Si Cranstoun at The Borderline

On Tuesday Si Cranstoun played at The Borderline to an extremely polite, older crowd with a youthful buzz. He clearly has a solid following, and is closely involved with the London jive scene, thanking them for their support on several tracks. After 20 years of perfecting his craft as a busker, Cranstoun is ready to take the stage. While his performance is not wholly polished, the boy got some moves and is not afraid to use them! His voice has a weighty soul to it, which he showcases on Dance For Evermore, Modern Life and Coup de Ville. On the latter, the crown goes wild, singing and dancing along gleefully. He introduces each song with a little story and this makes it feel as though you have gone back in time to a 1950s social club. The sound his band, consisting of trombone, trumpet, sax, drums, keyboard, bass and lead guitar manage to produce is truly impressive and makes you wonder if there’s a full band hiding behind the curtain, boosting their sound.

The Borderline is a great venue for gigs with bars on either side, split levels and screens showing the performance for those whose view was obstructed. The only critique one might make is that there was not enough room to dance, which can again only bear testament to Cranstoun’s following, and the fact that he managed to pack out the venue.

There were a lot of people who had been brought along by mates, who were not overly familiar with the music, but by the end of the evening they were all converts. Cranstoun’s music is such that even original songs sound familiar, and by the second chorus you are able to sing along. He captures the essence of big band swing perfectly while making it sound current and you just can’t help but smile and dance.

He ended on Build Me Up Buttercup, a song that never fails to leave a happy glow and got the whole crowd singing along. It was the perfect note to end on as it pretty much summed up the entire gig: nostalgic, smooth and warming. Things are really starting to take off for Si Cranstoun and he seems to be not only be deserving of it but fully enjoying every minute!

Yassine Senghor

For further information about Si Cranstoun and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Dance For Evermore here: