Lianne La Havas at the Round Chapel

A stone’s throw from where she used to live – and looking completely in her element – Lianne La Havas gave an inspiring and intimate performance for around 200 friends, family and fans last night. After the huge success of her second album Blood, Lianne has remained a firm favourite and her sound is undeniably unique.

In the beautiful setting of the Round Chapel in Hackney the audience were treated to the delightful presence of Lianne and her astounding talents. After humbly taking the stage unaccompanied, the gig began with a few favourites including Midnight and Lost and Found. From the offset, the crowd were taking full advantage of the warm and laid-back situation, assisting Lianne’s songs with gentle percussion in the form of claps and clicks. As the evening light faded in the impressive venue, the line between friends and fans seemed to melt away and the singer was able to connect and laugh with members of the small audience, which gave a rewarding atmosphere to the evening: Lianne can, and will, make you feel a little bit special.

At no point in the hour-and-a-half of an unaccompanied and unfaltering performance did the interest of those watching wander – It’s not hard to see why, Lianne is passionate and determined and, it goes without saying, a rare and incredible talent. The highlights of the event were the haunting performances of Tokyo and Unstoppable, broken mid-way with an upbeat cover of I Say a Little Prayer, (the audience particularly enjoyed the added “believe me”s and “answer my prayer”s). The structure of the evening was just right.

At some later point in the night, between songs, Lianne excitedly exclaimed “Tomorrow I’m playing Wembley Stadium!” followed by a mumbled “I don’t know what’s going on…”. Through the chuckling of the crowd, a much bigger point was being made: that she had the chance to stand on a small church stage, 30 seconds from where she used to live, with a small audience of people who really care about her, which she may never get the chance to do again. But gosh did she make the most of it. Always charming, always humble and always beyond impressive.

Lottie Eustace

For further information about Lianne La Havas and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Green and Gold here: