MTV Review: Birdy Soars At Camden’s Roundhouse
Seriously good stuff.
It’s not very often that an act can silence an audience, but from the moment Birdy took to the stage at Camden’s Roundhouse, the crowd was captivated.
Concluding the first leg of her European tour last night (April 10), the singer has certainly now found her voice on her third LP ‘Beautiful Lies’, confidently opening the show with Japan inspired track ‘Growing Pains’.
Birdy treated fans to old hits from her first album too, People Help The People, Shelter, and Young Blood all providing emotionally charged, stand out moments.
Sat comfortably at her grand piano for the majority of the show, Birdy also showed great presence in front of it too, soulfully (and effortlessly) delivering the up-tempo ‘Keeping Your Head Up’ and soaring anthem ‘Wings’.
Despite her flawless vocal and vast musical talents (she also played guitar), Birdy displayed little of this self-assurance when it came to speaking to the audience, timidly thanking everyone for their applause at the end of each song before quickly beginning the next.
Basically, she was letting her music do the talking, and from what we heard, that was more than enough.
The stand out surprise of the evening was her cover of Fleet Foxes’ White Winter Hymnal, building from a quiet, stripped back start to an overwhelming powerful crescendo.
Of course the song most people think of when it comes to Birdy, Bon Iver’s Skinny Love, failed to disappoint either. Keeping her calling card as her final encore song, the moment she sang that first crystal clear, pitch perfect note, she had the every pair of the audience’s eyes on her. You could quite literally hear a pin drop. It’s a rare talent to draw in a room of 1,700 people, and Birdy did just that.
You're not in control and you won't be told
All I can do to keep you safe is hold you close, hold you close
'Til you can breathe on your own
'Til you can breathe on your own
Hold tight, you're slowly coming back to life
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up, darling
Let go of all your haunted dreams tonight
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up, darling
Hold tight, you're slowly coming back to life
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up, darling
Let go of all your haunted dreams tonight
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up
And I won't let you down
Everyone keeps a darker place
To lose control, you're not alone
And when you come looking for embrace
I know your soul, I'll be your home
'Til you can breathe on your own
'Til you can breathe on your own
Hold tight, you're slowly coming back to life
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up, darling
Let go of all your haunted dreams tonight
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up, darling
Hold tight; you're slowly coming back to life
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up, darling
Let go of all your haunted dreams tonight
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up
And I won't let you down
You never think that you can fly
You'll always swim against the tide
Don't you know your pain is mine?
And I would die a thousand times to ease your mind
To ease your mind
Hold tight; you're slowly coming back to life
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up, darling
Let go of all your haunted dreams tonight
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up, darling
Hold tight; you're slowly coming back to life
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up, darling
Let go of all your haunted dreams tonight
I'll be keeping your head up
I'll be keeping your head up
And I won't let you down