 I arrive just in time to catch the first support
of the night, Tiffany Page. She’s an acoustic
folk singer from North London who plays a charming
but short set, accompanied by her small band.
Her music is inoffensive enough, but the songs
roll into one, and I get the feeling I’ve
seen it all before. Predictably, she’s barefoot,
and seems to think she’s a bit more ‘different’
than she actually is.
Thankfully, Little Comets pick up the pace, with
some fun pop-rock. Vocalist, Robert Coles pulls
some fantastic expressions as he sings, and drummer
Mark Harle is probably the most animated drummer
you’ll ever have the pleasure of watching.
They’ve hung various percussion instruments
from a string stretching across the front of the
stage, so they can give their tambourine a quick
shake, or their saucepan a quick bang during a
song. The Little Comets are inventive and full
of enthusiasm, and gain a lot of new fans from
the excitable audience; a perfect way to warm
up for the main act.
 The Noisettes appear fashionably late on stage,
and are welcomed by their impatient fans. Shingai
Shoniwa’s silhouette is poised on a plinth
in the middle of the stage as the band launch
straight into ‘Don’t Upset The Rhythm’.
Her costume is fittingly flamboyant, and she plays
brilliantly to the audience. She keeps up the
momentum with another hit, ‘Wild Young Hearts’,
from their latest album of the same name.
The last time I saw the Noisettes was at the
end of 2006, supporting Muse. At the time, they
seemed like an immature band, lacking direction
and substance. Needless to say, they’re
a totally different band today, and are enjoying
well-earned success since the release of ‘Wild
Young Hearts’, earlier in the year. They
play gorgeously crafted soulful, but upbeat, songs,
complemented perfectly by Shingai’s sultry
voice.
They play a seamless blend of new and old material,
and even slip in covers of a couple of classics
– ‘When We Were Young’ by the
Killers and the fantastic ‘Children Of The
Revolution’ by T-Rex, during which Shingai
climbs up to the balcony and serenades the audience
seated upstairs. Shingai is the star of the show,
but we shouldn’t ignore the rest of the
band; guitarist Dan Smith is ridiculously talented
and even plays with his teeth at one point; drummer
Jamie Morrison is like a man possessed behind
his instrument; and her back-up singers/dancers
add even more so to the energy of the explosive
show. This band really knows how to perform, and
they have brilliant chemistry.
 The highlight of the show is ‘Atticus’.
Shingai climbs up a rope ladder covered in fairy
lights and delivers the entire performance 15
feet above the audience. In true style, she even
performs a few acrobatics for us, but manages
to return safely to the stage (to the relief of
her tour manager, I would imagine).
They return for their encore to rapturous applause,
and opt for a couple of older songs, ‘Scratch
Your Name’ and ‘Sister Rosetta’
to play us out. At the end, the entire band joins
hands and bows to the audience, a fitting end
to a glittering performance fit for the West End.
Tiffany Page – 3/5
Little Comets – 4/5
Noisettes – 5/5
Review By Helen Williams |
