Gig Review: Nerina Pallot @ The Tabernacle, London

Nerina Pallot @ The Tabernacle, London 14/12

Nerina Pallot has been on my list of artists to see for a quite a while. I have been a fan of hers for a fair few years and now finally I’ve been able to tick her off the list. It was well worth the wait as well. Called ‘Nerina Pallot’s Christmas Jamboree’, it was an intimate little gig at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill. I’ve never been to a venue like it. It was like a scaled down concert hall with the stage just marked out on the floor. However I had a great evening and left with a huge smile on my face.

I almost missed the support act, a singer songwriter called Jodie Marie, as I got lost on the way to the venue. Luckily I found my way there in time to catch her set. It included a selection from her debut album ‘Echo Mountain’ and her upcoming second album. She then finished her set with self-penned Christmas song ‘The Night before Christmas’. She was very good and liked her enough to purchase her album after the show.

Nerina then came on stage just as the film ‘The Holiday Inn’ was starting on the screen behind her. “I wanted to have ‘Love Actually’ but the people in my household wouldn’t let me,” she explained. It was different, but suited the night very well.

She played a range of songs from across her four studio albums and her new Christmas EP. Personal favourites such as ‘Everybody’s Going to War’ and ‘Real Late Starter’ were included which I was happy about. It was the first time that she had played ‘Real Late Starter’ live with her particular band that night, but it went without a hitch.

Other songs in the set  included ‘Idaho’, ‘Human’ and ‘Geek Love’. There was also an inclusion of her first ever Christmas song, ‘Blue Christmas’ as well as a solo cover of Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas’. “My band’s deserted me as I can’t remember the words and they think it’s going to be a disaster,” she joked. Low and behold half way through she promptly forgot the words, but she carried on regardless with improvised lyrics. “Click? What was Mariah thinking?” She then finished her set with a rousing version of her hit ‘Put Your Hands Up’ before coming back on stage to finish with the wonderful ‘Sophia’.

“As its Christmas, I want to you leave feeling merry. The bar’s over there”, she joked as the night ended. I certainly left with a smile on my face. I had a great evening in the company of a very talented musician. She is funny and has a quirky personality which allows her to tell stories in between songs. Childhood crushes and influences for songs were a couple of the things she talked about. In a way it’s a shame she is vastly under rated, but it does allow her to play small intimate gigs with small audience. It was well worth getting lost for and I highly recommend you see her if you get the chance.

Listen to Nerina Pallot- I Know What You're Doing For Christmas below

https://soundcloud.com/nerinapallot/i-know-what-youre-doing-for/s-ihIKr