★★★★★

Having sold out well over a month in advance, Lily Moore’s ‘More Moore’ nights have been growing at a fast pace. Inspired by the open mics she played when starting out, she decided to start her own when moving to London as a way to showcase her friends at Mau Mau Bar on Portobello Road, with the club filling up every time she’s set up a night she’s decided to expand to one of London’s most recognisable and oldest venues, The 100 Club on Oxford Street and tonight she’s bought with her Sam Johnson, Millie Turner and J C Stewart.

Sam Johnson and Millie Turner open the evening and showcase what makes an open mic event such an enjoyable event, their contrasting styles couldn’t be any more different. Johnson’s brand of ethereal acoustic singer/songwriter style is reminiscent of Ben Howard's later work. He only played a handful of songs as the opening act but with captivating tracks like ‘Peter Pan’ he shows a lot of promise and I look forward to seeing more from him in the future. Millie Turner brings the party with her dark brand of electro-pop and occasional beat poetry is in a similar vein to Dagny and Dua Lipa, her upbeat personality is infectious and her performance of ‘Night Running’ is captivating. We were also treated to a special appearance from Irish singer-songwriter J C Stewart who charmed the crowd with his closing set.

The main event though was, of course, Lily Moore and it was the perfect opportunity for her to showcase her upcoming More Moore Mixtape set to be released this Friday. Already this year she’s released a handful of truly fantastic singles that take her music in a new, exciting direction. Moore opens with ‘Why Don’t You Look At Me’, easily one of my favourite new singles of the year due to its smooth melody (which pops out when performed due to her brilliant live band) and an enthralling chorus that lets Moore emphasise her powerful vocal range.

It’s been a delight watching Moore grow from performance to performance. The highlight for me hasn’t been seeing the crowds get bigger but more how they’ve started to connect with the songs, latching onto Lily’s wistful and relatable lyrics and melodies. A group of girls at the front of the crowd sing loud and proud along with Moore to ‘Over You’ a song all about hoping your ex would do something to truly break your heart so you can be done with them and from the sound of the chorus being sung back to the stage, its a feeling quite a few people in the audience can relate to, It’s that personal touch that allows Moore to stand out, its a rare thing in Pop and a delight to see.

That connection is especially apparent as Moore breaks out the fan favourites, tracks from earlier EP’s such as ‘Lying To Yourself’ in which Moore performs on her guitar to the cheering crowd and the powerful ‘I Will Never Be’. They fit in effortlessly alongside her stellar new material, especially the tracks from the upcoming mixtape, the HONNE produced ‘Nothing On You’ really comes to life with the live instrumentation and Moore pouring all her emotion into the performance, its a clear standout. Latest single ‘In-between’ is a soulful 50s-Esque jazz-pop song with smooth crooning vocals and it feels completely at home being performed at the legendary 100 Club.

One thing about a Lily Moore gig that really excites me is the songs she’s yet to release, every time I find myself being impressed by some of the brilliant material she has yet to come, ‘10 Ways’ has quickly become a live staple with its frenzied pace that allows Moore to really let go with the hook. ‘Everybody’s Falling In Love’ meanwhile has had its addictive chorus stuck firmly in my mind since the show, we were also treated to the debut of ‘Better Than Me’ an upbeat piano jam which has you tapping your toes and snapping your fingers to its cheeky chorus.

Every time I watch a Lily Moore gig I leave impressed by something different, no two shows are the same and Moore’s infectious personality has you hooked onto every word she sings. It’s been a joy to watch her discography, talent and performances grow and I have a feeling her show at XOYO this November will be truly special.

Setlist

1. Why Don't You Look At Me 

2. Undo

3. Over You

4. 10 Ways 

5. Everybody's Falling In Love 

6. Nothing On You 

7. Lying To Yourself

8. I Will Never Be

9. Better Than Me (Live Debut)

10. In-between 

11. Now I Know