Reviews
JESSIE WARE
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- Gigs
Blue light ricochets off a universe of mirrorballs jostling for position beneath Plan B’s low ceiling. Beneath them, Jessie Ware takes to the stage of her hometown Brixton gig in a black dress that matches her slicked-back hair. Just a few feet from a ram-packed crowd the self-confessed cocktail connoisseur belts out album title track ‘Devotion’ with lungfuls of soul, powered by the musical force that has propelled her to the gates of the mainstream.
Between tracks she jokes in her south London accent about her mum buying all the tickets (her entire bridge club are apparently in attendance) and mentions the presence of other recent collaborators, name-checking SBTRKT and calling out a certain Bristolian DJ and co-producer. “I see you, Julio Bashmore”, she laughs, then delivers single ‘110%’ as silhouetted faces, edged in coloured light, mouth the lyrics. Towards the end she introduces Dave Okumu’s super-tight guest slot on bass, before a sublime duet with SBTRKT vocalist Sampha on ‘Love Valentine’ leaves us all spellbound.
