Lily Allen - Somerset House, London - 16/7/07
4/5
By: Alex Lee Thomson
Apparently, Lily Allen is a chav, and we're all meant to hate chavs. But when this beautiful song maker crafts her way to the stage with a massive smile on her face and a great tune ascending in the milieu, what we're meant to think is all rather trivial. Lily has given rise to a complete scene around London, a scene that's now been taken on by the likes of Jamie T and Kate Nash, and has become something of a mega-star within the nation... so predictably there were a huge bundle of fans in waiting at the inarguably stunning Somerset House. From the hoop earring clad chav-ette and jeans 'n' shirt indie boy to the children that they carried in their arms, it seemed the whole family had come along expecting delicate little summer songs from a family entertainer. Lily however was having none of that, displaying her usual off-the-cuff banter and mischievously naughty language that went over most peoples heads regardless, the majority coming to expect such things to be uttered by this brutally honest lass.
The songs were what we all wanted; a climbing set list of singles and sing-songs all lovingly harnessed into a decent length show that allowed the evolving nature of her music to exist. It's funny when you hear a song every day for nigh on a year and then when you capture it live it's almost unrecognisable, it's inspiring and the reason you buy the tickets, and it's what drives these affectionate audiences into the venues. With Lily, it's as much about the songs themselves as it is the way she performs them, the inter-song banter and the communication with the audience taking away the confines that most gigs have allowing this house party ambience with laughter, drinks and great music. She's one of those writers whose songs you can listen to completely concentrated, getting lost in each witty lyric until you're hanging on her every word. For us, that was somewhere around 'Alfie' when a person who we can only assume to be her real brother came onstage to give her a big old hug. Rather sweet, we thought.
Lily's off stage manner of handling the media has given her a name for truthfulness and as such you felt attached to her, like old friends, before the show even started, and as the brooding classics were wheeled out, 'LDN' and 'Smile' namely, there was little love lost between the crowd and London's favourite daughter. The familiarity of her music and charm with which she presents it is nothing short of magical and with the playing of covers 'Oh My God', 'Heart Of Glass' and the Special's 'Gangsters' (which Lynval Golding himself joined her for) there wasn't a still foot in the house, nor a batting eyelash or doubtful mind. OK, so there were parts which were sat a little too comfortably in the mainstream, but to heck with it, as this is one great British diva with a fun catalogue of songs to play and the sweetest voice with which to do it.
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