Lulu James is not your average Geordie lass. Yes, she may tick a few boxes like 'distinctive accent' and 'likes a good drink on the toon' but do not be fooled, she has one hell of a voice.
Strolling on stage in a black leotard and cape with a
flamboyant looking head chain covering everything but her eyes, Lulu James let
the London crowd know they were in for something special... and indeed we were. James performed several songs off her upcoming album ‘Now The World’ which she exclusively promised would be out in
stores by March. Catchy tracks like ‘Closer’, ‘Ride’ and ‘The End’ were
all in the mix as she cooked up a musical storm at St Pancras Old Church in
Camden. She
even went to the effort of bringing a mini bar from Newcastle with her- that’s
the kind of artist we students like. I mean, after all even Jesus promotes wine so why
the heck not? Throwing herself into every note in-between cracking
friendly banter with the audience, the soulful songstress certainly wooed the
small intimate crowd with an ease that suggested she would attract many more.
With the combination
of her striking vocals, perfect pins and upbeat moves it was pretty hard not to
be taken in by her energetic and emotive stage presence, particularly when she was shaking
her thing down the alter. Even her recent falling off of a bike incident couldn't
tame her down- no , no. She ferociously swung
her hair and hips around whilst simultaneously strutting with a slight limp.
Boy did she work that limp. The stunning but slightly unusual church venue was
the perfect setting for Lulu who first found her love of soul music through
singing in a choir as a young girl. The evening ended rather fittingly with
‘Halfway to hell’ which she cheekily joked was rather appropriate considering we
were all in a church. Oh the irony! Her latest single ‘Sweetest thing’ is now available to download so you should probably buy it cos’ she’s kind of a proper big deal like and she has really
great legs.
Essential listen: “Be safe”- a mellow, soothing and sentimental song perfect for those exhausting days of battling revision and a hangover.
Words by Stephanie Gale