Lauren Mikki’s first London headline gig was a warm and intimate night at The Lower Third, with a crowd captivated by every artist and every song.
The venue’s small upstairs room worked perfectly for the line-up and really suited the evening’s music. I spotted plenty of people who had come to support their friends, but no one was simply waiting for the person they knew to come on, they were enjoying every performance. It really felt like people were discovering new favourites throughout the evening.
Lauren performed with a full band, tightly squeezed onto the stage but clearly having a great time. Her music sits between R&B, soul and pop and something I love about her music is how well every element is written and performed, from the lyrics and melodies to the instrumentals and rhythms.
During her set, Lauren took a moment to acknowledge both the familiar faces and the new ones in the crowd. There were plenty of each, which is probably exactly what you want from your first London headline show. She is currently in the process of releasing new music, and her set included the unreleased ‘All on You’, which is definitely eagerly awaited.
Support for the evening came from Ellie Harris and Safii Koii. It was one of the best-balanced and most well-matched line-ups I’ve seen. Each artist had their own style and story, while still leading naturally into the next.
Ellie Harris opened the evening with a beautiful song about her dog, Luna, followed by some absolutely incredible vocal riffs, straight out of the gate. Her music blends jazzy soul with intimate, heartfelt songwriting, which suited the closeness of the room perfectly.
She usually performs with a band, but this was her first solo gig in three years. I’d be very excited to see her perform again with a full band, because she held the stage so well by herself. The solo set-up allowed the room to focus on her distinctive vocal style, as she moved between delicate moments, varied tones and bursts of real power. Her rendition of ‘Closer’ was a highlight. The stripped-back performance allowed the lyrics to come through more clearly and gave the song a completely different feeling.
Safii Koii followed with a full band and brought a genuine sunshine into the room. It felt as though she made friends with everyone there, which was a wonderful feeling. Her self-produced music does not sit neatly within one genre, moving between alternative R&B, soul and left-field pop, and the performance really flowed between gentle intimacy and a classic groove. This was really well brought out by the range and control in her vocal performance.
Before ‘When This All Ends’, she asked everyone in the room to close their eyes. The song, about gratitude and love, was dedicated to a friend who had just got married. For those few minutes, the room was completely still and mesmerised.