London Grammar, Electrowerkz, London

Photo: Jonathan Simpson

Tonight is all about London Grammar. A band that have managed to rack up over half a million plays on SoundCloud after only releasing two tracks and are making their live debut proper tonight. To say this show was hotly-anticipated would be a massive understatement, and this is evident from the now packed to capacity venue. Plenty of heavy hitters in the music biz are undoubtedly casting their critical eyes over this one, and it would be easy for anyone to collapse into a quivering heap under this sort of scrutiny.

From the moment they take the stage, however, it’s obvious that London Grammar are embracing the pressure and attention currently being thrust upon them with open arms. They take to the stage with the confidence and self-assuredness of a band that have toured the world six times over, and as they launch into their set opener, it’s clear that they have the musical chops to match. Hearing singer Hannah Reid’s vocals on record doesn’t even compare to experiencing them live. Her voice is stunning, soaring over the backdrop of reverb-drenched guitars and ethereal synths, it almost feels as though the venue isn’t big enough to contain her. Comparisons to Jessie Ware and Florence Welch will come in abundance, but even they don’t seem to do her justice on tonight’s evidence. Yes, she is THAT good.

As the set progresses, the band prove beyond any doubt that blog hits ‘Hey Now’ and ‘Metal & Dust’ were anything but flukes. In fact, every song they play seems so instantly memorable that it’s difficult to pick out anything that is vastly superior to the other. It’s a set overflowing with epic, soulful pop gems, performed with note perfect perfection and unrelenting energy. If forced to pick a standout, ‘Metal & Dust”s brilliantly danceable climax whipped the crowd into a complete frenzy, but moments such as this were liberally dished out tonight.

Now, if any other band were to play an encore at their first ever show, it would reek of arrogance and pretentiousness. Tonight, it seems completely necessary. Even humble. The crowd are asking for it, and when hundreds of people are begging you to play one more song, you should oblige.

Soon, thousands of people will be screaming for London Grammar to play just one more song – and no new band is better prepared to deliver the goods than this one.