“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.