23 January 2013 (gig)
23 January 2013
On a miserable Monday what better than a live gig with some raw talent to make you feel better?! This talent came in the form of New Zealand born Willy Moon and the UK’s very own Devlin, performing at an intimate gig at Hospital Club.
The night came courtesy of Penguin’s Plugged-In Sessions (filmed for Virgin Media) and the crowd was a blend of industry-heads and competition winners. I had heard of Willy Moon and I’m sure like everyone else knows of his song ‘Yeah Yeah’ which features on the Apple advert but I wasn't yet familiar with how much star potential he really has.
Taking to the stage first Willy Moon (real name William Sinclair) has a very distinctive sound, a fusion of 50’s rock-n-roll and hip hop beats providing a weird but wonderful result. Both Willy and his band looked the part, with him wearing a sharp suit and his band looking like real 50’s rock stars. He performed his Apple hit, along with a rendition of Jack White’s I’m Shaking all of which had the crowd’s full attention. It is still the beginning for Moon but with his showmanship and stage confidence developing along with his unique musical style there’s no doubt he has much more to come.
Next up was home-grown Dagenham born rapper Devlin, who I am already a big fan of due to his gritty and honest wordplay. With a passionate and powerful performance you could tell Devlin gave it his all, inviting us into his world through his words. Singer Olivia Leisk joined the stage and provided beautiful vocals to Runaway and the new single Rewind. His track Watchtower with its Hendrix sampling was energetic and saw Devlin dominate the stage a bit more as he bought his performance to a close with a bang.
My guest and I left feeling energised and pleased we’d ventured out on a Monday to witness some real musical talent. Musically they’re different but both artists have a common factor in that they have an abundance of talent which I for one hope will bring them both great success.
