Nothing quite gets an evening off to a great start liking walking into a venue for the first time and immediately feeling at home. The tiny stage at the Dukes Of Highgate greets you the moment you walk in, the windows are full neon advertising signs, while American number plates are tacked to the wall. Posters of Willie Nelson festoon the walls it just emanates a good karma. The reason #TEAMw21 were here was not to see the headliner but the support act - making her London debut - Sophie Rose. Our research for Buckle & Boots had identified her as one to watch this year, however events beyond our control meant that on the day we could not see her ourselves.
So when the earliest opportunity presented itself to right that wrong, we immediately jumped at the chance. Sophie had already endeared herself to us while we were at the bar ordering a drink as her improvised song "This Is Just A Soundcheck" picked out various Dukes Of Highgate regulars. For her set Sophie would sit on a stool wearing a cap, and tinted glasses, t shirt, jeans torn on the right knee, like her EP cover. The late evening sun was shining through on tanned arms, as she gently strummed her guitar, for a few moment before introducing herself and immediately moving on to "To The Core"
Sophie's voice, rich and deep, a cross between talking and singing on this song that quotes a lot of conversation. As she approached the second chorus, things got more intense, stirring with Sophie's voice rising considerably in volume. She billed it as her one love song and that the rest would be heartbreak songs, With only 5 songs available online, and a further 3 in a stripped back format available on her website, this was going to be an evening of hearing how extensive Sophie's catalogue was.
"Heartbreak With You" was a slow blues number, with Sophie belting out the powerful pathos sung in a tone of painful defiance - "I'll make it through". The next song started with a niche call out "Anyone been to Colorado?" - naturally Savannah had! - it had more of a definite country vibe - she would close the song edging ever closer to the mic. The first cover of the night came in the shape of Leonard Cohen's "Tower Of Song" from his "I'm Your Man"album which was an intriguing choice, Sophie then also mentioned a Martha Wainwright version, In the end Sophie used Leonard's words, Martha's phrasing and then played it like it "Fulsom Prison Blues" effectively as in a country, rock 'n' roll version, closing it as a kind of blues number - definitely unique - and highly inventive.
It was back to a Sophie original for "Where Did Your Head Go?", which came with an intense middle section:
"How can you hold space for anyone
When you can't hold it for yourself?"
where the vocals got progressively louder with each repetition of the line.
There was a moment, when Sophie introduced a cover of "Crazy", that your reviewers heart sunk, it is an undoubted classic, yet surely it sounds better with a piano and is there really anything new to be extracted from this tune Well it is the second time in a month that we've heard it and yes each time the artist singing it has found something new. Sophie's version had an intense slow strum to it and
"you'd leave me for somebody new"
had a degree of venom that we've not noticed previously - Sophie worried about doing it justice - she needn't have.
It was back to her rather wonderful EP, for the next couple of songs, "Two For Joy", by contrast to the rest of the set positively uptempo with a Western twang to it while the sublime stirring "Healing In The Burn" would follow. Stripped back to the very core compared to the recorded version, the chorus retained it's many hooks, Compared to much of the evening the vocal was delivered with a sort of quiet strength, the guitar playing as well became a more gentle picking style.
Sophie was coming off the back of a chest infection and there was just enough voice left to close things out with one final song - a happy optimistic song - "Stronger Than Ever". -
"I've got both feet on the ground -
My heart is getting higher
My wings are spreading out
I'm stronger than ever
I ain't gonna back down
My love is what I make it
Going to make you proud"
As charming off stage as she was entertaining on it - Sophie Rose more than justified our "One To Go See " recommendation!
When #TEAMw21 walked into to the Dukes Of Highgate at the start of the evening we made it clear that we were only there for Sophie and that as we'd be passing on reviewing Savannah tonight. We'd even considered leaving after Sophies set, but then as Savannah took to the stage, she'd assembled an entirely new band to that we'd seen from 4th July so that seemed a good excuse, as if it were really needed to stay. Amy Vix remained on guitar except this time you could hear it, and boy what a difference that made, grade A rock guitar posing now had a pay off in sound!. From the 4th July evening Savannah had Dom Glyn's drummer, the magnificent smiling presence of Carmen Ruiz Vicente who seemed to be singing along to every tune - while on bass Dale Davies was swapped out for Riley Kaskey who was deadpan while playing but had a broad smile between songs. This little combo were snappy and punchy and all but fizzed as they ripped through Savannah's catalog with a gusto rarely seen. Savannah upfront naturally imperious as we edge ever closer to her album launch in September
Maybe it was the surroundings, the warm summer evening but something just clicked in one of the most rip roaring sets we've seen all year. The evening was topped of with a three song Dolly Parton tribute that was a perfect way to end the night.
Set your diaries for the next time the Honky Tonk Angels hit The Dukes at Highgate
Sophie Rose's music is available from https://sophierosemusic.co.uk/store
Savannah Gardner's album launch 26th September - The Camden Club https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/1276395
Savannah Gardner's opening single "Recovering Good Girl" available July 26th.
Amy Vix's single "Cold Shoulder" available July 26th https://ffm.to/coldshoulderamyvix