Horsegirl at Scala

Horsegirl

Sarah Meth

Scala, 29 June 2025

I finally got to see Chicago trio Horsegirl playing the last night of their UK tour with a sold out show at the Scala!

Margo Price at Scala

Margo Price

Maya Lane

Scala, 18 June 2025

Back in 2016, I was lucky enough to see Margo Price touring her debut album, Midwest Farmer's Daughter, at this very venue, the Scala. Every time I've seen her since, including at the far bigger and grander Koko last year, I knew I was in the presence of a true star. I didn't think I would have the chance to see her in such a small venue again but almost ten years on, here I am back at the Scala to see Price where I first fell in love with her big time.

Wednesday at Scala

Wednesday

Mspaint

Scala, 20 August 2024

After a year of being obsessed with their last album, Rat Saw God, I finally saw Wednesday (on a Tuesday)! And it was a glorious blast of feedback drenched country punk: everything I hoped it would be and more, in fact.

Sierra Ferrell at Scala

Sierra Ferrell

Native Harrow

Scala, 28 June 2022

Sometimes you hear an artist and you just know you have to see them live. I may not be going to as many gigs these days, some of it due to circumstances but also due to that magic moment missing much of the time. But the first time I heard Sierra Ferrell I knew I had to go see her. Unfortunately the two London dates she was playing at the St Pancras Old Church were sold out but then due to the pandemic those got postponed and finally moved to Scala, so lucky for me I was finally able to grab a ticket (although I must say it would have been awesome to see a show like Ferrell's at the Old Church).

Margo Price at Scala

Margo Price
Andrew Combs
Scala, 1 September 2016

I've seen Andrew Combs before supporting Caitlin Rose, which makes sense because one of the songs on Margo Price's superb debut album is co-written by Rose so I suppose they are part of the same group of singer-songwriting friends in Nashville. Combs, like before, stands alone with his acoustic guitar and the obligatory Nashville attire of blue jeans and cowboy shirt. He's smaller than I remember but just as baby-faced which contrasts with the world-weary gravel in his voice. I think I said this before but he reminds me a lot of Ryan Adams in his more stripped down, lonesome moments and the crowd responds well to his earthy, country style, in fact he even plays a song (Too Stoned To Cry) because someone requested it "on the way to the bathroom".

Ex Hex at Scala

Ex Hex

Jacuzzi Boys

The Wharves

Scala, 2 November 2015

On the stairs of the venue before the show I saw Mary Timony, alone and heading for the doors. I wanted to shout out "Mary, I love you!" or just get her autograph, but sadly I timidly shuffled past, head down thinking "Don't bother her!" and "Never meet your heroes!" In some ways Timony looked like just another woman at the show but she also radiated a certain unattainable cool and maybe it's for the best that I didn't break that spell. Certainly, on stage she's a guitar goddess, effortless and fun, a total rock star, in fact, let's face it, Mary Timony couldn't be cooler.

Sharon Van Etten at Scala

Sharon Van Etten
Exitmusic
Scala, 16 May 2012

Sharon Van Etten looks thrilled and completely overwhelmed that she's standing in front of a sold-out audience in London. "We're a bunch of nobodies, who can't believe a bunch of somebodies came out to see us," she says sweetly. It's not a Sally Field "you love me, you really love me" moment either, Van Etten giggles like a kid at Christmas whose long wait has finally paid off. And things are finally paying off for her, after three superb albums, people are starting to take notice of her and catch on to her unique and beautiful brand of folk-infused rock. Not only is the Scala filled to the brim but there's even some American fans beside me who have traveled all the way from the States to see her, one saying he had tried to see her in New York but her shows were sold out, so obviously it's not just a London thing.

Alela Diane at Scala

Alela Diane & Wild Divine

Peggy Sue

Dylan LeBlanc

Scala, 12 May 2010

Louisiana singer-songwriter Dylan LeBlanc looks like a cross between Ashton Kutcher and a young Townes Van Zandt. So yes, he's easy on the eye and has a kind of cool, authentic cowboy thing going on.

Phosphorescent and Caitlin Rose at Scala

Phosphorescent
Timber Timbre
Caitlin Rose
Scala, September 8 2010
There’s something special about Caitlin Rose. Here she is, a petite 23-year-old from Nashville with Linda Ronstadt circa 1969 hair, in the cool surroundings of the Scala, wearing cowboy boots, demin shirt and a Western-style belt (belonging to her dad) and playing country music to a bunch of trendy young Londoners and they are absolutely captivated. It’s a joy to see and a testament to her power as a songwriter and storyteller.

Mark Lanegan at Scala

Mark Lanegan
Duke Garwood
Tiffany Anders
Scala, 4 May 2010

Tiffany Anders is best known to me for singing backing vocals on one of my favourite ever Dinosaur Jr songs, the heart-wrenching Get Me. She was only a teen at the time and knew Dinosaur’s J Mascis through her mother, filmmaker Allison Anders, who J had worked with when he wrote the music for her film Gas, Food & Lodging.

Elvis Perkins at Scala

Elvis Perkins

Dawn Landes
Scala, 22 September 2009
Dawn Landes bounds onto the stage with a huge grin on her face. Wearing a high-neck Victorian blouse, orange 70s-style cords and a ponytail, she almost looks like a kids' TV presenter and is considerably cuter than photos I had seen of her. Running behind the keyboard and beginning a bouncy number called Young Girl, immediately it became apparent that this was going to be a performance filled with fun and it was a refreshing, happy change from all the maudlin female singer-songwriters that seem to be dominating the scene at the moment.