Gig Review: Beth Rowley At Cherry Jam

First things first - I'd never heard of Beth Rowley. So going along to Cherry Jam (Porchester Road, London) last Tuesday evening was a bit of a shot in the dark. The night started well with genial warm-up act Jon Allen, whose biggest claim to fame is having a song (called Going Home) which featured in a recent Land Rover ad. Allen's sound is reminiscent of a young James Taylor, and he managed to easily hold the attention of a sparse crowd. Unfortunately for Allen, the London gig scene is awash with twentysomething, guitar-strumming singer-songwriters, and as such he may struggle to stand out from the crowd.

After Allen's exit, the room suddenly filled to capacity with the entrance of Beth Rowley and her 8 piece band. She entered to a cacophony of whoops and cheers, and from the off it was clear to see her fans are onto something. Her whole persona is that of a rather shy, innocent girl who, behind the mop of blonde curls and coquettish hand gestures, knows exactly what she's doing. Her band were great, particularly Ben Castle (son of Roy) on the Sax. It's so refreshing to see a band of this number and this talent in a venue of this size - and the addition of a couple of backing singers worked wonders. For me, the highlight of the set was a cover of Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released, a toe-tapper in the truest sense. Other highs included the first single, Oh My Life, and the stupendously soulful Led Zeppelin cover Nobody's Fault But Mine.

Beth Rowley is due to support David Gray on his new tour, a slot that is sure to swell her army of fans. She's a singer on the verge of big things, and as Duffy and Adele have recently proved, the public's appetite for soulful songstresses has never been stronger.

Beth Rowley's Myspace
Jon Allen's Myspace