GIG REVIEW: Ellie Goulding, Dingwalls, Camden Town, 28/01/10.

I was looking forward to this gig a lot. Ellie Goulding is one of my favourite artists around at the present, and Dingwalls is a great little venue which has hosted many famed artists over the years. Ellie was the winner of this year's Critics' Choice Brit Award and the BBC Sounds of 2010 poll and has been tipped for greatness. She was appearing at this gig as on of the '10 for 10' artists tipped, by MTV, for success in 2010. Despite having not at this stage released a single track with her label, Polydor, the venue was packed on a Thursday night; I managed to edge my way to the front of the stage.
Ellie opened with 'Guns and Horses', her voice perfectly pitched over her strummed guitar, and backed by some nifty keyboard and bass playing, and a pounding drum rhythm. Ellie is upfront about labelling herself as a folk musician, but the influence of her producer Starsmith gives her a more poppy/indie sound.
She appeared fairly self-effacing, even shy, with her between-song banter but she had the crowd captivated. Other song highlights were a reworked version on Midlakes' 'Roscoe', a slowed down 'Under the Sheets' (Ellie now minus the guitar), the wonderfully whimsical 'Wish I Stayed' and the finale - 'Starry Eyed', including Ellie's drum-bashing interlude. General reviews elsewhere havve been pretty mixed; the NME was pretty negative, but for me this performance bodes well for the forthcoming album.

Set list:

1. Guns and Horses
2. Every Time You Go
3. This Love
4. The Writer
5. Swimming Pool
6. Roscoe
7. Under The Sheets
8. Wish I Stayed
9. Starry Eyed

Thanks to retroremo for the YouTube video.
Photograph by NickOLarse.