 1965: short brown suede jacket, drainpipe jeans and pointy Beatle boots, and on top of that there’s the curly hair standing tall on top of his head and the way he carries his acoustic guitar up high. From behind he might well be mistaken for youthful Dylan. Musically, it’s not quite as obvious, although he’s an acoustic storyteller, he reminds me more of the mournful sounds of A.A. Bondy or even Ryan Adams at his most sparse.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at Bush Hall

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Sam Fender
Bush Hall, 13 March 2013

You gotta love a girl with a Flying V. Emerging wearing a short gold dress and bare feet, Grace Potter straps on her guitar and plays a bluesy, soulful version of Nothing But The Water (I) looking like a golden goddess and sounding like the lovechild of Janis and Linda Ronstadt. Incredibly after 10 years of being together and four albums this is their first headlining show in the UK. Admittedly when I make my way to the back near the end of the show it's pretty obvious Bush Hall isn't sold out tonight, but it really deserves to be, as Grace and her band put on an absolute storming show, full of energetic charm and so much good feeling you'd have to have a stone heart not to get caught up in it all.

Jenny & Johnny at Bush Hall

Jenny & Johnny
La Sera

Bush Hall, 8 December 2010

I'm not going to lie to you, my main reason for going to this show was Jenny rather than Johnny. Jenny being Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley fame, who between playing witty, infectious pop with her old band also released two country rock-influenced solo albums and stole my heart along the way. I'm probably too old to adore her the way girls in their teens do, since I'm around the same age as Ms Lewis, but I do admit feeling a little awed when she walks on stage in a wow-inducing tight white polka dot dress, looking every inch the glamorous, sexy pop star (albeit it in the alternative world).

Ryan Bingham at Bush Hall

Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses
Liam Gerner
Bush Hall, 15 November 2010
I've been waiting to see Ryan Bingham for a few years now having bought his first album, Mescalito days after his first London gig at The Borderline, unfortunately for me he hasn't been back since. Not that he's been idle, Bingham has recorded two more albums since then, toured the States and won an Oscar for the song The Weary Kind, written for the movie Crazy Heart. After all that, at last he's back in the grand yet intimate setting of Bush Hall, and obviously I'm pretty excited to be finally seeing him live.

Richmond Fontaine at Bush Hall

Richmond Fontaine
Peter Bruntnell
Bush Hall, 4 March 2010

I have to admit I'm not sure who I'm more in love with: Willy Vlautin the songwriter or Willy Vlautin the storyteller. Willy, you see, has written three books in addition to his career fronting forlorn alt-country band Richmond Fontaine and his books are like his songs turned into sad little movies: all desert towns full of loss, regret and beautiful losers.

Magnolia Electric Co. at Bush Hall

Magnolia Electric Co.
The Bitter Tears
Bush Hall, 2 September 2009

I've seen some weird-ass support acts in my time but The Bitter Tears really take the crown. Their performance can be summed up by the response from a guy in the crowd when the singer pleadingly asked us, "What are you all feeling out there?" to which came the loud reply "FEAR!" Yep, The Bitter Tears were kinda scary, not in a Marilyn-Manson-I-love-the-Devil kind of way, but because they looked and sounded like they had just escaped from a lunatic asylum. I kid you not.

Neko Case at Bush Hall

Neko Case 

Eric Bachman 

Bush Hall, 23 February 2009 

I can't tell you how much I had been looking forward to this gig: not only do I worship Neko, like the velvet-voiced, scarlet goddess that she is, but I had also been devouring a preview copy of her superb new album Middle Cyclone (absolutely one of the year's best, I know it's only April, but it is) and, on top of that, her show with M. Ward at Koko back in 2006 is one of my favourite gigs ever. It was going to be tough to live up to my high expectations, and did she do it? Well, pretty much.