Sold-out gig at Babylon Gallery was excellent. Cambs has some very talented musicians

I WAS fortunate enough to purchase a ticket for an intimate sold-out gig at the Babylon Gallery on Friday.

The Babylon gallery is a very small and intimate venue that lacks ventilation and the breaks between performances saw an exodus to the riverside due to the smouldering heat. The event was hosted by BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s Sue Marchant.

The event started with Cambridge artist Zak Thomas, who showed his stage presence with great crowd interaction.

The highlight of his set was when he unplugged his amp and turned off his microphone, adding to the intimacy of the event with impromptu “unplugged” numbers.

Schoolgirl GraceSarah’s lyrics were dark, sharp and meaningful and I heard many people shocked at how talented this teenager is. Her beautiful sultry voice belied her age and, combined with her keyboard skills, had the audience captivated.

I was bit concerned about how the main event, Just William and the Outlaws, would follow that but I shouldn’t have been concerned.

Just William, local lad Will Law, was launching his first single It’s a Long, Long Way to Tennessee but started his set with some of his other self-penned songs.

I left Babylon gallery glad to be in the fresh air but thoroughly entertained and relieved that Cambridgeshire has some really talented locals that are on par with the best that other regions have to offer.

STEPHEN GERMENEY

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