Lisa Mitchell
Lisa Mitchell’s music has long seemed like a gem buried amongst the rest of the songs on my iPod; an artist in whom I take great pleasure in recommending to others. With shows supporting Newton Faulkner and James Morrison and appearances at Glastonbury last year it was surprising that the majority of people I spoke to at the show had discovered Mitchell through the latest Surf advert. I guess it really does pay to advertise.
Inside the venue, there were tables set up littered with tea lights. Although I usually prefer standing shows, in this instance it set the mood perfectly for Mitchell’s wonderland music. The backdrop of fairy lights on stage complimented the general vibe of the audience.
Mitchell’s backing band for the night and the rest of her UK headlining tour were on loan from none other than James Morrison. No doubt thanks to previous support slots with Morrison there seemed to be a good interaction between Mitchell and the rest of the band.
Throughout the night Mitchell kept the show fresh and interesting as she slipped from playing acoustic guitar to electric. For songs like ‘Pirouette’, ‘Coin Laundry’ and ‘Stevie’ the guitar was discarded completely and she took to the microphone. She took the opportunity with these songs to dance along to the upbeat tempo; no guitar holding her back. With Mitchell getting so into the songs it was impossible for the audience not to get swept along. Her quirky personality was on show and without a guitar to hide behind, instead of shrinking back the 19-year-old seemed to grow in confidence, with no fear of exhibiting her charming personality.
Mitchell was not afraid to banish her makeshift band backstage as she took to the stage alone. First during her cover of The Dire Strait’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and then as she sat at the piano for her song ‘Love Letter’. It was these moments that stood out, with nothing to distract you from the artist that is Lisa Mitchell. She sang with the depth and soul of someone much older. Her voice pierced the room; the same audience that had talked through both support acts, now sat in silence, trance-like stares fixed upon their faces.
Although she started out timidly, as the evening progressed you could feel Mitchell starting to relax. She coaxed the audience out of their subdued Tuesday-like state of mind; involving them in the chorus of ‘Neapolitan Dreams’, she seemed to have fun with them. Stories of exploring Brighton and animal hats that she was considering buying for the band to don were told, you were slowly welcomed into the world of Lisa Mitchell.
Mitchell was enchanting throughout the night; she made the evening thoroughly enjoyable. She knew how to engage the audience and as soon as she found her groove had them eating out the palm of her hand. Lisa Mitchell is an artist on the verge of big things, so get to a gig now and you’ll be able to say you saw her back when...