Allo Darlin' Compass North

And so to the St Pancras Old Church in drizzly rain and not the best of spirits for the third leg of Allo Darlin's experimental quartet of live shows.
Up first were Haiku Salut , and I must say that they were as perfectly mesmerising as always. I never fail to be amazed at how three people can combine with such varied instrumentation to create such a beautiful sound. The upcoming 'lamp show' gig in London has all the hallmarks of being an absolutely wonderful night and I can't recommend enough that everyone everywhere should go out of their respective ways to catch it.

Allo Darlin' still continue to astonish and amaze me! This was another intensely engaging show in a new environment for me (being both in a church and seated at all times) with slightly more inter song banter than we might have become accustomed to, but that only added to the nature of the unfolding experience. It also turns out that even when you have recently broken your own heart yet still somehow manage to find yourself sitting in extremely close proximity to a couple going for moves which should really only be attempted in private, it's still ultimately impossible to be anything other than happy at an Allo Darlin' gig!!

Allo Darlin' Compass West

I was lucky enough to make it to Allo Darlin's first London compass show at Ginglik in Shepherds Bush on Wednesday evening.
The somewhat highly anticipated night began with the beautiful noise of Flowers. I can't get enough of the dynamic of the band, just a beguiling in the moment thing to behold. Anyone who arrived late or serially arrives late just to catch the headliner is missing out on something important.
And then on to the main event as it were; I (and I have to assume others) am entirely transfixed whenever the band comes on stage, so having the chance to see them in such a tiny venue with a stage not much higher than the ground was dreamily  perfect!
In a set dominated by songs from an as yet unrecorded third album every moment seemed familiar but different and new with even the sprinkling of existing songs (if I can ridiculously call them that, after all the new ones do also exist) taking on yet another new dimension. It came as an absolute privilege to hear so many of the raw songs that might later come together to make a new album in what I see as their natural live environment. It must be said that the new songs are without doubt wonderful creations,  looking to be a continuation of the melancholy and upbeat which we have come to love, with only the occasional missed intro or ending belying the work in progress nature of the night. An unexpected three song encore tailored a perfect ending to a mesmerising sweaty night. Anyone attending the north, east and south legs of the micro tour are in for a treat.