Wendy Ip (gig)

Just Wendy

Wendy's just concluded her UK tour in the suitably humble 'Acoustic Lounge', otherwise known as the upstairs bar of the Railway in Clapham.

The evening began with a piano-playing singer-songwriter Beverley Craven/Dido crossover who was so pitch perfect and flawless that I actually worried our headlining act might end up being a byline: I'd met Wendy but never heard her perform and only sampled a couple of seconds of a track on iTunes. I needn't have worried, wasn't disappointed; I was truly blown away.

There's so much passion in her songs and boy does that come across with plaintiff cries, guitar riffs and keyboard flourishes. From the titular and powerful Just Wendy to the beautiful Nobody's Fault rock, country and alternative styles are fused into a unique package with profound lyrics and a voice that is so right for the material, perhaps revealing autobiographical origins.

Difficult to describe & hard to compare, hop over to Just Wendy and download a track or two for yourself. When I manage to get to New York later this year her regular Monday night spot will definitely be on the itinerary. Oh and the albums are being added to my wishlist...