Gig Review: Nell Bryden - St Pancras Old Church, London ✭✭✭✭
Nell Bryden
St Pancras Old Church
Thursday 13 September: Nell Bryden showed off her incredible vocal range in an intimate show at St Pancras Old Church. The New Yorker has written and recorded her new album in London and this was an opportunity for a select few to hear her new material. With a crowd of around 50 including friends and industry insiders who have backed Bryden’s new album, this sell-out show showed why Bryden is tipped to be the next big thing in roots and blues.
Rick Webster of Uncle Bob was the support act and his melodic, folky acoustic performance set the tone for an evening of soulful entertainment.
Performing without her the wig she usually wears, Bryden played songs from her new album, Shake the Tree, including the first single ‘Buildings and Treetops’ as well as an upbeat cover of John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’. A highlight was Bryden’s new single ‘Sirens’ - a moving and personal tale of her experiences as a New York-resident at the time of September 11th.
The acoustics were fantastic (surprisingly given the venue) and the crowd hung on Bryden’s every word. She has the ability to compel a crowd with tuneful melodic songs or fill a venue with the power of her voice.
Bryden was deservedly saluted with long standing ovations at the end of her set and the encore. If you get the chance to see her, Nell Bryden is not an act to miss!
Nell Bryden will be supporting Jools Holland on a tour of the UK, starting at the Royal Albert Hall on 30 November.
Review by Tom Herne
