Live

Emma Noble: Amazing Grace, London 27/03/2023

Amazing Grace is London's newest and most exciting music venue and late-night bar. This converted 17th-century church is bang next to The Shard and it’s kitted out beautifully. Tonight saw the effervescent Emma Noble take to the stage to a packed audience and deliver an energetic and well-paced set.

The sound wasn’t too good, to begin with, you couldn’t really hear Noble and her two vocalists. However, things improved as the sound guy battled the challenging acoustics of a church whilst mixing an 11-piece band!

So with a crisis diverted, Emma tore through her repertoire with good humour and gusto. "Beatmaker" sounded particularly good and the drummer must get mentioned in dispatches as he was the anchor of the show, laying it down for all to follow.

Noble's current single "Break Down The Walls" had pep too and by this time, the group was in its stride, no doubt, aided by Nick Corbin’s muscular rhythm guitar and the said drummer.

Cover version "All Night Long" (by The Mary Jane Girls) was a resounding hit with the audience and the slower groove offered respite from the upbeat original material.

It was a shame the lighting was poor because Noble's performance was nothing less than illuminating. Stage-wise, she positioned herself behind backing vocalist and label mate Abi Farrell, who ironically, had the only spotlight on her but out of the shadows came a first-class performance from this very able artist.

The band took it up a gear for the final number, "Table Dancers", which was essentially the Godfather of Funk/Soul James Brown's "I Feel Good" in a minor key. On the whole, this was a fun gig in full-throttle mode and definitely bodes well for this likeable and talented singer.

PHOTOS: EMRYS BAIRD
Words Emrys Baird