Sunday 15 December 2019

Lucy Rose at The Barbican

Lucy Rose
Barbican, London
4 December 2019
I had enjoyed seeing Lucy Rose at Manchester’s Stoller Hall back in April and was pleased to see her Barbican date coincided with my time in London.

Apparently Lucy doesn’t like the traps - or trappings - of fame, but such matters cannot be avoided in the world of public performance.

Playing at the Barbican - capacity 1158 - is always going to be a more daunting experience for a shy singer than a venue the size of the Stoller Hall (capacity 482) and Lucy honestly admitted she was ‘just going to try and get through the evening’, having had this show on her mind for a very long time.

The stage was very dark most of the time too, further adding to the mysterious element of the evening.

No Words Left, which was hot off the press in April, again formed the backbone of the repertoire. Indeed, unless I am very much mistaken, all 11 songs were present and correct. There was also a sprinkling of songs from her earlier albums - plus two new songs (All That Fear and White Car).

It was a delightfully delicate show, clearly enjoyed by the people around me (some of whom were unnecessarily talkative throughout the evening.)

2020 will be an interesting year for Lucy Rose. Will there be more new music? Will her confidence in public performance grow? Various paths are possible for this enigmatic artiste.





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