“Don’t worry, you won’t get shot. You might get stabbed…”

There were certainly raised eyebrows about the idea of going to Croydon for a gig.  Or at all.  No need to worry – Matthews Yard was a lovely café/bar/hangout/community centre.  And, for one night only, the venue for a memorable Jill & Kate show.

T (@tofficialmusic) kicked things off with a sweet country pop set, followed by an accomplished performance by folk-rock band, Dream of Giants (@dreamofgiants1).

Then the mayhem began  – on one side, at least.  I’ve never seen a more polarized crowd.  For half, it was a Kelly-Clarkson-at-Borderline style hot mess of a show (the same fans, come to think of it!): all singing, dancing, shouting obscure requests – full on crowd participation.  The other half sat down, quietly (trying) to savour the beautiful music.  It was all good-natured, though, and somehow it worked.

As ever, Jill & Kate put on a fantastic show – a short-but-sweet set spanning their various records, including the recently released Acoustic Covers EP.  Highlights included Your Way Back and Katy Perry’s Roar.

It might be a while until Jill & Kate get back here, so catch them in London tonight (The Borderline redux!) or Birmingham on June 5.  They head out to tour Canada with Jann Arden in September: http://jillandkate.com/events/

Visit Flickr for my full set of photos and Spotify for my Jill & Kate playlist if you want to check out what they’re like.