KOKO, LONDON, 17 DECEMBER
Words: Stuart Livens Photos: Robin Pope
On
record, Slow Club deal in twee indie folk, but their live show expands into full Technicolor
pop. The hushed opening trio of songs
from their debut album Yeah So (2009) are
all heartfelt lyrics with indie-tinged country, but the crowd hang onto every
word. Watching them with Koko’s
audience gives the feeling that everyone here has been with them since the
beginning. As the
set progresses, Slow Club’s two core members Rebecca Taylor and Charles
Watson are joined by their band.
Everyone revolves around the stage to share in guitar, vocal and percussion duties. Halfway through, the Sheffield duo perform a new song, The Queen's Nose. Taylor dominates the track and she belts out a vocal that recalls Amy Winehouse in her prime. They are also accompanied by a brass band and weave in and out of songs from the aforementioned
debut Yeah So and more recent album Paradise (2011). They call to mind the American duo She and Him, and in Taylor is a star who commands the stage, especially with set closers Two Cousins and Giving Up On Love. The encore sees
them perform three Christmas songs: one is their own - Christmas TV
from the EP Christmas, Thanks for Nothing followed by two Darlene Love covers.
Rather fittingly they perform a miracle and transform All
Alone on Christmas into a beautiful a capella piece.
